Friday, September 7, 2012

Your Success Starts with YOU!

Most people want to be successful, which can easily be defined when you know where you want to go in life... your destination.  But if your destination doesn't match up with your purpose, you'll encounter numerous roadblocks and won't understand why.

For example, Johnny wanted to become an architect because his family and friends had always told him that he was a great artist and SHOULD become an architect to become successful.  Since he recognized that his artistic skills were pretty good, he agreed.  After years of school and study, he discovered that his purpose in life was to motivate children.  So instead of becoming an architect, he opened an art school instead.  While everyone was correct to believe that his greatness or destination was embedded within his talent as an artist, true success came when he was able to marry his destination with his purpose in life.

You can significantly increase the odds of marrying your destination with your purpose when you dig deeper into understanding who you are as a person to identify your purpose.  Moovin4ward's "Journey to Success: Personal Success Strategic Plan (PSSP)" program suggests that you identify the answers to five key questions to identify your purpose.

1.  What do you believe?  This answer will tell you what your personal philosophies are.  Every person has them; they are made up of the rules that you adopted from your parents, culture, religion and environment.  Your views on smoking, diet, abortions, marital roles, or recycling all fall under personal philosophy.  No, you won't be arrested for going against or standing for any of these rules, but they are your personal rules none the less.

2.  What do you want to be remembered for?  This answer will give you a clue about your legacy statement.  Your legacy provides an overarching framework for your mission and goals.  Unfortunately, you can't always seal your legacy in stone, because it doesn't become visible until you're gone.  Had O.J. Simpson died 20 years ago his legacy would have been all about his football records.  But he didn't, so we'll probably remember him more for being accused of murdering his wife.  But assuming you stay on your path for greatness, all will remember what you'd like them to remember.  Steve Job's legacy is innovative technology.  Martin Luther King's legacy is equality for all people.

3.  What do you want to achieve?  This answer tells us what your mission is in life.  It is a personal declaration of what you intend to accomplish.  While you can't exactly choose what legacy you leave behind, you can choose what you want to achieve in life that will contribute to the legacy you leave behind.  Oprah Winfrey's mission is to help women see every experience and challenge is an opportunity to grow and discover their best self.  We can all agree that she's on the path to having this as her legacy statement as well.

4.  What is important to you?  This answer uncovers your values.  Your values represent your high priorities and deeply held driving forces that motivate your actions.  In other words, you make choices based on what you value.  If you value "service" then you'll probably make decisions that allow you to support others.  If you value "diversity" then you'll probably make decisions that includes everyone or a variety.  If you value "wealth" then you'll probably make decisions that will allow you earn as much money as possible.  If you value "honesty" then you'll probably choose not to go into politics.  Okay, that was sort of a joke... sort of.

5.  How will you live your life?  This answer helps you identify your personal code of ethics.  Your ethics, your personal creeds, your code of conduct, are shown in your behavior as you go about living your life.  One of your personal codes of ethics could be "I will be honest and responsible in my finances by paying all debts on time and not living a lifestyle above my means."  Or maybe "I will maintain my physical and emotional health through regular exercise, good eating habits, and the proper care of my body."  Doing anything to the contrary is unethical to you.

Your answers to all of these questions provide fuel for achievement and are the reasons behind all of your actions or inactions.  They give clues to your purpose in life.

Be sure that your destination in life, your defined success, matches your purpose and you'll have a more fulfilled life with less bumpy roads!

Learn more about the Journey to Success: Personal Success Strategic Plan program.  Or purchase a copy of the book, "Mapping Your Journey to Success:  Six Steps to Personal Planning" by Sharon A. Myers and Mark Wiggins.