Success is not achieving
a goal but it has everything to do with it.
Success said Gustave Flaubert is a result, not a goal. If the
statement ‘success is a journey not a destination’ is anything to go by, then
success means more than just a goal. To achieve you earnest desire, you have to
go about it realistically and purposefully. And to do that there is need for
laying down a plan with specific goals in mind. Goal setting means to success
more than a map or light in darkness, it helps you really get a handle on what
you really want.
Control is key, isn’t it obvious why most people fall short
of expectation or cant’ achieve desired goals even when they really want to?
They had nothing on it. Responsibility is a hidden handle to control. When you
shift or dodge responsibility, you consciously by neglect or unconsciously by
ignorance sabotage your ability to exercise authority and control or even
effect change. Seeds of success is about bringing to the fore those little but
fundamental factors or levers as I call them which when applied produce
incremental effect.
In a broad sense success
is a continuous journey which involves setting goals and achieving them,
breaking barriers, improving the status quo, enlightening the understanding,
pursuing higher values and becoming a better, broader, finer and cultivated
being towards the ultimate good. Success is a continuum. But the challenge that
immediately presents itself is incontinuity (whether as a result of failure or
lack of ability). The road to success
is dotted with many tempting parking spaces.
There isn’t a level of attainment where anybody is
guarantied problem or challenge free life, if the individual is of the
improvement conscious breed and not the mediocre class who would rather maintain
the status quo than meeting failure in the attempt to improve. In the journey
of success there’s no fantasy land where problems don’t exist. So don’t think
you are hard done when you don’t find one.
But the tweak lies in seeing problems as challenges that
prepare and improve you for the next, that’s a winning attitude. Imagine a lad
playing a computer game, no matter how difficult a level is, he attempts to win
it, in doing that knows the next level will be harder but he expects it with
excitement. He sees the next as his biggest challenge thus far and knows he
must improve his performance to win. That’s a progressive attitude.
You have heard that success is not a sudden flight. Your
biggest dash may not get you from point ‘A’ to point ‘Y’ but it can get you
from ‘A’ to ‘B’ and that is improvement. You can measure success, yes you can
categorize it. What level of success do you want now and here (bearing in mind
then and there)? Most people have a clear picture of what they want, the amount
of success they aspire and I think but not moderately that everybody knows what
they want to a reasonable precision whether in business, relationship or
personal life, we all want good success. But is that enough? With that alone
your biggest dash may not get you from point ‘A’ to ‘B’. The mistake most
people make is equating their ultimate goal to the current objectives they have
to fulfill to eventually achieve the success in the big picture. At different
times, success means different things. The success of tomorrow may make little
sense in the face of today’s challenges. Hence the pursuit loses steam and fall
short. Be practical and intelligent in your pursuit. Goal setting is your most
important tweak in your tool box to really get a handle on the success you
intend.
- You start being successful the moment you know specifically
what you want and declare to achieve. Develop the habit of being precise with
what you want and declaring it. What do you want? Anything, any kind of job
replied a job seeker. Ok, go downstairs ask the cleaner to put you through with
his routines, you will be working with him onwards. No, please Sir replied the
job seeker, you know that’s not what I want, I’m better than that.
- You get what you want. How often we here that and how
little the sense most people make from it? If you want success you will get it
and it’s no different with failure. Who in the right senses wants failure you
ask? Obvious answer, everybody wants success but very few choose it. We usually
know what we ultimately want by our good intentions but when it comes to how to
get it, majority choose wrongly by poor decision making. What informs your
decision?
- You get what you ask for. How do you ask and from whom do
you ask? Let’s start from the latter, it’s clever to seek professional advice,
it’s wise to begin the asking from you. Ask yourself all the questions that be
and provide the answers to the best of your intuition. That way you get to assess
yourself and possibly cover your bases. Imagination is powerful and boundless;
it’s the best source of knowledge. A
good way of asking is setting a course, a line of action or plan and then
demanding that the objectives or goal of the set plan be achieved. Heaven, the
universe, people (call it what you want) help those who help themselves. There
is no way any of these three can help you, if in effect they have nothing to
help you with. Ask for their help but give them a handle at least. He that
needs help must first show himself ready to receive it.
It’s not enough to know what you want, that doesn’t get you
far, take another step to know how you can achieve it. Questions are very
powerful especially the how questions. Goal setting helps bring into
perspective what you can expectant if you derail along the line it help realign
your attention on the course. It’s quite easy to lose attention. Nobody knows
tomorrow they say, but we can know what to expect don’t we? I will prepare
myself said Lincoln and my opportunity will come. Opportunity wastes no time
with the unprepared.
A good way to prepare for the unknown is to know what to
expect. You increase in confidence when you meet your expectations. You win
trust and respect when you meet other people’s expectation.
The big picture of the success we desire is
always there in clear view of our mind, the natural question however is how do
you intend to achieve that? Afford
yourself the opportunity to actualize it, have a plan set the goal and pursue
it, it’s that difficult. Whether you can achieve it? I strongly think you can.
Just note the 3 keys to achieving anygoal. All successful people are characterized by this one virtue, they know
what they want and then they pursue it with dogged determination. What keeps
them on track? They constantly focus their mind on achieving what they want;
they plan and purposefully pursue it.
