by Monika Beck | Featured Contributor
Does it ever seem that everyone else is lucky when it comes to their personal and professional lives? Do you ever wonder if there is some magic formula so that you can be that lucky? Guess what? It’s not luck.
Success is not something that happens. It is not an accidental destination. Even with all the talent, skills, and education, attaining your goals requires a roadmap. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” The difference is that results don’t come from wishing. These steps will benefit you regardless of your career. Whether you are a web designer, a writer, an attorney, or something entirely different, you can adopt these guidelines to find success in anything you do.
1. Be Accountable
You have to make a plan. Your plan needs to include measurable and attainable goals. If they aren’t achievable, you will get frustrated. Write down all the steps and check them off as you do them. Being accountable to yourself will boost your confidence while maintaining momentum as you move down the list of actions.
2. Reframe Your Mindset
Approach every task as if it is the most important. Hold yourself to the highest standard with each step — even the seemingly meaningless ones. This will retrain your mind to put forth 100% effort every single time. Successful people are the ones who have a mindset of success.
3. Take Control
Focus on one step at a time. Think of what happens when you are driving and following the directions. If you start worrying about the next instructions, you will likely miss the exit. Your roadmap to success works the same way. While you want to keep your goal in mind, do not try to multitask. Channel your energy in one step. Blast through one step at a time. What if something cataclysmic happens? The Greek philosopher, Epictetus, wrote, “People are disturbed, not by things [that happen to them], but by the principles and opinions which they form concerning [those] things.” If you come up against a roadblock, whether large or small, pause. Take a breath. Regroup, and keep moving forward.
4. Desire It
If you want to achieve a goal, you are going to have to work hard. You need to make sure that goal is worth the hard work. Otherwise, you will have trouble sticking to your plan when things get difficult. Or you get tired of putting forth the effort. Or you’d rather binge on Netflix. You have to want this more than anything else that is going on in your life.
5. Don’t Give Up
If reaching goals was easy, everyone would be successful. This is hard work. Stick with it even when you feel as though it’s impossible. If a step in your plan seems insurmountable, break it down into smaller steps. Do not set your roadmap in stone. Keep refining it so that you will be successful. And continue to think of yourself as successful.
6. Be Bold!
How do you set yourself apart from other talented and hardworking folks? Be bold in your choices and your decision-making. Reaching goals requires risks. Calculated risks. Do your research and forge ahead. It is those who are willing to take the first step that are successful.
7. Squad Goals
Surround yourself with a few trustworthy people. Not your grandmother. Or your Aunt Susie, Or any other friend or family member who will love everything you do because they love you. You need to have people who will give you honest, and sometimes harsh, critique. Think of them as the sand in the oyster. It’s the sand that makes the pearl possible.
8. Own It
A lot of people think that outcome is what defines a person’s success. That’s a false definition. It is how a person approaches a task that is the best indicator of success. You want people to see you as a determined, committed individual who dedicates him-or-herself to the task at hand. When you set out to reach a goal, own it. Don’t visit it.
9. Dig In
You need to be willing to get your hands dirty to be successful. Not in an ethically-questionable way. You need to pursue your goal relentlessly, no matter how much time and effort it takes. Be prepared to stick with this roadmap for as long as it takes to attain your goal.
10. Just Do It
Nike was onto something when it coined their motto. You are going to have moments when you feel discouraged. You might feel like a failure, and you might even feel like giving up. These feelings are normal. It’s how you handle these moments that matter. Just do it. Look back at your roadmap. Celebrate the small successes you have had along the way. And keep moving forward through the doubts and fears.
Ultimately, the only person responsible for your achievement is you. It is your planning, your commitment, and your attitude that will determine your success.
Savvy web designer with a twist – Monika Beck with Webene – San Diego, CA.
Monika BeckMonika Beck is passionate about website design, web programming, ecommerce, and building businesses. She is a serial entrepreneur and the cofounder of Success Harbor a website dedicated to help entrepreneurs succeed. Success Harbor interviews successful entrepreneurs and publishes topics relevant to business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Monika started Success Harbor with her cofounder in order to ease the life of entrepreneurs through original research, tips and unique content. Monika is also a web designer and cofounder of Webene, a website design and online marketing firm based in San Diego, CA. Webene specializes in mobile-friendly responsive websites built on the WordPress platform. Monika loves playing classical music on the piano.
