Your success is no accident. You haven’t gotten this far without some level of planning, hard work and commitment to move forward. The real issue today is – how do you keep that same level or an increased level to achieve more? I’ve listed four (4) strategies I’ve used daily since my 20-year career in the US Air Force and continued successful career post retirement as a civilian working at Directorship levels, Mentoring at local Universities and yes doing what I love most being a Success Coach who can fast track my client’s success. Look Back at What You’ve Already Accomplished Have you ever been told “hindsight is 20/20” or “the past is the past which you can’t change so stop thinking about it”? Well, that just may be true, but not in every occasion. Why not and when is there value in using it? When those situations can be used to draw strength or lessons from in the present, but NEVER to be used for self-doubt, pity or self-sabotage which will hinder you to achieve success. Occasionally, you may feel like you are working hard, but getting nowhere. This can dampen your enthusiasm for sure. But you’ve done more than what you realize! Go back through your planner or goal journal and refresh your memory of all the small steps you’ve taken to get to where you’re currently at. If you’re in a rut or not where you believe you should be – contact me for your free success clarification assessment which can provide you some major clarity and direction to getting you much closer to reaching the goals you’ve set for yourself. Hang Around With Like-Minded People If we ever work together and I hope we do even if it’s for your free success clarification assessment you’ll notice I use a lot of phrases and stories. One that fits here is – show me your friends and I’ll show you your future… When you first make the decision to go for your goal in a big way, you should look for support to help you achieve it. Having the chance to hang out with others who have similar goals is an important way to learn new things and get support. With the help of the internet, it’s easy now to find people with the same ambitions – look online in forums or look at options in your local area such as meetup.com, professional organizations or LinkedIn.com. Use a Sounding Board We all get stuck from time to time and when I do, I have people I trust who can offer the insight needed to move forward. Do you have people? If not consider using me as a start towards getting unstuck. Talking to someone else when you’re stuck can be a huge help! Choose one of the people in your circle of influence or even a sympathetic friend or relative to use as a sounding board. Even if they haven’t been in your exact situation before, they may have experienced something in their lives similar enough they may be able to empathize. Many times, just having someone to talk a problem out with can make it easier to find the solution. Break Tasks Down Into Smaller Pieces Sometimes your career might require a large task which you currently see as overwhelming. Consider using the four (4) steps below which help me to continue moving forward in my career.
- Identify Each Task
Complex tasks most times can be split into smaller, more manageable steps. Let’s say you know its time for a career change, but you don’t know where to start. How about mapping out the basics first of what’s needed educationally (if applicable) or who you could speak with that’s already working in the field of interest? Taking smaller, but deliberate steps first creates a strong foundation you can build upon to get closer to your goal.
- Be Persistent in Your Action
Watch out for the word which starts with the letter “P” or procrastination. It’s just not your friend. If you take the small steps I mentioned above and keep moving forward by continuing to achieve the tasks you identified in step one you’re almost guaranteed success. Will you get stuck or lose some traction from time to time – of course, but so long as you keep focused on achieving results no matter how small you are creating and achieving success.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Having a strong ego is not bad, however if it’s so large it gets in the way of your asking for help – you’ve got a problem. Not only will it hurt your career, but also your brand in multiple ways you may never know. Seek out that person within your workplace whom you respect and admire. One of the best pieces of advice I received which I now share with you is to never forget – Your power always begins in asking questions others are too afraid to ask.
- Create Timelines and Stick to Them
The value of creating and achieving deadlines can be very empowering and motivating to continue moving forward. To help you do so try a calendar or a GANTT Chart if you want to view your progress in a timeline format. Overall, don’t be too hard on yourself and never forget that while you and you alone are responsible for how your career and life turn out – we all need guidance every now and then. Need help to achieve more? Let’s talk now, it’s free…What’s the number one thing you use to keep motivated to achieve your success? Thanks for reading!