I have devised my own practical tips for a successful life and career. Following them can change your life for the better.
Count Your Blessings
Success is a positive thing. If you entertain and dwell on negative thoughts, then that will tend to act as an impediment or obstacle to your road to success.
So, although you may have a lot of things to complain about, try to enumerate the good things, instead, and for sure, you will soon realize how it far outnumbers the bad.
Are your parents alive and healthy?
Do you have a spouse who's by your side and sleeps with you at night?
Do you have sweet kids to take care of?
Do you have a house that shelters you from the cold
Do you have clothes to wear?
Do you have food on your table at mealtime?
Can you read this? Therefore you have eyes to see
Can you breathe freely?
Can you walk with your two feet?
Can you hear with your two ears?
Do you have friends you enjoy being with and friends whose shoulders you can cry on?
Do you have a job that provides for you and your family?
Count how many times you have answered yes to these questions and then think of some more blessings that you have to be thankful for. Every time you feel low or experience some problems along the way, count your blessings.
Acknowledge and be Grateful to Whom Those Blessings Come From
If we think of ourselves as the only source of all that we have, including our accomplishments, we would never learn to depend on God. Therefore, when tougher times come, we fall and we find it hard to stand up again because we have forgotten to give thanks during better times.
The Bible says "... all good things come from God.." We don't become less of a person if we let go of our pride and humble ourselves by acknowledging God in every success that we achieve. In this way, we will also learn to trust Him and as we encounter problems or obstacles, if we pray to Him, we can always overcome these obstacles and therefore, success can't be too far.
Make the Right Choices
Sometimes we don't realize that we have a choice, an alternative, a way out. Sometimes we feel we are helpless in our situation. We feel sad, depressed and think of ourselves as losers. And yet, we are not doing anything about it. If you are in a lousy job with a lousy pay and you're forcing yourself every morning just to get up to go to work and you've been doing this for several years now, hasn't it ever crossed your mind that there is something you can do about it? It's but natural to have fears. There is always that fear of regret over a wrong decision. That is why, it is necessary for us to always ask for guidance from God to be able to discern if we are making the right choice. But still, the act of choosing has to be made by YOU. In making a big decision, always consider the following:
Is your means in making this choice good and moral?
Will the consequences be beneficial to all?
Are you at peace when thinking about your decision?
If after making the decision, you feel restless, then rethink about it, pray about it and review the pros and cons. But never forget that you do have a choice. Exercise that choice, think positive, trust God and do the right thing.
Dream and Plan
An accomplishment always starts with a dream. As they say, dreams are free, so dream on. But you must not let it just remain a dream. You should advance to the next step and put up a good plan to realize that dream.
Do Not Procrastinate
I believe procrastination is one sure way to become a loser. A jobseeker who always puts off his plan to submit an application can never find a job, unless he decides to do it NOW.
An employee with a deadline to beat can never beat that deadline if he keeps on saying, “I'll do it later,” unless he decides to finish it NOW.
Procrastination is a very bad habit that must be overcome by anyone who would like to succeed. Even if you do know that you can afford to do a certain task sometime “later” but it is actually possible to do it now, then why wait for later? Do it NOW.
Prioritize and Get Organized
There comes a time when you have to do several tasks all at once in a particular span of time, and it's just not physically possible. The key here is to select your priorities. Decide which needs the most immediate attention or needs to be completed first. Organize all your activities in such a way that your schedules will not overlap. Make a checklist of everything that needs to be done and put a target date and even a time for each and every activity. Arrange all your materials and all the things that you need to use in such a way that they are placed conveniently in accessible locations where you are most comfortable working. Be as systematic as you can to avoid time wasters and stress.
Follow the Golden Rule
Do unto others what you would want others to do unto you. This has been the golden rule that led to the conversion of St. Augustine as he listened to one of the homilies of Bishop Ambrose. It is so simple yet so profound and applicable until this day and age. It's like saying if you want respect from other people, then you should respect them too. If you expect other people to help you in times of need, then, also be ready to help them when they need you. It sounds so easy to do, but as you put it into your heart and commit yourself to follow this rule, you will soon realize that it requires a lot of sacrifice and effort to do your part of “giving” for the sake of others. But we don't call it the golden rule for nothing, because no matter how hard it is, you can see the good and abundant fruit that it will bear on your life in general and on your relationship with others, in particular. The same goes for its negative counterpart that is, “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.” If you don't like to be cheated on, then don't cheat on other people. If you don't want to get hurt, then don't hurt other people's feelings as well. Sounds simple? Practice it and you'll see.
Think, Speak, and Do Positive
There is no room for pessimism, bad talk, and negative actions if you really want to succeed.
Go the Extra Mile
Stop counting the number of minutes and hours that you are spending beyond your actual paid working hours as you try to complete a project, a report or as you entertain a valued customer's persistent inquiries. It could be that you are trying to make your report as beautiful and comprehensive as possible or that you are doing your best to satisfy your customer because you would like to please your boss. That could be a good motivation but it is better if your purpose is simply because you want to give your best in everything that you do. Mediocrity hampers true success. If you are satisfied with a so-so output and you feel you will be cheated if you work some extra hours without overtime pay, think again and ask yourself. How far would you really like to go in trems of being successful? Try to observe your bosses or anyone else who you know are already successful in their own right and observe how they pour their hearts and energies into their work. If you give in to mediocrity then that's only how far you'll go.
Go the extra mile. Go beyond what is expected of you. If a customer expects you to show her a product, then go the extra mile by showing her the product AND eplaining how it works. If your parents expect you to pass all your subjects at school, go that extra mile by doing your best to be included in the honor roll or dean's list. If your boss expects you to meet your target date then go the extra mile by submitting your report ahead of time. If you expect yourself to perform well, then go the extra mile by performing your best, which can be achieved by maintaining healthy habits and keeping physically, mentallY and emotionally fit. If the Lord expects you to be in Church every Sunday, go the extra mile by setting aside a prayer time everyday and maintaining a personal relationship with Him.
Do the Right Thing
Sometimes it is easy to see which is right or wrong. You know it is wrong to steal and you know it is right to be honest. You know it is wrong to cheat on your spouse and you know it is right to be faithful. But there will come instances wherein it is quite hard to discern right from wrong and that "wrong" is disguised as something that looks good, tempting and irresistible. So as not to be deceived, we always have to be aware of this possibility and put on the armor of goodness by constantly praying and walking in the light of the Only One who is truly good and perfect.
