2014-0710 Success – Looking At Yourself

Hi all –

Last week I introduced the topic of success and what that might mean to you.  Certainly success can be an objective thing (how others see you, societal definitions of success) or a subjective thing ( i.e. for me, success equates to personal happiness).

Once you have in mind what success means to you and, if you are wishing to get from point A (where you currently are) to point B (where success lies), then there are some steps to take.

You would do well to do an honest evaluation of your personal characteristics.  Your traits.  You can list these in roughly two categories – those characteristics which will help you on your path and those characteristics which will hinder you. 

You don’t need to share these with anybody so there’s no need to fear judgment or ridicule.  But do be honest with yourself. 

Here’s an example.  Let’s say that your idea of success is to rise in the company you work for.  You want to become an upper level manager.  This position brings prestige, power, money and respect.  Currently, you have been working at the company for 2 years and are still quite low on the totem pole. 

Think for awhile about the characteristics of people who already are in upper level management positions.  These characteristics have helped them to attain this lofty position. 

Now think about your own life.  Begin to write down your characteristics based on events in your past and decisions that you’ve made.

For instance:

Characteristics that help me:  I like people, I listen, I’m organized, I like to lead, I’m intelligent, I have a good business background, I’m single which means I can devote myself to the company, . . .

Characteristics that hinder me:  I get nervous when I speak publicly, I don’t always take criticism well, I tend to discriminate against women, I dislike confrontation, I don’t have a good grasp of modern social networking methods or technology, I’m single which means that I don’t have a track record of managing a family, . . .

Did you notice that in the example, being single can either be helpful or a  hindrance depending on how you look at it.

So if you are wanting to take action to achieve success, then I suggest you try this exercise in a relaxed environment.  It may take several days to come up with your list.

Wishing you success always!

Kevin

Reminder:  If you are unsure about the meaning of the idioms used in this message, please refer to "Idioms, Figures of Speech, and Proverbs" posted on this blog in August 2013.  An alternative is to look at http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com