Four Tips to Creating More Success in Your Life and Career

Success is defined as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Now, what success looks like to you, I cannot answer that. Only you should define what success looks and feels like. If you don't have this vision in mind, stop reading and take at least five minutes to think about it. Write down whatever you see mentally and put it somewhere in your daily view. Then come back to this blog and read four tips I have learned as a coach, mentor and consultant to hundreds of leaders across the globe. 

Tip #1: Act on the Right Choices: Dr. Jim Rohn taught us that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with but my mentor made me realize recently that our success is the sum of the daily choices we take action on. Think about it. Every day as a principal, CEO, business owner, or parent, you make hundreds of decisions based on thousands of choices. You act on those decisions which lead to other choices, decisions and actions. Choosing not to act is still action. Every act is, in itself, success or failure. Every act is either effective or inefficiency.

Tip #2: Think Positively: Your thoughts consume you. You don’t get what you want, you get who you are. If you think negatively, you will only see the negative things in your organization and in your people. By changing your outlook you change how you respond to challenges. Start of each day with exercise or meditation, smile, surround yourself with positive people, change your language, take responsibility for when things go wrong and understand that no one is perfect (namely you) so use each failure as a learning opportunity. 

Tip #3: Take Forward Action: Action leads to attraction. When you need resources (human or capital) you must take action steps forward to get there. This might be asking other people who do you know that I should know, testing or piloting programs. Remember, when the WHY is important enough the HOW will come. That HOW sometimes comes at the most opportune times to those who have a servant's heart and are working for the right cause. 

Tip #4: Eliminate Your Busyness: Busyness is the enemy of effectiveness. I would describe myself as a busy person. I look busy. I act busy - people definitely think I am busy because that’s typically how they acknowledge me when they call. I know your busy so thanks for taking my call….But what has been brought to my awareness recently is busy creates empathy. Other people empathize with busy, because we have all been there.

Sometimes we get too far down the rabbit hole of busyness to even know what a more successful day and life could be. If you hear these words this week, "Oh, I didn't want to bother you with it because you looked busy" or, "I stopped by to ask you if I was on the right track, but you were busy" immediate take note and self-assess your activities.

Most of the time when you ask someone “how are you” they answer what they are..not how they are. Recently I asked someone how they were and their reply was, "It's been a long day." Which actually isn't true. The day is the same length every day, it never changes. It is also the only way in which we humans are equal.  However, some leaders are able to balance their time, be more productive with their time, be more communicative with their time. More accomplished with their time. 

Activity is NOT necessarily accomplishment. 

Busyness causes us to focus on the wrong things - an overall effect of being a busy is it minimizes productivity. Don't allow life to manage you with its demands. What we need to do is humans is stop pretending that we didn't create the reality of the busyness that we live in. Busyness is a choice. Busyness is a four letter word that must be banished. This week sit down for one hour and answer the question, what is one thing you need to prioritize now that will allow you to be beneficial to others later? Gain clarity on what it is, that you are required to do. What gives you, your family, your team and the organization the greatest return when you do it. Eliminate any excuses or reasons and be relentless on how you spend your time. When you learn to only focus on the tasks and activities that bring productivity and accomplishment, you fill live a more successful and fulfilled life and career. 

This blog was written by Dr. Tom Miller, business owner of Leaders Building Leaders, husband and father of two. If this blog was helpful, let us know by commenting below or sharing with someone who would benefit. If you are working towards a goal or feeling stuck, reach out ([email protected]) for a complimentary one on one session and begin navigating your life towards significance. Learn more about our personal and professional development programs at www.LBLeaders.com.