3 Action Steps to Success

“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason, mastery demands all of a person.” – Albert Einstein

Do you feel that in your chest? Those niggling feelings that you intuitively know you are meant for more.  That you are meant to be great! You are meant to be a leader. 

Take a moment to reflect and go inward. Take a deep breath in and let the breath out slowly.  Feel inside you.  Listen to your instinct.  What are you meant to do? Write down what comes to your mind and do not judge it.  Take this with you everywhere.  If you can think it, you can be it! 

Success is different for each person.  There are both external and internal successes.  External successes are the accolades you get from your peers, colleagues, or associations.  Essentially it is the success defined by what someone else or our society deems success.  And most often it is measurable. How much money you make, what house you live in or what car you drive.  You can have this if you like, it is all good. 

Internal successes are what you define as your purpose or your mission.  Internal success is defined by you.  It encompasses your values and your character traits. It is not measurable.  

External success is often empty if there is no gratifying value, or internal success to accompany it. 

You should be running your own race. We often judge and compare ourselves to other people.  That is a recipe for ‘un-happiness’.  If you want to be successful, you must define what success is to you and then you have to take action towards it.  

First, ask yourself a few questions: 

• What is success to me? 
• What are my values?
• Can I define my internal and external successes? 
• What can I do to serve my family, friends, community, or humanity as a whole? 
• Do I recognize that serving others is a way to leave my legacy as a contribution to the whole? 

Internal successes are based on your values.  The more you live your days acting on your values, the more congruent your life, and thus, the happier one’s life is. 

Possible Values examples (not a comprehensive list): 

• Community, family
• Love
• Hope 
• Integrity, Honesty 
• Creativity 
• Compassion
• Happiness
• Growth 
• Generosity 
• Commitment, Loyalty
• Dependability 

So, what gets you to your success? What actions can you take to get to your goals and live your life based on your values?  There are plenty of articles, books and websites about setting goals and achieving your dreams.  There are many action steps to take. I have read numerous books and websites and news articles, but I found the most effective action steps to success based around three things. 

• Focus
• Energy
• Determination/Self-Discipline

Guard these three purposes and you will excel at whatever you want in life.  We are all trying our best with what we have and know at that moment in time.  However, to get where you want to go, mental focus, physical energy and your determination will get you there. 

Let us break down each of these action steps. 

• Focus – work on your mental clarity and focus.  The great leaders of our society are focused on being the best at one or two things.  Not on fifty or hundred different things.  In our over-stimulated, distracted society, put away your phone; turn off the TV and reflect. 

• Ways you can work on focus:
• Meditation
• Journaling

• Energy – your physical energy is beyond important.  I cannot stress enough how much your energy translates to success.  The more energy you have throughout the day, the more productive you can be and the more you will accomplish.  Consistent little steps each day will lead you to your greatness. Rome was not built in a day. 
• Your body follows your mind.  What you think, you become.  Focus first, and secondly, work on your physical fitness and see how you rise to the top of your mountain! 
• Ways you can work on physical fitness: 
• Cardio
• Weights
• HIIT workouts
• Yoga 
• Self-Discipline and Determination – exercise your self-discipline muscles.  Self-discipline is not easy, hence the name! It is the ability to do what you should be doing, instead of putting it off for immediate comfort.  Determination is part of ‘grit’.  You exercise your self-discipline and fuel your determination because you know what your long-term successes are; and it requires you to break free of your comfort zone. 
• Ways to work on Self-discipline and determination: 
• Read a book on self-discipline
• Set daily ‘little’ wins/’to do’ list

• Things you know you have to do and you get them done
• Reward yourself for your accomplishments
• The more you do what is on your list, the more you exercise your self-discipline and the more confident you will become. 

• Remove temptations
• Out of sight, out of mind!
• Eat healthy
• Fuel your body with proper nutrients. This will help you concentrate. 

Remember your values and determine your internal and external successes.  Take an action step today, anyone that calls to you.  Build your self-discipline and hence your confidence. 

You are meant to be a leader.  You are meant to be great.  Let us see you fly!