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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN TO YOU?



Knowing the answer will help you plan the route to attain it

D0 YOU often look at successful people with a longing eye and wish you were like them? In her book If Success is a Game, These are the Rules, Dr Cherie Carter-Scott shares 10 simple rules to guide you to achieve the success that you desire.

1. Each person has his/her own definition of success

Success can be many things — it can be a concept, an experience, a dream or something that you are trying to grasp at. However, the true essence of success is feeling satisfied and fulfilled internally. It is not judged by external benchmarks. Consider a person, who volunteers at the hospital to read to children with cancer. Is he any less of a success than the business tycoon who masterminds corporate buyouts?

Some might equate success with financial freedom, or to changing the status quo, or even being able to raise their children well — what is important is that you set your own standard and know what success means to you.

2. Wanting success is the first step towards attaining it

Your ownership of the desire for success is the initial thrust that will start you on your quest. By harnessing the intensity, drive and causality. you can make things happen. No soccer team would win their championship if they just said "it would be nice if ..." Team members must have an intense desire to win that will propel them to success.

3. Self-trust is essential

Knowing and trusting yourself leads you to the path that is uniquely yours. This self-trust can be tapped only after you truly know your purpose in life — what do you want your life to be about? What matters to you? Stop being a passive participant in your life — are you the driver or passenger?

4. Goals are the stepping stones on your path

When you drive from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, you know you are nearing the city by distance markers along the way.

Likewise, goals are the mileposts to motivate you to reach the finish line.

How often have you put off making goals because you were afraid of failure? Sure, it might seem unsettling, because of the possibility of disappointment, but missing goals does not equate to failing. You can revise deadlines and re-evaluate them.

5. Your actions affect your outcomes

What you say, do or think directly affects the results you produce, and this puts the power of making your goals happen in your
hands.

Focus on what you want to do, not how you are going to do it. Knowing specifically what you want moves you into action steps you can take. -

For example, Erlina wanted to start a gourmet ice-cream store. She began by mapping out
her action plan: She listed down the things that she needed to do —research on other ice-cream joints, find out more about franchises available, register the company and so on.

Since the first item seemed to be least threatening, she began with that and was inspired to pick another "to do" item on her list.

All that is required to move into action is that you venture forth. What is most important is to take the first step.

6. Opportunities will present themselves

Opportunities in life may be glaringly obvious or hidden, and you will be faced with many decisions throughout your life.

Assess the opportunities with your head, heart and gut, and trust your intuition. Do a cost/benefit analysis to establish whether the opportunity is worth taking . Risk -taking might be unsettling, but it might lead to the most exhilarating moment of your life!

7. Each setback provides valuable lessons

Setbacks build character and perseverance, if you do not give up. Determination was what kept star basketball player Michael Jordan practising and improving his game after he was cut from his high school team!

If you are to succeed, however, learn how to deal with disappointments that come your way. Acknowledge that there will be obsta¬cles and things might not always go as you want them to.

8. Managing your resources maximises your efforts

Time, energy, relationships and finances are elements that can impede success or enhance it. Make them work for instead of against you.

Organise your time to give you the freedom to create, think clear thoughts and live life effectively, as opposed to being weighed down by tasks. time constraints and chaos.

Maintain your energy by finding a balance in your life. spending it wisely, and recharging when necessary.

9. Every level of success brings new challenges

Attaining some form of success does not mean the end of the game. A promotion might mean added responsibility and pressure, but if you are prepared to deal with changes and stay humble, you can keep your perspective and maintain your integrity.

10. Success is a process that never ends

There is no magic door labeled "Destination: Success" that you can enter permanently. It turns, bends and curves, and can place you at a vantage point that enables you to see a whole new world of opportunities and challenges.

Being successful is a process that never ends because our definitions of success are constantly changing and evolving. Live fully for the moment and enjoy the journey!

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