Success and being successful, whether it is in life or in business, means having a mindset that enables you to move ahead towards your goals. A bunch of obstacles will always put themselves in your way. That's life. What separates those who achieve success from those who don't is how obstacles are handled.
In my experience, one of the biggest obstacles is often of our own making. It's called procrastination. Procrastination presents itself in many different guises. The secret to avoiding being caught by this sneaky little beast is...
Being organised and....being disciplined!
Controls need to be in place to help maximise your time. This way you're moving forward toward the results you want. By being 100% honest you can easily pinpoint where you can cut down, chop out or build up your schedule. When you truly want something you make time for it.
How much time do you spend on social media or watching TV, YouTube clips etc? Ask yourself these two questions and be HONEST with your answers:
1)   Is it really necessary?
2)   Is my business really benefitting from this?
Sure we all need to have time out to refresh, reframe and relax BUT...spending a bunch of time watching and reading about what others are doing to move their businesses forward is not really helping you.
Think of it like this...they are telling you what they have achieved, persuading you to buy from them...their business is moving forward, but is yours?
Taking Action
Unless you are actively taking ACTION, rather than just consuming content, you are wasting your precious time. When I started my career, many moons ago, there were no social media channels online.
Instead, there were hard copy newsletters, conferences and key business events where there would be some top quality speakers. They were expensive - very expensive - so it was important to choose wisely. BUT...here's the thing...once the event was over, there was no Googling more information, listening to more Podcasts, watching more YouTube clips and more experts.
The conference, the piece you read in the newsletter or the event you attended would inspire you to take ACTION.
And that my friend, is the secret of success...taking momentum building steps each and every day that moves you forward towards your goals. Watching and listening is not ACTION!
This is why being organised and disciplined is so very crucial. Creating a plan and then using a MAP - measurable, achievable and progressive steps – will keep you on track.
It's easy to meander - and hey, we all do this from time to time. That's where the power of the MAP lies - getting you back on track after a meandering moment. Just like all journeys, you need to plan your route. You need to know how you will get to your destination. By mapping out the key milestones, rest points, the quick look around and linger longer stays on your personal MAP you'll be able to achieve your goals.
It doesn't need to be highly complicated. Simple is best. The key is following that MAP once you have laid it out.
What Success Looks Like
It's really important to identify what success looks like to you. The reason being is that unless you know what it is that you want to achieve you will never be able to tell if you have got there.
You need to be able to measure and to identify when you have reached the goals you set for yourself. And yes, goals can and do change over time.
It's perfectly okay to set new goals but you must keep track of the ones you have already set, rather than dash off on another tangent. One step at a time is the key.
Life is very frustrating if you keep chasing something that always lies over the rainbow. By embracing small successes along your journey you'll start feeling so much more fulfilled, motivated and inspired.
Until next issue…
Michelle Hanton michelle@dragonsisters.com.au0418 898082
www.dragonsisters.com.au
Michelle Hanton OAM is a multi-award winning international business strategist, the founder of Dragons Abreast Australia and former CEO of Lifeline Top End. Her business, Dragon Sisters, specialises in actionable, momentum-building support to help move businesses to the next level.