Success Strategy: If Money Can Fix It, It is Not a Problem

I heard this at a conference many years ago. I wish I could credit the speaker! It is something that has always stuck with me and has frequently helped me put things into perspective.

For example, a few years ago my husband and I were in a rollover car accident caused by a drunk driver. Our vehicle was totaled. We walked away from it with only a few very minor scratches. Money fixed it. Between insurance and our money, we got a new vehicle. If either of us had been paralyzed or killed, money would not have fixed that.

We can always get more money. We can always work more and spend less. It may not be easy, but it is possible!

The next time you are stressed about something, I recommend you ask yourself if money can fix it. If the answer is yes, then the problem is not as serious as it could be! This can help keep life in perspective and lower the stress.

Success Strategy: Time Passes Anyway, Take Advantage

In five years, we will all be five years older. That we cannot change. However, we can decide who we will be in five years.

In five years, either you will have that degree you always wanted or you will not. Either you will have a new job or career or you will not. Either you will have the memories of a great vacation or you will not. Either you will have better relationships with those in your life or you will not. The choice is up to you!

I have written previous blogs on dreams, goals, and achieving what you want. The point I want to make now is when you are five, ten, fifteen years older, who do you want to be and what do you want to have? Start working now because the time will pass whether you do or not.

Success Strategy: If You Do Not Own It, You Cannot Control It

This applies to material possessions such as land and a house. More importantly, it applies to our lives and our success.

If you rent a house, the property owner decides what you can do with it. If you own your own house, you decide, you control.

For us to control our professional and personal success, we must accept ownership for our success. We must accept that we are where we are because of the decisions we have made and the actions we have taken. When we do this, we have control.

If we let someone else take ownership of our success, or try to pass ownership off on someone else (blame), we lose control of our success.

Ownership is hard work and takes responsibility. It is also a very important to our success.

Success Strategy: Step Away…Just Step Away

Sometimes we get so involved in a project that we can no longer see what should be obvious. In these cases, sometimes the best thing we can do is just step away, work on something else, and then come back to it later with a clear head.

The other day I was working on my Google profile. I wanted to change my primary email address. I could not figure out how to do it! No matter what I did, it did not work! Finally, I stopped working on it, signed out, and took a break.

About 30 minutes later, I signed back on and started working on it again. Guess what? The first thing I tried worked perfectly. In addition, it was easy and obvious! I just needed a clear head to see it.

Often it is best to just step away from a project, or a situation, and come back to it later.

Success Strategy: Our Actions Today Will Impact Our Decisions Tomorrow

Taking any action is a little like throwing a stone into a lake. The stone hitting the water will cause ripples. The ripples will continue outward after the stone has settled on the bottom. These ripples can affect what happens on the shore.

Our actions cause ripples into the future. These ripples will have an impact on the decisions we need to make later.

In general, the more positive actions we take now, the more we will be in a position to make decisions in the future that will advance us forward rather than trying to correct the mistakes of the past.

Success Strategy: Continue to Learn!

It is imperative that we continue to learn professionally and personally. Every day we should learn something new about our profession, others, the world around us, or ourselves.

Some of this learning can be formal education or training. This can occur through degree programs, classes, workshops, and conferences.

Some of this learning can be informal learning. This can occur through listening to others, observation, and thinking about why things have happened.

The day that any of us stops learning is the day we stop succeeding!

Success Strategy: Take Time to Relax

To succeed, we must work for what we want. Magic only happens at Hogwarts. If we wait for things to happen for us, we will be waiting all our lives and never get what we really want.

We also need to take time to relax, however. All work and no play does not lead to personal and professional success either.

It is important to balance work with relaxation. Relaxation gives us the opportunity to enjoy the little things in life. It also recharges our batteries so we can go back and work productively!