The Secret to Success—Anytime, Anywhere

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When you think of success, what comes to mind? Do you think of living in a huge mansion on a hill, with more money than you could ever spend? Or do you think of days filled with happiness and a career that you find personally satisfying? Whatever your idea of success is, you can rest easy knowing it’s only a few small steps away.

Surprised? Most people are. It’s far too easy to become buried in the avalanche of responsibility that comes with adulthood, leaving us feeling like it would be easier to climb Mt. Everest in a snowstorm wearing a mini-skirt and stiletto heels than to achieve our dreams.

You’re never too old to be what you want to be when you grow up. You have a right to the happily ever after—complete with satisfaction and success—that you dreamed of when you were a teenager determined to leave your mark on the world. Being a wife, a parent or an employee shouldn’t change that.

Anyone can be a success if they have the courage they need to step out of their comfort zone. Whether you’re building a business, launching a career, going back to college or starting a new chapter in your life as a spouse and/or parent, here are the simple steps you need to take to make your dreams a reality.

Step 1: Do What You Love. Do you remember that 9 a.m. math class, when the teacher would turn the lights down low, flip on the overhead projector and drone on for an hour or two (or three, if you were really unfortunate)? Unless you loved math, you probably used more of your energy trying not to fall asleep than you did learning how to use and apply what you were hearing. And if it wasn’t math for you, you can surely relate from boredom of another subject.

The same principles apply when you become an adult. Don’t rob yourself of the joy of doing what you love. You’ll be depriving yourself of the chance to have a future you can throw yourself into wholeheartedly. When you love what you’re doing, there’s nothing you can’t achieve.

Step 2: Have a Compelling Reason for Why It Matters. What’s the point of investing your time and energy into something that feels like it’s an exercise in futility? Making your dreams a reality shouldn’t feel like a waste of time, so it’s important for you to commit yourself to the belief that what you’re doing matters.

Ask yourself, what will you have achieved when you make your dreams a reality—an accomplishment you’ve been working toward your whole life? The chance to change the world and leave a little bit of your own mark on it? It doesn’t matter what the reason is as long as it has meaning for you.

Step 3: Watch It Work. As a child, you dreamed dreams you knew would never come true—like growing wings and being able to fly or wishing you could snap your fingers and produce toys at the drop of a hat. You know now those dreams were the whims of a child, but then they were very real. You could close your eyes and see yourself doing exactly that, no matter how improbable. That’s a skill we sometimes lose in adulthood, but it’s the true secret to our success.

Close your eyes and see your dreams working. Realize that your success is only a few small steps away, and while it might not come easily, believing it can happen will give you the optimism you need to keep going.

Step 4: Surround Yourself with People Who Believe in You. When someone tells you “you can’t” long enough, you’re going to start to believe them—even when you know you can. Surround yourself with people who believe in you, encourage you, bolster your confidence to get to the finish line, and help you rechart your course to success when necessary.

Step 5: Find Mentors Who Are Getting Results. We aren’t born knowing how to talk, read, write or any of the other hundreds of activities we take for granted. We learned how to do these things by following the examples of our parents, friends, relatives, teachers and neighbors who had already mastered these skills. Regardless of what your dream is, you can bring it just a little closer to reality by finding a mentor who has already mastered the skills you want to achieve.

There are mentors everywhere—people who are willing to lend you the benefit of their experience to make your dreams a success. Listen to what they have to say and keep an open mind. Sometimes mentors come from the most unlikely places.

Step 6: Make a Plan and Stick to It. William Shakespeare threw away hundreds of pages of script before Romeo and Juliet hit the stage. Success is one part inspiration and 10 parts perspiration, and the real measure of your success is the ability to keep going when the going gets tough.

Making a plan will help you stay the course, even when a few bumps and roadblocks pop up along the way. If you were driving cross-country, would you give up and turn around in North Dakota just because you hit a detour? Or would you take the roundabout route and get back on course? Plotting a course that will take you from where you are today to where you want to be will help you keep your eyes focused on your goals, making it easier for you to deal with life’s detours.

There’s no dream too big if you have the courage to try. No matter what your dream for your future, refuse to settle, find people who will stand beside you and plot your course to success from A to Z. It won’t be long before you’re enjoying the dreams that seemed so impossible to achieve—and dreaming new dreams that will take you farther than you ever thought you would go.

Remember, most importantly, to always stay true to who you are. This one must never compromise!

About Loren Slocum
Loren Slocum is a mother, wife, international lifestyle coach and speaker. She is author of The Greatest Love, and her new book, Life Tuneups, will become available Spring 2009. For more information, go to www.lobella.com.

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• Who Says You Can’t?
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