Define Your Version of Success

What is your definition of success? Have you ever really thought about it, written it down, or even shared it with someone? If you are working toward increasing personal effectiveness and, in turn, increased satisfaction in your career and life, clarifying your goal is the first step.

We all have different ideas of success, and unless you, your manager, and other key people in your life know what that is, they can’t help you achieve it. Share your ultimate goals. Even if your current manager can’t help you attain that, he will still be able to communicate with you better if he knows your long-term career priorities.

Now give yourself permission to take the risk of really trying to accomplish it. Many (if not most!) people live their same life, with the same job that doesn’t ignite their passion. Let’s face it: It’s safer to tread water and complain about it than declare that you are ready to set out to sea, without knowing exactly what is ahead.

Fine Tune Your Focus
The one distinct difference between those who consider themselves successful and those who do not: Successful people are focused, and unsuccessful people are not. Knowing what your life is about adds stability, balance, and direction to it. A lack of focus causes problems. Focus leads to clarity of purpose and success.

“People who enjoy success also enjoy the challenge of moving toward fulfilling the goals on their list. Even during times of chaos and crisis, those goals remain as beacons, a centering point for balance or direction once that crisis passes.” ~Linda Galindo

Let Your Attitude Work for You
What are peoples’ first impression when meeting you? If you aren’t sure, hazard a guess as to what people think after their first meeting with you. If you don’t know, what impression do you want them to have? Just like clarifying your goals, why not clarify what you want to present to the world, and if you don’t think that’s what you are bringing to the table right now (and be honest with yourself), what can you change to ensure that your intentions are being realized?

You empower yourself to make any kind of impression that you want. Do you generally get the desired results in your relationships (both personal and professional), or are you constantly at a dead end or a frustrating impasse with others? Examine how you behave. It determines how people respond to you. Here are three questions to ask yourself that will  help you examine the way you behave with other people.

Do you need to lighten up? The tone you set with your colleagues impacts the outcome of every project. If you are feeling depressed or overwhelmed in the morning, take a moment to compose yourself and meet your coworkers with the same levity that you would like to be afforded.

Are you carrying a torch? We all have had disappointments in our personal and professional lives. Promotions or job opportunities lost or given away to someone else (who you are convinced is less deserving),  a sales lead that a coworker stole from you, or any other unfairness. If you don’t release those painful incidents, they stack up. Carrying a grudge will only hold you back. Become an expert in bouncing back and recovering from painful incidents.

Is your schedule out of control? If it is, ask yourself why you’re allowing someone else to control something that belongs to you. If you are constantly overbooked and overwhelmed, then you are out of control, not the others around you. Learn to manage your time, prudently use the word “no” and enjoy the freedom you’ll feel when you are in control of your own life.