Most people want to be successful in life. But success can mean different things to different people: making more money; spending quality time with your family; or learning to play a musical instrument.

Since success is personal, defining what it means for you is the first step to achieving it. Once you are clear about what success looks like for you, here are some important points to help you achieve it.

Steps to Success

1. Know your Potential: In order to succeed at anything you need to see that you have the potential to reach your goals

2. Understand your Goal: List three or four reasons why you want to achieve this goal? What is the result you want to obtain?

3. Set Realistic Goals & Timelines: Often times we want overnight success. Make sure your goals and the time frame you have set are realistic.

4. Create a Plan: This is by far the most important document of all. It allows you to keep track of everything involving your goal.

5. No Shortcuts: Shortcuts are sloppy and compromise your work and your integrity. “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”

6. Have Courage: Depending on what success means to you, you will have to have courage to stand up for what you believe and desire to do, even if it means disappointing others.

7. Stay Motivated: It is critical to stay motivated when striving for the big goal of success. Motivational tools will help you stay on track.

8. Be Passionate: Have passion for what you are doing and working toward. You will automatically put more effort into it.

9. No Excuses: If you want something badly enough, there is always a way!

10. No Fear: Fear of Failure is a normal emotion for everyone. How you get past the fear determines whether you experience success.

11. Create Opportunities: Make things happen rather than waiting for opportunities to find you.

12. Attitude: A good attitude will allow you to turn any bad situation into a learning experience. Staying positive and surrounding yourself with friends that share a positive attitude will help you succeed.

13. Make the Best of Each Day: Make the most of every day and accomplish something - even if it’s something small. Every baby step counts towards your success.

14. Set Daily Goals: Setting daily goals keeps you on track. Seeing your progress will help keep you going.

15. Accept Responsibility: You will have help in many instances; however, the bottom line is that you are responsible for the choices you will make.

16. Be Open to Improvement: Accept that you do not have all the answers and more importantly, be open to recommendations from other people.

17. Paint a Picture: A great way to keep working toward your goal is to picture what it will look like when you are successful.

18. Identify Procrastinations: If you have a problem with procrastination, make a list of distractions you routinely choose, so you can recognize when you are off course and get back on track.

19. Want versus Need: Do it because you want it, not because you need it. When you want something, it requires and creates intention, desire, and action – all powerful tools for being successful (doing something out of need usually leads to pain, stress, and frustration).

20. Believe in yourself: Your confidence is what will get you through the challenges.

21. Be Efficient: Use your time and effort wisely.

22. Have Balance in your Life: Make the time for both hard work and pleasure.

23. Have Fun: Fun is a crucial element of success, but one that often forgotten once we get into the process. Find fun and joy in what you are doing, even in the midst of the challenges.

Copyright 2004-2005, Cecile Peterkin