Definitions, plans and excuses for success

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Everyone wants to be successful. However, if you ask 100 people to define success, most of the time, 95–97 of those who answer, will be extremely vague. This is not unusual since studies have shown time and again that only about three to five percent of the population will ever define what success means to them and then map out a goals program with the associated plans for attaining their goals.

1. How do you define success?

Success is unique to you. How you define success is based on:

• your dreams
• your hopes
• your present situation
• your past experiences
• your knowledge
• your passion
• your drive to do or be
• your family situation
• your age
• your belief system

…and there are probably a host of other things that can and will influence your definition of success. The point is for you to begin to think about what you want. Make notes when a thought “pops” into your head. Then, set aside a quiet time to go through your thoughts, taking into account your unique situation, and then develop a definition of success that suits you.

2. Develop a plan to achieve your definition of success.

Since your definition of success is unique to you and your situation, then your plan must be unique. Points to consider:

• do you need more education?
• is it formal or informal education? (do you need to return to school or do you need to do research?)
• is your spouse/family on board with your new goals? (if so, great. if not, how will you deal with the situation?)
• are you willing to devote the time needed to grow? (growth requires change – you can’t grow and stay the same)
• can you see problems? (how will/can you deal with them?)
• can you live in the minute? (what can you do “right now”, “this minute” to achieve your goals?”
• do you deserve success? (if you don’t feel that you deserve success, you will do things to sabotage yourself)

3. Excuses: our illogical reasons for lack of success

The first response to any program of personal growth and development is the production of a number of excuses of why you can’t become successful. Here is a short list of often expressed excuses:

• I’m too old. Really? Grandma Moses was in her 80’s before she ever painted. Colonel Sanders was in his 60’s when he began trying to market his “original” recipe.
• I’m not smart enough. Really? The fact is that most people are within single digits of the vast majority of the world’s population when it comes to a measurement of intelligence. We tend to overestimate the intelligence of others while at the same time underestimating our own intelligence.
• I don’t know where to start. Really? You don’t have to know where to start, you just have to start. You determine where that is. The point is to just begin, the way will reveal itself once you begin to look.
• I’m worried about what my friends and family will think. Really? If they really care about you, they will stand behind you. If they don’t, you have to wonder what their motives are. Are they jealous? When you succeed, what will that say about their efforts?
• I’m just not that kind of person. Really? What kind of person are you? The kind that is destined to fail? The fact is that most people are more alike than they are different. We all deserve success, but we each determine our own destiny. We are where we are today because of the choices we made yesterday. We made our choices based on our thoughts. Therefore, it stands to reason that if we can change the way we think, we can change our choices and thus change our future.

These are not valid excuses for you or anyone else because someone has faced these situations and overcame them. If they can be overcome, then you can also overcome them.

Get your mind right —– Mediocrity is not acceptable!!!

Tags: definition+of+success, plans+to+achieve+success, excuses