Regardless of how
old you are, where you live, or what your career goals are, it's more than
likely, that your ultimate goal in life is to be happy and successful. Read
this article to learn how to achieve success in both your external life (i.e.
your circumstances) and internal life (i.e. emotional well being).
Part One:Achieve
External Success
a)
Identify your passion: Before you can achieve success, you have to
first of all define what success means to you. While it may take years to
realize what you want to do with your life, identifying your passion,
interests, and values, will help you set goals and give your life a sense of
meaning. Ask yourself the following questions:
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What do you want your legacy to be?
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How would you like to be remembered by others?
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How do you want to make your community a better place?
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What are some favorite subjects of interest in your life?
b)
Make a list of your goals, and what you will do to achieve them: Be
sure to address both short-term and long-term goals; try to think beyond
financial/career goals.
c)
Live a purpose driven life: In order to achieve your dreams and be the
person you want to be, you will have to start paying attention to your actions.
Ask yourself; "Will my current action lead me towards where I want to be in
life?"
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If you find yourself constantly bored; daydreaming about the future or
past, or counting down the minutes until the day ends; it is probably because
you feel disconnected from what you're doing. Is your means of livelihood
paying your bills or do you need to get another? Is it something you might get
bored with eventually? Are you really committed to that job?
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Cherish your time. Try to spend your free time doing things that you
enjoy doing, rather than wasting time. For example, rather than spending your
weekends watching television, spend them partaking in your hobbies, try
something new or try out recreational activities. Some valuable time can also
be spent with loved ones.
d)
Be educated: Education gives you the knowledge, skills, and
credibility to achieve your maximum potential. Not all education has to be
formal. Apprenticeships and long-term training are also helpful.
e)
Manage your finances: Learning how to manage your money will help
ensure your financial stability in the long-run, regardless of your income.
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Keep track of your expenses. Review your bank statements often and
note where you spend most of your money. If you do your banking online, be sure
to keep personal records as well. This will help you prevent over-spending.
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Prioritize spending. Your first priority should be spending money on
basic necessities like food, shelter, and clothing. Do not spend money on luxuries
like expensive clothes, cars, gluttony or vacations until you have first
satisfied your basic necessities. Be honest with yourself and differentiate between
your basic needs and luxuries.
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Save money. Every month, you should deposit some of your money into a
savings account.Consider instructing your bank to directly deposit a portion of
your income into your savings account.
f)
Manage your time: Putting off important tasks until the last minute
due to negligence can cause you unnecessary stress, and increase the likelihood
of errors. Manage your time so that you can have enough time to complete tasks
effectively.
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Use a paper or electronic planner to help keep you organized
throughout the day, week, and month.
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Set reminders on your smartphone and make use of its electronic timer
for better time management.
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Make a list of all the things you need to do in a given day, and check
off each task as you complete it. This will help you stay organized and motivated.
Part Two of
Three: Achieve Internal Success
a. Enjoy the present
moment: If you are constantly dwelling on the past or daydreaming about the future,
you are missing out on the present moment. Remember that the past and the
future are simply illusions, and that real life takes place here and now.
Develop the habit of paying attention to small details around you. Appreciate
the feeling of the sun on your skin, the sensation of your feet walking on the
ground, etc. Noticing things like these will help you silence a rambling mind
and appreciate every moment.
b. Don't compare
your life with others: Unfortunately, many people measure their own success by
comparing it to the success of those around them. If you want to feel
accomplished and happy, you will have to stop comparing your life to other
peoples' lives. Many people have the tendency to compare the low points of
their own lives with the high points of other peoples' lives. Remember that no
matter how perfect a person's life seems, everybody deals with issues, insecurity,
and other difficulties, behind closed doors.
c. Count your
blessings: No matter how much you achieve in life, you will always feel unhappy
if you constantly focus on what you don't have. Instead, devote time appreciating
the things you have. Think beyond material items; appreciate God’s grace, your loved
ones and cherish happy memories.
d. Look after your
health: A healthy body supports a healthy mind. Eat balanced diets and ensure
that you aren't lacking in any necessary nutrients. Establish the cause of any
problems you may experience, such as lack of energy, and deal with them by
discussing with a doctor, nutritionist or other related health professionals.
You can also exercise your body, make your fitness choices according to what
you love to do, rather than what you feel you have to.
Part Three of
Three: Put yourself in the Right Environment
a. Environment: Your
environment has a huge impact on your life. Environment in this context
encompasses; the place we live in, friends we keep, things we read, people we
see, the list goes on. Environment is contagious. Thomas A. Edison said he was
able to become a successful inventor because he placed himself in the company
of people who were much smarter than him; he was then able to learn from people
who inspired him. We form most of our thoughts in response to the environments
we inhabit.
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Try this experiment. Put yourself in company of people who are into
gambling, or participating in other interests out of your comfort zone for a period
of time. Monitor your thoughts and emotions during this experiment. Most
likely, your thoughts will be correspondent to the environment you subjected
yourself to.
b. Macro-Environment:
This is where we spend most of our time. It can be the place you live or work, your
colleagues or friends with whom you spend a lot of time etc. It is very
important that you put yourself in a macro environment which motivates you
constantly, to become successful. This also includes YOU, if you spend a lot of time with yourself (you are the environment
in this case), and you have a reactive brain, then most likely you will have
reactive thoughts, unless you change yourself.
c. Micro-Environment:
This is where we don't spend much time. For example; shopping malls, people you
say hello to, bus stops, new people you meet etc. These usually do not have a
long term impact on you unless you change it into a macro environment.
d. Positive role
models: This can keep you motivated and lead you in the right direction. Your
role model, may or may not be someone you know personally. Learn about your role
model’s life story and try to avoid the mistakes he/she made.
On a final note,
you might say;
1.
What if I don’t have peace of mind, good friends or things which make
me happy?
Make an effort to seek and obtain that which will help you to be
fulfilled, it may take time to discover, but you sure will, if you put your
heart to it. Also understand that objects or titles cannot make you happy
[forever].
2.
Is it true that a woman can take part in the success of a man?
This is 100% true. But then, just as a woman can take part in a man’s
success, she can take part in his failure. Not just a woman that a man is in a
relationship with; the closest friends of a man, can also influence his
outcomes. For anyone who truly desires success, it’s crucial to have the right
kind of people around.
So glad
you are here, were the tips helpful? It will be a pleasure to hear your contributions.
Don’t leave without dropping a comment. Enjoy the rest of the day.
