What does success mean to you?
People have defined success as financial security, a happy family life, knowing God, having fame or recognition, being true to yourself and/or reaching your goals. Success has been described in spiritual, emotional, physical and financial terms. By textbook definition, the word means to accomplish an objective.
What does it mean to be truly successful? Everyone wants success whether it is for the next hour or within a lifetime. It is important for every individual to develop a personalized definition of success based on his or her own values and sense of purpose. Without an understanding of what it means to you personally, it is simply not possible to be successful.
"Success in any endeavor does not happen by accident. Rather, it's the result of deliberate decisions, conscious effort, and immense persistence - all directed at specific goals." Gary Ryan Blair (personal development guru). Whatever your definition of success may be, you will have to take initiative in achieving it. A lifestyle that is full of success will be one of hard work, focus and determination.
What are the elements of a successful lifestyle?
- Set code of values, morals/ethics
- Specific short-term and long term goals
- Plans, steps, activities; milestones
- Reflection
In order to be truly successful, you have to be able to accomplish your dreams without compromising your standards. Your religion, your sense of morality, and your core values will determine the methods by which you will achieve your success. It is vital for you to have a clear guideline that you will use to help you make decisions that will affect the outcomes of your future. Otherwise, you might accomplish some goals, but you will only feel compromised and dissatisfied.
Goal setting is another crucial element in the lifestyle of success. You need to have clear, specific, measurable agendas for your hours, days, weeks, months, and years. These goals will stem from your core values (what is most important to you). Once you have established an ultimate lifetime goal, you need to break down this goal into short-term accomplishments that will move you forward towards what you want to achieve in your lifetime. Don't just think in terms of career or just in terms of family. Set goals for your career and family, but also your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being. Address your life as a whole.
Every goal needs a plan of attack. What actions will you take to achieve your goals for today, next week, in a month, etc.? Remember your code of morality and ethics particularly at this stage. As you consider the actions you will take, think about whether or not these ends will justify the means. Don't compromise your beliefs or who you are no matter how great the reward seems at the time. Regret tends to negate success in the end.
Reflection is when you assess the effectiveness of your actions. What can you do today that will be better than yesterday? What can you do differently to accomplish faster results? Have you discovered something that works for you and how you can repeat this process? When you take time to reflect, it is important to be somewhat critical, but not harsh on yourself. You should celebrate your victories and learn from your failures.
Understand that sometimes things will not go as planned and you will fail once in a while. Living a successful lifestyle does not mean that your life will be perfect, but that your life is constantly improving in all aspects.
