Every day is made up of choices. You can choose to stay in bed or get up and greet the day. You have the choice of eating healthily or eating junk food. And you decide whether you go to the gym or spend hours watching Netflix™. While it seems like there are lots of factors involved in each of these decisions, it all comes down to what you want for your life.
So, what if we told you that you can also choose to be successful? It seems too easy, right? Well, it’s true! If you commit to making small, positive choices each day, you might just wind up becoming successful by default.
Choice #1: I will work hard.
Doing the bare minimum is easy, but guess what? That’s never going to get you to where you want to be. Until you decide to dig your heels in and work for what you want, you’ll probably end up staying in the same place. So, how do you become a hard worker? And how do you know if you already are one? Here are a few traits hard workers share:
- They take pride in their work.
- They’re dependable.
- They’re productive.
- They often take the leadership role.
- They’re ambitious.
Maybe you just read that list, and you’re feeling pretty good about where you are on the hardworking spectrum. Or maybe you’re now realizing that you need to start putting in more effort (which is not a bad thing). Keep in mind that it’s not enough to work hard “sometimes” or “when you feel up to it.” Making progress toward your goals will require you to recommit to the work each day.
Choice #2: I will take opportunities to learn.
Nobody knows everything there is to know. And the people who come across like they know everything probably don’t know anything. So, humble yourself and learn as much as you possibly can. Most importantly, remember that knowledge is power—the more of it you have, the closer you’ll get to success! Here are some of our favorite ways to learn:
- Go virtual! There are tons of fascinating online courses to choose from.
- Read an inspiring book.
- Make friends with the types of people you want to become most like.
If you have an opportunity to immerse yourself in a new way of life, do it! If you come across a chance to learn from someone who has knowledge in a particular field, take it! There are so many new things just waiting to be known, and the world is truly your oyster.
Choice #3: I will be positive.
Research shows that the happiest people owe their success, in part, to their positive outlook. So, if you really want to be successful, make sure you’re happy first!
Negative events will, of course, always happen in life. Even if you’ve planned your day out perfectly, there’s a chance you still might get stuck in traffic, spill your coffee, forget about a meeting, and so on. The goal isn’t to have everything go perfectly according to plan 24/7. It’s to keep a positive attitude no matter what life throws your way! This is something we all struggle with from time to time. Read this article for some tips on being happy, rain or shine!
Go back and review the choices from our list one more time. Do you notice how not one single choice we mentioned has to do with talent? That’s because the choices we make are far more important than what we can and can’t do. Remember, the success of your life is in your hands—and you can start working toward it today!
Communication is another important component of success! Read our post for four steps to become a master of communication.
