I have had the good fortune to work with some pretty amazing people throughout my career. They span different cultures, industries, generations, titles, education and socioeconomic status, and I’ve learned that we all pretty much want the same thing. We all want love and acceptance, safety and shelter and of course, world peace. We also want to find ways to do what we love, spend our time with people we like, and we want to make a difference. It’s pretty straightforward.
If it’s so simple, why is it so hard to do?
Because we all have insecurities, we all have self-doubt and we all operate out of some level of fear.
When January rolls around, many people find a renewed sense of purpose and focus, only to have it dwindle as the year goes on. Priorities shift, circumstances change, and life always seems to somehow get in the way.
So how can you stop the cycle and really make some significant progress in 2015?
Here are 3 things you can to today to get started:
- Define success. What do you want and how will you know when you’ve gotten it? Get as specific as possible and make this as objective as possible. We all want to “feel” happy but how can you measure that? If you can’t find a way to measure it, you’ll never find a way to manage it.
- Determine your WIIFM. WIIFM stands for What’s In It For Me. While it may sound selfish, we do things for one of two reasons: Gain a benefit (seek pleasure) or avoid a loss (avoid pain). If your WIIFM isn’t strong enough, it doesn’t matter how great your definition of success, your chances of achieving it are slim to none.
- Create a system of accountability. Would you miss an important deadline at work? Probably not. Create the same level of accountability for yourself. Set deadlines, enlist support, gather needed resources, but whatever you do, ALWAYS keep your promises to yourself.
Doing these three things consistently will help to stay focused, remain productive and most importantly, help you achieve your goals. Here’s to your success!
