Success principles
December
‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.’
Marianne Williamson
Get and stay in shape
Successfully fit people are successful not because of good luck, birth order, or family heritage but because they have adopted the right habits. Success habits. That goes for your body too! Eat breakfast, drink water, close the kitchen after dinner. Work out. Get in shape and stay in shape!
Keep expectations high
High expectations make greatness possible. Your dreams usually seem ridiculous or even impossible to others, which is why they’re your dreams. Others may not understand why you’re trying to start your own business, or writing books, when there are easier, proven paths to take. But when you make your first sale, or publish your first book, they will see the light. High expectations make greatness possible by giving you confidence to take chances.
Bite your tongue
When tempted to criticize your parents, spouse, children, anyone, bite your tongue. When dealing with others, it is all too easy to find fault, to criticize, and to condemn. Criticism is futile, because it puts a person on the defensive and causes him to justify himself. Criticism is dangerous, because it arouses resentment. Criticism is vain, because in judging others, we regard ourselves as more righteous than they. Abstain from criticism.
Be tactful
Tact is critical to social situations, in school, with family and at the workplace. Learning this difficult skill allows you to avoid conflict. Think before you speak. Allow yourself a pause to consider how your words could be perceived. Prevent yourself from making hasty comments. Consider the other person’s viewpoint and acknowledge it. Be gracious even when you’re irritated. Keep your cool and speak kindly and sincerely.
Refrain from envy
In a world where we are constantly being told to be rich, pretty, successful and smart, it’s sometimes hard not to compare yourself to others. Often you don’t want to be jealous of people who make things look so effortless, but you are. If you can identify your feelings as jealousy [and not anger for instance] you can deal with it properly. Ask yourself the questions, ‘What am I jealous of? What do I want? How can I reach my goals? What can I do better than so-and-so?’ And the most important one of all, ‘Am I comparing myself fairly?’
Lift you spirit
There are some things you can do to lift your spirit, relieve your mind and remind you of what is true for you. Do at least one small thing every day that allows you to reconnect with yourself. Take care of yourself. Make brief mental sanity breaks a priority to get still and focused.
Play big!
‘Are you the cause or the effect? Are you the engine or the caboose? Are you making history or watching history be made? Are you the one everyone is talking about or one of those doing the talking? Are you the thermostat or the thermometer? Are you making things happen or waiting to see what happens? It is your life…play big!’ [excerpt from 'A Year Wiser' by Clifton Anderson]
Set goals that stretch you
Goals that allow you to aim high, to reinvent yourself, and to go beyond your best. Redefine yourself, not by what you wear but by who you are, what you achieve and what you do to make a difference in the world.
Act on a good idea
Don’t delay acting on a good idea. Chances are someone else has just thought of it too. Success comes to the one who acts first. Don’t delay… Act today!
Seek opportunity, not security
Now everybody seeks security in all the walks of life. We want to make a nice comfortable nest for ourselves. A secure position in business. You may think you have security but there is no such thing as absolute security. No doubt, a boat in the harbor is safe, but in time its bottom will rot out. Take advantage from an opportunity you get. Recognize an opportunity and catch it! You will always miss100% of the shots you don’t take.
Go the distance
When you accept a task, finish it. Do the work. Those that put the time in, day after day, week after week and year after year succeed. Those that don’t will try every fast and easy approach until they throw their arms up in failure. To truly get what you want out of life, you have to have the self-discipline to stick with tasks, push through obstacles, do the work when everyone else is having fun, push away the negativity and endure the countless hours of practice it takes to succeed.
Get your priorities straight
No one ever said on his death bed, ‘Gee, if I’d only spent more time at the office.’ Clean out some of the ‘urgent’ stuff and make space for the ‘important’ stuff. This will allow you to live a life you love, a life that is closer to your dreams.
Learn from other people
Every person that you meet knows something you don’t. Learn from them. It is important to learn from other people because you will get very important information that can help you in achieving your goals. You get important ideas. You’ll get motivation and Inspiration. And most important advice of all: ‘Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself. ‘ ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Never compromise your integrity
You compromise every day. What to eat today with your family or which movie to watch with friends. But do not [never!] cheat and comprise your integrity. Don’t compromise your ethics and what you know to be right. Be true to yourself and be the professional you know that you are.
Watch for big problems
They disguise big opportunities. What do you see around you? Big problems or big opportunities? What you see today as problems are actually opportunities in disguise. We are continuously faced with great opportunities brilliantly disguised as seemly unsolvable problems. Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally vaporizes the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity.
Learn to say ‘I don’t know’
Believe it or not, there is power in saying ‘I don’t know.’ We are taught that the know-it-all’s rule. The more you know [and the less you say you don’t know], the further ahead you can get in life, right? But what if we were all honest with one another when we don’t know the answer to a question? Maybe if more of us said ‘I don’t know’ when asked a question we really don’t have the answer to, there would be a lot less wrong information being passed around. Less rumors, less innuendo, and more honesty.
Learn to say ‘I made a mistake’
Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I made a mistake.’ Admitting you made a mistake can be a challenge if you place a lot of emphasis on ‘not losing face’. However, in the eyes of other people, a person who can admit to mistakes and move on from them is more likely to garner respect than someone who pretends s/he wasn’t responsible. Ultimately, continued refusal to face up to being wrong can take a toll on your reputation, relationships, and your work or professional life.
Learn to say ‘I need help’
Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I need help.’ There seems to be a widespread perception that asking for help equals weakness. But asking for help is the new smart. Asking others for help means that you get an opportunity to tap into their knowledge and wisdom. Then, you become stronger in your own knowledge. Smart people don’t have all the answers, but they know when they don’t have them. Then, they strive to figure out where to get them.
Learn to say ‘I am sorry’
Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I’m sorry.’ An apology is an expression of remorse for something you’ve done wrong. It occasionally serves as a request for forgiveness, as well. Apologizing for a mistake might seem like an impossible task, but you can get through it by swallowing your pride and putting your best foot forward. Admit that you were wrong emphatically, unreservedly, and as soon as possible.
Call your mom
Mothers are incredible people who are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of their children. Whether your mom lives next door or across the world, it is important that you make an intentional effort to call her from time to time. Your mom wants to hear from you so take a couple minutes out of your busy schedule today and pick up the phone. She gives good advice, she has great recipes, she loves your kids, she is always there just to talk, she wants to hear your big news, she smiles when you call her. And there comes a time that you no longer can…
Use success as a trampoline
Use your successes as a trampoline, not an easy chair. It is easy to rest on your laurels and bask in the glory of what you have worked hard to achieve. Life goes on and there are new challenges to face. Enjoy your past successes but fire yourself up to face the next project and new challenges.
Remember…
that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something. Everyone has a story to tell. Something that they’ve been through. We need to show some empathy toward our fellow human beings, and listen to their stories. Just like we want people to hear our stories. Everyone in this world is important. Remember this.
Expand your dream
Expand your dream and live from it! Now is the time to raise the bar on yourself. To reach higher. To grow to new heights because you can. Your dream matters. Show up and make your contribution. Make your move now.
Focus your energy
Focus on the things that really matter! There will always be distractions that will keep you from achieving your goals. Don’t give in to them. Are you spending time with people who can enhance and enrich your life? What are you doing to take your life to the next level? Remember, if you don’t have an agenda for your life, you are a part of someone else’s agenda.
Influence by kindness
Brighten another person’s day by doing something thoughtful, nice, and caring for them. Kindness is a way of showing others that they count. Kindness as an attitude is infectious. When you’re willing to share your kindness, others will be inspired by your example and think about doing something as kind themselves. Fan that flame by being kind to everyone. By doing kind acts for others, you’re helping to create a kindness-aware community.
Don’t overlook life’s small joys
…while searching for the big ones. Happiness and joy can be found in every day. Every day make a list of all the joys and wonderful things you experienced. The joy of a brisk walk. The joy of putting together a satisfying meal, and then sharing with others. The joy of sitting down to listen to some of your favorite music. The joy of slowing down enough to allow your brain to catch up with your body. The joy of sipping that hot cup of tea. What are some of your small joys?
Do things you haven’t done before
When you have the choice of two exciting things, choose the one you haven’t tried. Trying new things is fun and is a great way to open yourself to new experiences. New connections. New adventures. New possibilities. To get something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.
Believe in yourself
You have enough critics. You have the ability to do more than you ever thought you could do. Remain focused forward toward the future and stay rooted in the present. The present is where you will make your impact and can change lives. You redefine your future when you redesign your present.
Be coachable
Figure out what you want to do and then find someone that has already done it and hire them to assist you. You can save yourself costly time and mistakes. You see, there’s no secret to success. There’s a system to success. Once you tap into that system, you’re golden.
Make a plan of action
Take time to make a plan of action for the year ahead. What do you want to achieve? How are you going to achieve it? In some ways, an action plan is a “heroic” act: it helps you turn your dreams into a reality. An action plan is a way to make sure your vision is made concrete. It describes the way you will use strategies to meet objectives.
Share your success
You’ve worked hard to accomplish what you set out to do, whether it is a large goal or a relatively small goal. There were obstacles and detours between setting your goal and achieving it. You can provide inspiration and motivation to others who are struggling to achieve a similar goal. There are many paths to a common goal and people love to hear which path you followed in your quest. Your success story can inspire greatness and show that obstacles may be overcome. True success in life almost always is a result of helping others achieve the success they want. When you reach success, use your experience to teach, guide and mentor others. Help them to succeed.
I wish you an awesome and successful 2014!
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