Success starts in your mind. 3 tips on how to be more successful in life!
We all want to be successful in life. in fact, “ How to be successful in life” is probably one of the top questions I get from my clients and as long as I can remember that was a tuitions I’ve been asking myself that question too!
In our society, formula for success states the following: Get the good degree, find a good job and work hard and you will be successful and happy.
We often sacrifice our personal life, health and work around the clock to get that dream job, to get that promotion, to get that new house or car, to be able to afford the holiday we want. And whilst yes, financial security is important- do material things really define whether we are successful or not?
Recent research in positive psychology shows that this formula is actually backwards. It is happiness that fuel success, not the other way around. It is when we are positive and happy our brain is more engaged, productive and we achieve more. It is when we enjoy activities that we perform we not only produce better results but also feel fulfilled and satisfied and more energised . If you want to tread more about the subject I highly recommend Shawn Achor’ book “ Happiness Advantage"
Read below my 3 tips on how you can be more successful in your every day life and how to start NOW:
Define what success means to YOU.
Not what you see on TV or on social media, not what you have heard from your parents, teachers or seen your peers doing. Don’t compare yourself to anyone, you are not like anyone else! In fact comparing and measuring ourselves against others is very likely going to sabotage your success. We are all different, there in no-one like you and who is capable of things you can do!
Everyday life can be overwhelming and stressful, we all go through challenges, and success from many of us doesn’t happen overnight or the way we imagined it to happen. That leads very often to confusion and not really knowing what success means anymore.
CLARITY is a POWER though! Take a moment and think what success means to YOU.
The best advice I got in my life was - Think about the feeling you are after. Ask yourself the following questions: How would you feel if you were successful? What sort of person would you become,? What experiences would you have in life? How would you interact with others? How would everyday look like for you ?
And write it down- magic happens when you write things down!
2. Enjoy the journey! If we live by the principle ‘if only I get this job, this amounts of money/ this house….” chances are that if you only focus on the end result, as soon as you achieve it, you will have another goal and you won’t even notice what happened in the process. STOP for a moment and see how much you achieved so far and how successful you really are! What have you achieved in the last year/month that you really proud of? How many people have you met, experiences you had, challenges you overcome, things you have learned, improved! What/who do you have in your life that makes you smile? What are the things in your life that you looking forward to? At the end of the every day ask yourself- what have I done well today, what was great today? Even if it’s only a coffee in Starbucks or sandwich from PRET J . Happiness very often comes from little things in life. We all have a tendency to focus on 4-5 things that are going wrong in our life, instead of appreciating the other 30-40 that go right :).
Do what you love! Steve Jobs said “ The only way to do great work is to do what you love!” I would add the only way to be successful and happy!
We often attach measurement of success to the job and career we have, as that is how we can see tangible results when we compare ourselves to others! J
I’m not saying carer is not important, of course it is, but its not the only indicator of the success.
But as we spend 80% of our waking time at work, we’d better find do we love and gives us meaning. How to?
The best advice I can give you is to define what are your unique strengths and talents, what are activities that come easier to you than to others, what are your passions, what is important to you? What brings you enjoyment and what you are curious about? What are the subjects you enjoy reading, learning about, even if you have to work hard and long hours. What is the first thing you would cross off your to-do list and what are activities that you look forward to? What others compliment you on?
Go on and try it! Find a ways at work to engage more with these activities or ask to be assigned to certain projects.
It is an action that will help you to see it clear and define it, not thinking!
I really hope the above helps you to lead more successful life from today. I would love to hear from YOU. Let me know in comments below what success means to you and how successful you already are! If you struggle to come up with answers, I’m here to help to!
Life is too short to live unhappy and unfulfilled life!
To your success!
Justyna x