Life is a journey and if you can immerse yourself in the process without
worrying about the end results, you will know what it is like to live in the
moment. There are no mistakes on this journey to success since everything
presents an opportunity to learn and grow. If you have been searching for
success and are not sure where to begin, here are my top ten tips for attaining
authentic success.
1. Put your life in balance.
Life balance is a matter of knowing what is important to you in your life and
taking actions so that you are living those important areas in a meaningful way.
Look at the attached Wheel of Life. It shows 8 key areas of one's life. Feel
free to change it by adding new areas and eliminating the things that do not
resonate for you. Then, rate each area in terms of its importance to you using a
scale of 1-10 (1 means "not important" and 10 means "vitally important"). After
that, rate how well you are living each of these areas. What do you see? How
well is your life in balance? If there is a discrepancy of 2 or more points in
an area that is important to you, what can you do to close the gap? Keep reading
for some ideas on how to do that!
2. Live your core values.
Values are the core principles that govern your life and are the essence of
who you are. Once you know your values and begin to make decisions that honor
those values, you will experience the power of living in accordance with your
own authentic choices. A powerful way to align with your values is to see how
they relate to the areas that you found to be vitally important on your Wheel of
Life. The more your values are tied to your goals, the more inspiring your goals
will be and the more motivated you will be to pursue those goals.
3. Tap into your passions.
Imagine jumping out of bed every day and pursuing the thing that you love
best. Even if you cannot do this full time, find ways to incorporate passion
into all aspects of your life, whether it is your career, your relationships,
your activities and your fun time. How do you discover your passions? Think
about the things that you loved doing as a child. Imagine what you would do if
you had 5 lifetimes. Consider what you would do if time or money were not an
object. Those should give you some clues as to what you love. Now, how can you
start living those passions?
4. Play to your favorite strengths.
We all have things that we are naturally good at. Find ways to use your
natural strengths in whatever you do. And better yet, chose the strengths that
you like and not just the ones that other people tell you are good for you! To
find your strengths, try the StrengthsFinder2.0 assessment.
5. Set an intention for yourself.
What do you dream of achieving? One powerful step that you can take is to set
an intention for yourself about that dream. All you do is pick a period of time
down the road and state what you are dong in that future time. The trick is to
write this in the present tense, as though you were already doing it:
ĻIn ____years, I am a ________doing___________.
Write down your intention and be sure to date your entry. Now look for ways
to start making that dream a reality! You will be amazed by the results.
6. Set inspiring goals.
Once you know your big dream and have set your intention, think about what
you want to accomplish a year from now to start making that dream a reality.
That is your one-year goal. How well does it incorporate your values? How does
it relate to your passions? The more your goals are tied to your values and your
passions, the more inspired you will be to pursue your goals.
7. Take action!
To accomplish your goals, they have to be doable. The trick is to break them
down into manageable chunks. What strategies can you think of to help you
achieve your goals? Once you know the strategies, think about the first action
that you can take to making that strategy a reality. Every week, set some
actions that will take you to your goal. Before you know it, you will be
there!
8. Tackle the obstacles to your success.
Goal achievement would be a no-brainer if only those "things" did not get in
the way: e.g., time, money, knowledge gaps, fear, perfectionism, inherited
belief systems that no longer work for us. Figure out the main obstacles that
are holding you back and set goals around eliminating these challenges. Then
take daily actions so that you can overcome the obstacles to your success. Still
stuck? Get to know your Ideal Self, the person you are when you are totally in
the flow, doing what you do best, feeling incredibly confident and joyful. Then,
whenever you get stuck, ask your Ideal Self for guidance and trust your inner
wisdom to lead you on the right path.
9. Take time for yourself
Take time to be very good to yourself so that you can be your best, authentic
self. Create a nourishment menu of fun, free things to do that make you feel
great. Keep a success journal documenting all the things that you do well. If
negative self-talk is holding you back, come up with a mantra or affirmation
that can remind you of yourself at your best. Make these practices a habit
throughout your life!
10. Surround yourself with people who support you.
Seek out the people who support your vision. Create your personal board of
directors of people whom you trust to guide you. Know which friends you can
count on. It takes a village so do not hesitate to reach out and ask for help
when you need it! And last but not least, eliminate the crazy-makers from your
life. These are the people who drag you down. By distancing yourself from your
crazy-makers, you can minimize the effects of their negative energy on you.
Start today by selecting the tip that resonates the most powerfully for you.
Commit time each week with this new habit. Then, start another one. You will be
amazed at the results!