Over the past few weeks, I have noticed a recurring
theme in the questions I have received surrounding achieving success. What I have
noticed is simple. People want success (and many are really hungry for it) but
either:
a) they
aren’t self-aware. They don’t even realize that they are exhibiting certain
behaviors and attitudes that are hindering their progress; and/or
b) they aren’t
willing or ready to eliminate those behaviors that are preventing them from
achieving that success
In my book, Marketing You: Be STRATEGIC, I spend quite
a bit of time discussing my model for developing a plan for success – which
begins with a guideline for defining what success looks like to you – the
individual. But once you’ve defined success, and built that plan for success,
are you truly ready to take action?
In order to take action,
you may need to free yourself of those things that have you fettered; release
yourself from those things that are weighing you down. You may need to say “No
More!” to those behaviors and attitudes that are barriers to your success.
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No More!
1)
No more excuses: It is time for accountability. Anyone who has
ever attended one of my workshops (or even had a conversation with me) knows
that I am BIG on accountability --- taking responsibility for self. We all know
a person who is constantly making excuses. It is so easy to blame everyone and
everything when things are not going our way, but it is time to stop taking the
easy way out and take responsibility for your actions, or lack thereof!
It’s really quite easy. First, be honest with
yourself. Examine your situation. What have you done or failed to do that has
landed you where you are now? What must you start doing to go next level? A
thorough, honest self- assessment of one’s strengths, weaknesses, patterns of
behavior, and attitudes can help you on your road to personal accountability. (There are a number of self-assessment tools
available online that can help! And I’ll take this time to shamelessly plug my
book, “Marketing You: Be STRATEGIC”, in which I spend some time focusing on the
importance of self-assessment on your journey to success. In the book,
STRATEGIC is an acronym for the 9 characteristics of a successful career plan.
The “S” stands for Self-Assessment-based.)
The nitty gritty: excuses and whining are not only a turn-off,
but they stand in the way of real progress.
Stop making excuses and stop whining, because the truth is: no one wants
to hear that it isn’t your fault and why you didn’t do what you could have, and should have done!
2)
No more limits: Sometimes the only limits or barriers that we
face are self-inflicted. Have you ever said or thought:
“I
can’t do it.”
“I’m
not good at that.”
“I’m
not smart enough.”
“I’m
not fast enough.”
“I
can’t compete.”
In order to achieve success; fear, self-doubt,
and negative thinking must be eliminated. Push past that which you thought was impossible.
Destroy those self-limiting beliefs and self-fulfilling prophecies; and raise
your expectation of self. If you believe you can succeed, you can – if you have SMART goals, a well-thought out plan, and destroy those behaviors that can
potentially derail your progress.
And since we are being honest, the reality is
that sometimes the limits or barriers that we face can come from the influence
of others within our circle. That’s right; sometimes our friends, families, and
colleagues can contribute to our limitations. As such, it is important to be sure to connect
yourself with positive, goal-oriented people – those who are driven and
challenge the people around them, instead of tearing them down! I’m not
suggesting that you surround yourself with people who are simply going to tell
you what you want to hear, or that you start abandoning existing friendships. Instead, I’m suggesting that you build your
network and widen your circle of influential people. Here are some helpful
tips:
·
Try to identify people
who have similar interests and goals, and connect with them. Share knowledge, experiences,
and encouragement!
·
In addition, identify one
or two people who are already where you are trying to go ---individuals who
have achieved success, based on your own individual definition of success. (Shameless plug #2: Check out my book, Marketing You: Be STRATEGIC for
help with creating that success plan!) What does success look like to you? Who has
achieved that? Once you’ve figured out who these people are, I encourage you to
build a mentorship with them. I have two amazing mentors who have poured so
much positivity, honesty, guidance, inspiration, and motivation into my life.
The nitty gritty: Recognizing and eliminating behaviors that limit you will help you
along your path to success.
3)
No more distractions: So, you’ve defined success; you have a well
thought-out success plan; and you’ve begun to take action. You’ve done away
with excuses and you’ve destroyed those pesky self-limiting beliefs. But, somehow, you are not making the progress
that you anticipated.
Could it be that you are distracted? Many Career
Development and Time Management experts call these distractions “Time Robbers”. These are the people, unnecessary activities,
and behaviors that divert us from achieving our goals. Time Robbers are distractions. What time
robbers could you be facing? Unnecessary interruptions, unproductive
conversations, watching television, smart devices, reading junk mail, etc.? The list goes on. Whatever your distraction is, today is the day
to take charge!
Let’s face it. We live in a culture in which
technology has made it very easy to become distracted. From social networking and
online games to the massive collection of information that is at your
fingertips.
So what is a person to do? Take control of your
time. Here are just a few tips to help you manage some common distractions:
·
Track it: Assess where your time is going through the use of a time log or
another tool, and manage it.
·
Manage it: After tracking your time, identify those time robbers, and work on
strategies to avoid them.
·
To-Do it: We all have a list of
things to do. Create a to-do list. Then prioritize that list, and create a
schedule for tackling each item on the list. Determine which items on your list
are most important, and be sure to complete them first!
·
“Just Say No” to it: When I was a kid, I remember Nancy Reagan
popping up on my favorite television shows to tell us to “Just Say No” to drugs.
Of course,I certainly support that idea; however, in this posting, I’m
encouraging you to "just say no” to time robbers. Sure, Scandal may be your favorite
television show or Facebook may be your favorite past-time, but you may have to DVR Scandal and close your web browser, so that you can work on getting closer
to your goals!
·
Organize It: Chaos is a time robber. If our lives are in chaos and we are not
organized, by default, we lose time. First steps: De-clutter Your Life. Get your desks and
calendars in order!
So,
how do we de-clutter? My suggestion is to find or create a file and calendar
management strategy that works for you.
You’ll
notice that you will feel so much better when your life is clear of clutter.
The nitty gritty: No matter the source of your distraction, implement a time management strategy that works for you! This will help you keep control of your time and manage your tasks effectively ---without the unnecessary interruptions that can potentially derail your progress!
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The bottom line is this: Success is within your reach. It is up to
you to define what success looks like for you, develop a plan to achieve it,
eliminate behaviors that will slow you down or prevent you from achieving success,
AND take action!
