5 Steps That Will Lead You to Success – With Anything

cf6febc2a13f889a3071ebe62149cac0Success doesn’t just happen by accident – it takes time, effort and perseverance. Here are 5 steps that will lead you to success – with anything!

 

Step #1: Make a commitment

If you’re going to go into this with the idea that you’ll try a few things here and there but you’re not willing to cause yourself too much discomfort, you may as well save yourself the time. You’ve already resolved yourself to the fact that you’re not willing to undertake the necessary changes no matter what, so why even start the process?

You have to have the drive and desire to do whatever it takes to get you where you want to be when it comes to reaching success. You have to be willing to go outside of your comfort zone and do things you’ve never done before, and you also have to be willing to do the things you may not particularly like to do in an attempt to get ahead.

The most important part of this step involves not letting failure be an option. Make a true and absolute commitment to follow your dream from start to finish no matter how long it takes and how hard it is.

Decide up front that you’re not going to quit. This determination will be what will get you through the process and end up on top.

 

Step #2: Develop a plan

In order to see something that you want come to pass, you need a deliberate and specific plan to make it happen. You have to come up with the steps that will get you from A to Z, or you may not follow through with the necessary actions because you won’t know what they are.

One of the best ways to do this is to start at the end (your goal) and work your way backward. When you come up with the steps that you need to follow in reverse order, you’re less likely to miss a critical piece and you’re more able to see your dream as a possible reality.

You need to understand up front though that your plan will change somewhere along the course.

I’ve never known anyone that had a plan that worked perfectly the way it was written the first time so knowing this up front will help you not feel surprised when you’re left reconfiguring your plan down the road. You’ll expect it so it won’t sideline you and cause you to want to give up.

 

Step #3: Keep your goal in your face

Usually when you begin any sort of endeavor of change, whether it is losing weight or doing a home renovation project, it’s easy to be excited at the beginning. You have all of these visions in your head about how great it will be when you arrive at your final destination. Life is perfect and you feel great! And then, reality sets in.

Your daily struggles start to feel bigger than you can handle. Life throws hurdles in your way and you contemplate “throwing in the towel” because you don’t like the stress. You want to return to the comforts of how life was before because you’re sick of fighting your habits or worries.

This is why it is so important to keep your goal in your face. You need that constant reminder of why it is that you’re pushing yourself so hard and putting in so much effort. You have to reaffirm your desire to make the change worth all of the hard times that present themselves while it is coming to fruition.

Some people do this by way of a vision board; others meditate or visualize themselves reaching success in the end.

No matter what you choose, find some way to keep your goal in front of you at all times so you don’t stop yourself from getting whatever it is that you’ve wanted for so long.

 

Step #4: Set up a reward system

If you think that you don’t need to reward yourself for a job well done until you’ve actually reached your goal, you may actually be stifling your own success. Little celebrations along your journey will keep you motivated to stick with positive choices in an effort to see your dream become a reality.

Every time you change a behavior, squelch a bad habit or overcome something extremely difficult for you, celebrate. Use your good feelings to keep propelling you forward so that you continue to strive to reach new heights.

Be an actual friend to yourself and acknowledge your accomplishments instead of being the naysayer who sits on your shoulder calling you names and waiting for you to fail.

They don’t have to be monumental rewards such as international vacations or $5,000 shopping sprees. Even small things have the ability to inspire you to try harder. Maybe a manicure or pedicure will keep you motivated?

Or, maybe buying that new book you’ve been wanting is enough to keep you going. Whatever it is, just make sure it means something to you and drives you to keep moving forward as it is pointless to set rewards that don’t mean much to you.

 

Step #5: Surround yourself with supporters

Most people feel that in order to be successful at something, they have to go after it alone. It’s like there is some sort of nobility in reaching goals with no one else’s help. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

If you were to talk to most anyone that is already considered a success by societal standards, they’ll admit that they couldn’t have done it without support. Whether it was their family, friends, colleagues, business partners, or whoever, they drew a lot of strength from the people around them and this is what allowed them to achieve the levels they’re at today.

Surrounding yourself with a team of people who encourage, motivate, and inspire you will help you through the tough times. Plus, they’ll make your celebrations that much sweeter as you’ll have others to smile, laugh, and joke with you as you enjoy the fruit of your labor.

Follow these five steps in whatever goal you’re trying to accomplish and you’ll soon create your own potion for success. After all, isn’t it time to quit having your efforts blow up in your face?