5 Actions You Can Take Now to Jumpstart Your Success

There are many things people do to be successful, but the major element to success across all areas is to take ownership of your life, actions, and results.  Taking responsibility and control over your life will allow you to reach new levels and break through barriers.  In addition to "owning it," here are 5 Actions You Can Take Now to Jumpstart Your Success:


Resolve to Take Action on Your Most Important Items First Daily

Once you have taken responsibility for your life, actions, and results - the first thing you need to do is prioritize for your success.  One of the greatest secrets of those that are successful is that they realize they can't do everything, but they do know what the most important things are to focus on.  They then schedule those first every day and don't do anything else until the most important item of the day is done.  The practice of tackling your most important items first every day is one of the consistent success habits of the most successful.

​Control your attitude

There are many things you cannot control in life in and business, but those that you can, you must.  One of the areas that can have the biggest impact on your daily success within your control is your attitude. The way you decide to approach each day or each situation can have a huge impact on your success - in either direction.  Your attitude is essentially your "inner game" showing in your "outer game."  Your decisions make a difference and every day, you get to decide what type of attitude you display to world. Always give it your best!

One trick I have used for years that is so simple, but forces you to choose how you will approach each day, is having an "Attitude Board."  I put a white board on the wall in front of my desk in my office and it simply says the following:

What type of attitude will I choose to have today?

When I walk into my office each day, I have 3 choices to circle under that question: Great, Fair, or Poor. 

After doing this for years, I can say that not once have I ever circled Fair or Poor.  I choose to have a great attitude every day and then force myself to look at my attitude board with my decision all day long - and it works!  As soon you start to slip into negativity and you look at your decision on your board, you can snap yourself out the negativity cycle.  Try it for a week and see the difference it makes for you.

Set Goals

Aristotle said thousands of years ago, "Man is a goal seeking animal.  His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals."  The process of setting and achieving goals to lead one to higher levels in life was realized thousands of years ago and has been consistent throughout human history, so why aren't you doing it?  And if you are, that is great!  

The key to setting goals is to not just have them, but write them down, and make concrete plans to achieve them.  Goals are beacons in your life that keep you on your path and give you direction.  The more clear you are on your goals and the plans you make for them, the easier they are to reach.

Having a goal setting program that is easy to use and follow is a big help here.  There are a ton of these programs and some are very, very thorough and complex.  I like to keep things simple, so over the years, I've taken some of the best tips from different programs and condensed them into a simple, easy process that you can do in about an hour so.  You can learn more about it and get some resources to help you at the link below.

The Ten Year Career - Goal Setting

Make Yourself Accountable

If you have taken control and responsibility for your life, are focusing on your most important tasks first daily, controlling your attitude, and have set goals for your success; the next thing you need to do is make yourself accountable.  It easy to do.  But sometimes, the easiest things to do are the ones we neglect doing the most.  First, make sure to have an accountability partner or partners. These are people that you tell your goals and plans to and ask for help in holding you accountable to them.  If they see you straying from your path or starting to fall off, they will remind you or push you to get back on it.  These people can be anyone, as long as they are willing to agree to truly help you and hold you accountable.  

Second, create a To Do list every day and work your most important items and goal action steps into it. Then use it to hold yourself accountable and keep yourself on track for the day.  The To Do list is another simple thing, but yet, so powerful in helping you achieve more in your daily life.

Ask for Help

Don't be afraid to ask for help.  Check your ego.  You don't have to live on island.  The most successful deliberately seek help in areas they know they need it or have deficiencies.  Play to your strengths and find help for your weaknesses.  This is one area where people falter because it's hard to admit that you need help or are have weaknesses, but this is where you can have the biggest impact on your success.  The more help you get, the bigger you will grow.  

If you put these actions in to place, you will absolutely jumpstart your success and create the habits to consistently perform at a higher level.  Make it happen.  Take action!