Guest Written Article by Dr Kem Thompson

Success is not something that only a chosen few can achieve. Everyone can be successful you just need to do things in such a way consistently. You need to be a certain type of person with certain characteristics.

The successful person thinks in a certain way, talks in a certain way, and acts in a certain way. The list below briefly outlines 10 of those ways. Anyone who consistently applies these principles to any area of their life *will* experience success in that area.

1. Vision: Start with the end in mind. Have a clear picture of what exactly it is you want to achieve. Keep this picture at the forefront of your mind. Doing something because you want to do it, will motivate you to succeed at it.
2. Belief: Believe without a shadow of a doubt that you can do it. Stay away from negative influences (people, books/articles, anything negative), which make you doubt your ability to succeed. Surround yourself with things that remind you that you can, and will, succeed.
3. Responsibility: Realize that you alone are responsible for your future.  Don’t look for anyone to blame. Feel free to ask for help as you need it, but remember the final decision is up to you. It’s your life, after all.
4. Affirm: Make a habit of saying out loud what you hope to achieve. Speak of it in the present tense, e.g., ‘I am fit and trim’, as opposed to ‘I will be fit and trim’. If you feel awkward speaking out loud to yourself, write down the affirmation. Then look at it (or better still, rewrite it) several times each day. This helps your mind stay focused on the goal. It also builds your self-belief and confidence.
5. Commitment: Make a firm commitment to action. Decide to take whatever steps you need to take to help you achieve your goals. Then honour the commitment you’ve made.
6. Set a SMART goal: Your goal has to be Specific, Measurable (you need a standard to help you know when you’ve achieved it) and Motivational (it’s got to inspire you and keep you motivated), Attainable and Attractive, Realistic (no point setting an unrealistic goal such as “I want to be a millionaire this evening”) and Timed (State when you hope to achieve it).
7. Plan and Take Action: Work out a plan of action. Break down the plan into baby steps. Take a step or two each day, reminding yourself that each step is bringing you closer to your goal. Be consistent.
8. Persistence: Do not give up until you have achieved what you desire. In the course of things, be willing to change things that aren´t working. Thomas Edison did not give up in inventing the light bulb, even though he’d ‘failed’ 10,000 times. Now that’s persistence! See every failure as a stepping-stone to success. Learn from it and push on towards your goal.
9. Gratitude: Maintain an attitude of gratitude, knowing that your dream is about to become a reality. Refuse to grumble when circumstances look contrary. Be grateful for where you are now. Look around for things to be grateful for. You’ll be surprised to find quite a few.
10. Become a giver. In your relationships, always think in terms of what you can do for the other person. What goes round comes round. Be kind and generous to all; you never know where your breakthrough will come from.

Bonus Principle. Be in the know: Find out everything you can about your situation/goal. Read books, listen to tapes, and talk to experts, whatever it takes. This will help you make wise decisions and keep you confident as you go along.

So there you have it. I have given you a summary of principles which, if you apply consistently, WILL guarantee you success in any endeavour. Don’t just take my word for it, though. Prove it yourself by actually applying it to your life situation.

Knowlegde is not powerful until you act on what you know. Think about that. Better yet, act on it! You’ll be glad you did.

Comments are closed.