Personal Success is just that, it’s personal; everyone has their own definition of what that is. However, when we think of being successful, generally we are speaking about thriving or prospering in one or more areas of our lives, or overall. We all want to feel accomplished in our lives, but we must be intentional and deliberate in our actions to achieve success. Here are some keys that can be applied across the board, to help transform your life.
1. Know WHO You are!
Before you can even decide on what you want from life and what your definition of success is, you need to know yourself. What are your Priorities? Career, Family, Outreach, Ministry? What are your Core Values? What are you passionate about? What makes you angry? What are you good at? What areas need development? What is your Personality Type? How do you manage your emotions? Once you know these things, then there is a strong foundation to build on, and you can believe in yourself and your ability to achieve anything. Don’t let self-doubt creep in and hold you back — believe that you can and will succeed. And above all that you deserve it.
2. Know WHAT you Want!
Next, move on to creating a Vision for your Life! Create a Grand Vision that encompasses every area of your life. Where would you like to be in 10 years, or even 5? Write a Vision Statement for your life, and ensure that it’s inspirational and paints a clear picture. Use descriptive language and be realistic. Now, with a vision that aligns with your values, create some Goals to reach this Vision.
3. Know HOW create Goals!
The next step is to set goals. Having goals gives you something to work towards and something to measure your progress against. Without well-defined goals, it will be difficult to measure your progress and know when you’ve reached your desired destination. Make sure your goals are SMART — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound so that you can track your progress and adjust as needed. You need specific timeframes for each goal so you can create a sense of urgency and stay on track.
4. Create a PLAN of Action
Now you have your goals, it’s time to create a plan of action for their achievement. As they say: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!” What steps do you need to take to achieve your goal(s)? Break down your plans into small, manageable steps, this will make them seem less daunting and increase the likelihood of achievement.
Planning will help you organise your thoughts and put aside any distractions that might stand in your way. When creating your plan of action, be sure to include specific milestones that you want to achieve and the timeframe in which you want to achieve them. This will help keep you accountable and focused.
5. Be Focused and Diligent
Success rarely just happens apart from intentionality to succeed. You need to stay focused and diligent every step of the way. Consistency is the key! Once your goals and plans are established, now it’s time to take consistent action towards achieving them. This means showing up every day and putting in the work, even when you don’t feel like it. Remember, successful people are not always the smartest or most talented; they are simply the ones who are willing to do what it takes day in and day out.
6. Get HELP!
It is not good for man to be alone. Why? Because we all need help at some time or the other. It is highly unlikely that you will achieve any real success in any area of your life all by yourself. Whether that help comes in the form of advice or counsel, whether it is financial or another resource, or whether it be a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. You will need help. It may come from people or from an organisation such as a bank, an advisory agency, or a church. Do not be too timid or proud to reach out for help to succeed!
7. REWARD Yourself along the way
Sometimes our goals are quite lofty and may take some time to achieve. Some successes take complex planning and years to accomplish. So, it’s important to stay motivated and encourage yourself along the way. Your plans should be broken down into bite-sized pieces, for instance, if your yearly plan is broken down into quarters, you can reward yourself at the end of every quarter. If you have achieved a milestone, celebrate that success with an item or a pastime you love.
8. Take others into account
It’s important to consider the impact of your goals and plans on others. For instance, if you are married with children, you cannot make plans in a vacuum. Whatever happens to you will affect them directly. It will be very difficult for achievements to be deemed successful if they hurt or hamper the lives of those around you. This even holds true if you are part of a work organisation or a church, the pursuit of your personal goals may influence those in your group. Sometimes you may have to leave a group (not your wife and children) if their influence takes you away from your vision.
9. Be flexible
If there is one thing constant in life, it’s change! It is therefore important that you remain flexible so you can adjust to the changing tides that life brings. If you are too rigid in your plans and major uncontrollable changes occur, you will become very discouraged. For instance, the recent pandemic brought massive change to the world, and many personal plans had to be adjusted to deal with the new issues that this unprecedented season brought. Bear in mind though that positive unexpected changes can also happen, and we must not be afraid to adjust to take advantage of unexpected open doors.
10. Don’t Give Up!
It’s important to be tenacious in the pursuit of your Life’s Vision, this way even if you do encounter setbacks along the way, you won’t give up. Learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward toward your goal. In fact, shift your mindset and consider ‘mistakes’ to be life’s learning lessons – now you know what NOT to do. Dust yourself off, get back up, and pursue your goals with passion.
Achieving personal success is something we all strive for and if you employ these 10 tips, you will be well on your way to achieving SUCCESS, whatever your definition of that is. Remember, successful people are not always the smartest or most talented, they are simply the ones who are willing to do what it takes day in and day out to realise their goals.
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