Many people never really consider what they want to achieve in life.
We follow a path defined by our opportunities and challenges around us. But if you don’t set out to build your own vision of success, you will spend your life helping others build theirs.
What is your vision of success?
We all have the same number of hours in a day, week or month, just as all the greats did. In those hours Leonardo Da Vinci, Einstein and Martin Luther King built their legacies for mankind. But success doesn’t have to be measured in scientific advances, or in monetary or humanitarian terms. Success can be measured by the movement towards the goal we set for ourselves.
People who achieve their dream do so because they define it clearly, objectively and with an open mind. By being consistent in their approach and applying the hours needed and actions required to takes them a step towards their goal, delivering something that once seemed impossible becomes huge fun.
Rome wasn’t built in a day
Leonardo Da Vinci wasn’t a success overnight. That concept doesn’t really exist (unless your name is Harry Styles). Take any world class athlete – they will have begun their journey as children and trained for years before they won their first gold medal. Achieving success means developing self-belief and physical endurance, nurturing natural skills and developing others. Working on your mindset as well as rigorous practice in your chosen specialism is all part of the journey.
The best laid plans – work
In business, to have a plan is to have a vision come to life. A dream without a plan is just a dream. There are some important things to consider:
- Define your goal. Commit to your vision of success, whatever that looks like.
- Identify your clients – keep them central to that vision.
- Examine successful leaders and analyse why they stand out.
Outline all the different stages in your plan and break it down into bitesize achievable chunks. You don’t have to do everything yourself; if you don’t have a team, identify who you would like to help you and invite them to get involved. Be open about what you’re doing and what you want to achieve. Encourage inclusion and engagement. Build a culture where every idea is welcome – team work makes the dream work!
Be organised, disciplined and structured all the way through, but allow for the opportunities to evolve as you go. Recognise barriers but adapt around them. If you remain committed to the plan, others will follow your lead and their imagination will lead to agility and progress.
Be prepared to make changes – your plan is written on paper, not set in stone. Always focus on the most efficient route to long-term success. Never let distractions or procrastination take over or the vision becomes blurred.
Success will always look different to different businesses and individuals, but by getting the basics right the first time, every time, you’ll be able to set your fundamental goals (the logistics, delivery, response, learning) at a level that a lot of organisations would not dare to pursue.
Focus on getting better and bigger will come. Businesses that consistently and efficiently deliver the basics at the highest level will always win client loyalty and the endorsement which advances the organisation to market leadership.
Leaders and teams who make that shift are the ones we recognise as being successful. Is that you?