Success - How do you define it?

     As an entrepreneur, I love reading Success Magazine.  I learn about new tools and get tips on things to do or avoid in order to be a success.  As a career coach, I am constantly hearing from people that believe that they suck at life because they are not employed or don't love their career.  When I ask these people, how do they define success, many are speechless or recite the standard list of must haves and some actually tell me this is what my spouse or mom or dad said I should do.  Most  people do not have a vision or goal never mind having a personal definition of success. 
     As a career and life coach, I want my clients to achieve their vocational dreams while maintaining a balanced lifestyle.  Many of the featured celebrities in Success magazine did not have a clear image of their vocational goal when they started nor were their lives balanced. Yet they were able to succeed. Why? Because, they became their own personal "COACH".  They developed a vision and recognized the need have a balanced lifestyle.  So how do you coach yourself?  Easy!

           Create your vision
           Own your reality
           Accept opportunities
           Challenge yourself
           Handle success

    To create or change your vision, you need to know what you are passionate about.  You may need to try different things in order to find your calling.  That is OK.  Just remember, you can't do this if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  Your vision must be detailed.  Rather than saying that you are going to loose weigh, you should say I am going to weigh X and wear size Y, by xx/xx/20xx by exercising 4x per week, drinking at least 8 glasses of water daily and eating a healthy diet.  Own your reality by recognizing issues and responsibilities that must be addressed.  Accept opportunities - do volunteer work, work part-time or take a class.  Recognize and act on any opportunity to move yourself in the direction you want to go.  Challenge yourself - be prepared to make sacrifices.  Les Brown's famous quote "Fake it till you make it" still applies.  Feel the fear but act.  Keep saying to yourself, I will not live my life with regrets because I act appropriately and learn from my experiences.  Finally, know how to handle success.  The world is full of "haters"  and they will never praise you, so accept that and move on!   Successful people give themselves permission to enjoy the rewards that they earned because a balanced lifestyle does not mean dull or boring and definitely not isolating yourself from family and friends.   They share these blessings with others because they are not afraid of loosing what they have because they can always get more.

     For more ideas on how to have a successful career, call me at 402.965.1496 or email me at chartingyourcoursewithcoaching@gmail.com.