It’s Your Money Column – Steps to Success Part I

If you are between jobs today, you face challenges you may never have grappled with before. Here are suggestions from a Kansas State University Cooperative Extension newsletter that can make the job transition easier.

Successful people, in their work and personal lives, have certain characteristics in common. As you make your plans for 2002, keep the following elements in mind.

• If you expect success, you will most likely achieve it. A positive attitude generally produces positive results. If you don’t feel successful, pretend. Do something successful until your "feeler" catches up with your "doer." In contrast, people who believe they will fail often do fail.
• Decide what you want. To get there, it helps to be able to see where you want to go. Set a goal and go for it. Create a list of your top priorities for the next three months and you’ll find your daily priorities will fall in line to help you reach that goal. Drop things that interfere with your purpose.
• Do more than what is asked of you. Go the extra mile in all areas of your life and give something extra. You will benefit in kind.
• You’ll make mistakes. Consider mistakes learning experiences that are steps toward success. As you learn and refuse to give up, you’ll find that you increase your choices and your confidence about making decisions. Coping with mistakes builds strength and wisdom.
• Accept responsibility and challenge. If you know you are accountable for your actions and your future, you will reap the benefits in ability and self-esteem.
• Welcome new ideas. New ideas are the seeds to your progress.
• Keep physically and mentally fit. It takes a lot of energy to meet change successfully. Rest, good nutrition, relaxation, exercise and positive relationships with others are vital to renewing energy and maintaining your focus.
• Take care of yourself. Start with doing a few things you love to do and stop depriving yourself. Life is too short to put off being good to yourself.

As the Kansas State University newsletter notes, "Success is not a matter of luck but of doing those things which experience teaches are most likely to lead to achievement. Knowing these basic principles is just the beginning. By adopting and practicing them, you can form a habit of success that will ultimately become part of you."