Ten Keys to Success
Author: Kathy Sanborn

Whether your goal is to find career success or achieve a personal goal, here are ten keys that you'll want to practice in order to make your way to accomplishment easier.

Make sure your goal is clear and definite. You can't achieve a goal that's vague or wishy-washy, so take steps to clarify exactly what you want. Write down your goal so you can refer to it often. If your goal is clear, you will know when you've reached it.

Adjust your goal as needed. Along the way to success, you may need to modify your objective, due to any obstacles that might arise or your own change of heart about your goal. Be flexible and willing to adjust your goal from time to time as required.

Keep a running log of your action steps. Make sure you take at least a few actions toward your goal each day for best results, and keep track of the steps you take on a written log. All of the goal setting in the world will not help you if you don't take action towards your dreams.

Listen to your own feelings about where you're headed. Maybe you have lost your zest for a particular goal, and feel the need to try something else. By listening to your own intuition on a frequent basis, you'll be able to go with the flow of events instead of forcing circumstances to fit your particular timetable.

Pay attention to signs all around you. Let's say you have a goal to become a graphic artist, and you're just now researching the field to find out what it would take to break in. You might happen to meet an experienced graphic artist at a meeting you attend, thus opening the door to a possible mentorship down the road. Keep your eyes open for "coincidences" like that one.

Be patient as you strive for your goal. Often, our goals take longer than we wish they would, and patience is necessary while we put forth effort to achieve our dreams. Assume that your objective will take a bit longer than you'd planned, so you don't give up on it prematurely.

If obstacles crop up, take a look at the best way around them. Even in the smoothest of journeys to a goal, obstacles may crop up to annoy and challenge us. If you find yourself running into boulders on the road to success, examine them to see how you can turn them into pebbles. You may have to confer with others, do some more research on the issues, and adjust your actions in order to successfully overcome the obstacles.

Stay positive as you move toward your objective. It can be difficult to be cheerful if your goal is too challenging or takes too long to accomplish. Be sure to look at the positive side of life as you undertake the journey to success. Write down and say aloud any affirmations that inspire you to keep going. Read biographies of people you admire to see how they overcame their own obstacles to success.

Avoid negative people as you make your way to the top. Some individuals, even your friends, may get uncomfortable with any change that you want to make to better yourself or your life. Jealousy or envy may crop up, causing friends or relatives to try to hold you back from success. It's best to avoid those people who say you can't achieve something because it's too hard or you don't know what you're doing.

Keep your deepest dreams to yourself. Your most important dreams should not be fodder for others to gossip about or to belittle. By keeping your ambitions private, you will be able to avoid negative talk about your goals. No one can know you better than you know yourself—so believe in your abilities and keep taking action to make your dreams come true.

© 2003 Kathy Sanborn







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Success expert and career coach Kathy Sanborn is the author of The Seasons of Your Career, available in May of 2003 from McGraw-Hill Professional. Visit Kathy at www.kathysanborn.com.

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