Success in Life Starts With Knowing What You Want

Success is so many different things to many of us. It may be material things, money or a relationship that brings us love. The perseverance toward obtaining these things is what separates the dreamers from the realists. Success is commonly found in those who make their dreams reality. But how do you find out what it is you want?
We often hear people use the word vision. Simply put it means that you can clearly see where you are going. Exceptional people are often referred to as visionary. But what does that really mean? I believe visionary people are able to bring new yet unseen pictures and ideas to reality. Less visionary people can do this to, but at a level we already know exists. We often hear of people using vision boards with pictures of their favorite car, their dream house or favorite vacation spot on the vision board. You can use these pictures as subtle reminders that help us stay on track. Many of these pictures have come from our dreams and goals. They can be transferred loves of things from our parents. We should also make sure they are what make us happy too. I caution that chasing other peoples dreams can lead to heartbreak.
The most important part is to understand that we gravitate to what makes us happy. You must and you have to put yourself first. That does not mean you have to give up your love of others and become singular. I suggest you look at it this way. Don't you want your wife or children to be happy? Of course you do. I suggest to you they want the same for you.
The following six tips will get you started in obtaining a clear picture of what it is you want and where you want to be.

1. Write down all the things that make you happy.
2. Make sure it is what makes you happy and not what someone else wants for you.(ownership)
3. Take it the next step and write down why they these things make you happy. (validation)
4. List these make me happy priorities in the order of importance.
5. Write down your action plan that you are going to use toward achieving these things that make you happy.
6. Share these affirmations with your mentor or accountability partner.

Your Success is just outside your comfort zone.
Staying on track is not always easy. Your success rate jumps when you have to report to someone what you have done this week toward achieving our goal. As simple and goofy as it may feel, I truly believe you will not find success if you do not write down what it is you want. If you can not get to that level of commitment right out of the starting gate you will continue to struggle in finding success.
Not all of us have a "Eureka" moment that defines what it is we want in life. What matters changes as we grow older. The need to impress others also diminishes as we grow older. We gravitate toward what makes us happy. Knowing these things earlier in life helps us find success sooner.

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To Be Successful, You Have to Believe in Yourself

How do you find self-esteem after so many sets backs to your success. We just have to keep in mind that if it was easy the bar would be lower. If it was easy one would just say Ya, what now? I have discovered dealing with setbacks and self-esteem is a very real issue with many of my readers. My published articles with the highest reads are related to dealing with set backs. How do I maintain the belief, I can do it? I believe it boils down to the level of commitment toward your success. So many people try to go it alone as they are afraid to share their inner thoughts. They dread those words from friends. "I don't believe in the self-improvement stuff" so we internalize our thoughts and emotions. Our thoughts become clouded when we do not have a clear vision. Self doubt keeps creeping back in.

Tony Robbins is probably the best known self-esteem author and motivator on the planet. He is perhaps the best in pumping up your belief system in yourself. Those two o'clock in the morning infomercials your watching because you can't sleep. So you purchase the program. What you have not been told is that over 95 percent of those sales sit on the shelf gathering dust after just one week. That's not Tony's fault. It's yours. Becoming successful is about taking action. He is widely celebrated because his system works if you take action. It just leads to my believe there is not a silver bullet for success. I must confess I have not taken Tony Robbins program as I am fortunate enough to be self motivated. That is not to say I have not had my challenges. I believe to really make a change we have to understand our emotions and why we made decisions in the past we later regretted. But we learn from our mistakes so we need to be thankful for them and not regret them. Just make sure you don't keep making the same mistake.

Chapter Five in Jack Canfield's book " The Success Principals " is titled " Believe In Yourself". This chapter is broken down into six sub-chapters. If your struggling with believing in yourself, you should embrace these statements.

1. Believing In Yourself Is An Attitude
2. The Choice Of What You Believe Is Up To You
3. Don't Waste Your Time Believing You Can't
4. It's All About Attitude
5. Don't Assume You Need A College Degree
6. What Others Think About You Is None Of Your Business ( My Favorite )

Going at it alone is tough. Perhaps you need a coach. If you can't afford a coach do some homework and find a program or a book that can help you make those first steps. Find a mentor. For the most part the internet is free. You will find something that will motivate you. You already know I am very high on Jack Canfield. He is a big proponent of writing it down. It helps build your level of commitment. I write almost every day. It helps me stay grounded and focused.

If your not prepared to make that first step your chances of success are poor at best. As Robert Allen said. " Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone." Believing in yourself puts you in the zone all the time. All the talent in the word is useless if we don't believe in ourselves. I leave you with this statement from one of the brightest minds the human race has ever know. " Imagination Is Everything. It's the preview of life's coming attractions" Albert Einstein.