The Milestones of Success

My husband said something to me recently ”It’s not about getting to the end but the milestones in between that makes a life of success”.  This conversation made me wonder what is a great success or achievement?  Would we recognize it when it happened? Would we feel a moment of suspended shock or get more pizazz in our step or would we pass it off as a small step to a bigger and better goal?

Of course even though we all know we achieve a lot of our goals, inside ourselves we still strive for that one great success, yet even if we have it or achieve it we don’t really recognize it. We are continually lying in wait for success to arrive. I think we as individuals have a tendency to look back and appreciate but never really live within the moment of success, give kudos to ourselves and say “today I accomplished a milestone and I’m proud of this moment”.  We rarely live in the moment of our successes we have a tendency to move quickly to the next objective. This I believe is our human nature, the inability to recognize and spot our own accomplishments and achievements. We tend to reflect later on down the road and do a self-review before we see our accomplished milestones, we as human strivers have little ability to enjoy and appreciate the everyday endeavors or even celebrate the triumphs of goals realized upon completion. We are more apt to notice our accomplishments when someone else points them out or when we are unexpectedly receiving an award or a sudden hand shake and a strong pat on the back with a ”Way to go that was a fantastic presentation, I think we have that all wrapped up”.

A runner knows when he has reached his milestone with each mile he puts under his feet, each medal he has won or each Marathon he has completed. Most athletes have a starting and stopping point consequently he can see the challenge and meet the goal. So appreciating that moment of satisfaction of a job well done is much easier for athletes to enjoy and certainly a recognized success has been reached.

Business accomplishments are much harder to spot and ultimately personal accomplishments are even harder to determine. So how do we go about spotting those elusive successes that each and every one of us achieves in our personal and professional lives?   The only way to see the outcomes in our accomplishments is to determine our statement of work and the goals that go along with it. Then once these goals are achieved we can have our moments of personal celebration of each and every one of our successes. You are the determining factor of your own personal success so go out and observe your life in the moment. Give thanks and appreciation to yourself for goals accomplished and remember it’s not about getting to the end but the milestones in between that makes a life of success.

Follow your dreams they know the way

I had the pleasure of teaching my first class of 2013 last night. What an amazing thrill it is to be back in the training seat, sharing knowledge and sharing in the early stages of those on the cusp of new beginnings and long term success.
We left the evening with an assignment to jot down a personal one to two line Mission Statement. Have you ever had to tackle this seemingly easy task? Let me tell you what might appear to be an easy task is never what it seems. Yet in reality it is the beginning portal into the window of self-discovery. The place where you discover your life has purpose and greater meaning, your journey to a personal place you never even knew existed.
So I challenge all of you out there who are seeking self-knowledge. It starts with your personal mission statement. So put pen to paper you just might discover things you never knew about yourself.

Cheers!

A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company, organization or person, its reason for existing.
The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making. It provides "the framework or context within which the company's strategies are formulated."
Wikipedia

Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life

Today

 “If you want to be in control of your life, of your wins and losses, successes and failures, which are, your life! Then it boils down to making long term plans, making a to-do list, then doing it: one step at a time, one day at a time; time after time, day after day. Only through the long term implementation of good planning with a great Statement of Work can you achieve difficult and wonderful things purposefully in your life”.

Toni Thomas

Thoughts

After two years of blogging I have finally decided that not all blogs need to have profound statements. Blogging is after all just my thoughts, ideas and inspiring words and pictures. Going forward into 2013 this page will be dedicated to just blogging from the hip and the heart and trying to connect my readers to resources while providing a window for inspiration. I am looking forward to sharing stories, resources and ideas. Here is today's inspirational picture.

Cheers!

The Power of Self

I’m not much of a fan of New Year’s resolutions, yes imagine that, a motivational and guidance writer who doesn’t believe in resolutions. Resolutions often happen at the beginning of a New Year and fade as the days and weeks go by. The truth is I believe in change and change that makes sense in the right context and in the right time in our lives.
When is the right moment to make decisions that affect our future path? When do we decide it’s time to lose weight or its time to stop smoking or when is the right moment to start that fitness routine? Well I think these moments come along when we need them. When our bodies and our minds say it’s time for change. These decisions need to be well thought out and a plan of action needs to be implemented.
So instead of a New Year’s Resolution I encourage you to make honest and well thought out decisions, decide the right plan for you in the coming New Year and set out with a plan of action that fits into the lifestyle you are already living. Go slow be conscientious and discover the Power of Self.
Cheers to you all enjoy the New Year.