1) Define your purpose. You can’t achieve anything meaningful without direction. That means that the first step toward personal achievement is to define your intention. What is it that you intend to accomplish? It’s important to be as specific and detailed as possible in this step. The more precise your description is, the easier it will be to take action.
2) Design a plan of action. Think before you act. Lay out a strategy to move you decisively in the direction of your goal. You may not understand everything involved, and you will probably need to make adjustments along the way – but you should still have a well thought out plan before you begin.
3) Believe that you will achieve. Confidence can keep you going when you face challenges and delays. Knowing what you intend to achieve and how you plan to achieve it will build your confidence. Having your personal achievement objective clearly in mind makes it very real. The more real it is, the easier it is to feel confident about achieving your goal.
4) Seek to create value. When we are working to create value for others as well as ourselves, something amazing happens. It causes us to think beyond ourselves and changes the overall energy around our pursuits. There is a “giving” aspect that opens the door for “receiving.” It’s a kind of reciprocal energy exchange sometimes called the Law of Compensation.
5) Enjoy the process. Personal achievement is a process that takes time and effort. Generally speaking, the greater the achievement the more time and effort involved. Don’t get so hung up on results that you forget to enjoy yourself along the way. Most of life is spent in the process, it makes sense that we should learn to enjoy it.
6) Take consistent action. Achievement is a series of steps taken in a predetermined direction. The results come from the principle of compounding. Lots of small steps add up over time. To illustrate the power of compounding, I invite you to read: Would You Rather Have A Million Dollars or a Penny? This simple chart really makes the point.
7) Keep your focus. Distraction is the enemy of success, and we live in a world full of distractions. Getting sidetracked is the fastest way to derail achievement. I’m not suggesting that you focus on just one thing all the time. Just make sure that, when you are taking action toward your goal that you are truly focused. Try Using Applied Focus Sessions to Boost Productivity .
8) Review your progress. No one goes directly from point A to Point Z without making adjustments. Even a 747 needs to make constant adjustments to stay on course. The only way to know when adjustments are needed is to review your progress. Experiences teaches us what works and what doesn’t. Use that experience to stay on course.
9) Associate with positive people. The people around you have an influence on how you think and feel. If you make it a practice to surround yourself with positive, encouraging people, it will motivate you to keep going. When the people around you believe in you, it’s much easier to believe in yourself, especially when progress slows.
10) Lighten up. Even when we are working toward an important goal, it’s a good idea not to get too consumed. We want personal achievement to be fun and emotionally rewarding. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in what we are trying to accomplish that the rest of our life gets way out of balance. So, try not to take yourself too seriously or you won’t have any fun.
11) Never violate your personal ethics. We should all be familiar with our own values and standards. In our hearts we know the difference between right and wrong. If you violate your personal ethics you will undermine your own success as person. Even if you achieve your goal, it will be a hollow victory. Stay true to your standards.
