Creating success is acquired through the collective effects of experiencing new challenges and taking on risk both big and small. Even seemingly insignificant acts give us the confidence to break the mold, to escape the cycle of bad habits, boredom and mediocrity. And those little steps eventually lead to big ones until we find ourself exactly the individual we’ve always wanted to be.
Give your television a rest. Read a book that helps you learn the secrets of success. Savor your meals with those you love and actually talk to one another.
Don’t waste away your day. “Killing time and boredom have no place in a successful life. You can never reclaim squandered time. Join a club or sports team. Challenge yourself to acquire a new skill. At the least, discover what’s right out your front door. Go on a walk and smell those roses. Life is grand.
Keep your car parked and ride a bicycle. You’ll never feel more free and more like a kid than on a bike. And your town suddenly becomes a different place from that new perspective.
Mingle with people who have acquired the success skills you’re seeking and learn from them. Participating on websites like Facebook and LinkedIn make social networking a relative breeze.
Welcome spontaneity. Do you feel more comfortable knowing well in advance of any plans? Go wild and say yes to an invitation immediately without thinking about it, regardless of whether you do or do not feel like it. Experience how liberating spontaneity can be. See something different. Drive a different way home from work. Get out of the office and eat lunch in the park. Experience more of the natural world by taking a hike outdoors that you’ve never been on before. Avoid the massive cineplex for once and watch a movie in a small, art-house theater.
Don’t live with regrets. Is there a great opportunity sitting in your lap and you’re tempted to turn it down for trivial reasons? Why acquire a regret when you can gain the benefits instead? Ask that person you fancy on a date. And really, what does it matter if you fail? You dust yourself off and move forward with confidence knowing the regret would have been far worse.
Stop giving in to illogical fears. Challenge yourself today to venture outside of your comfort zone. Nervous around others? Learn to dance. Heights give you the quivers? Go skydiving (it’s easier than you think). Public speaking a weak spot? Enroll in Toastmasters or another comparable public speech club. Afraid of your own shadow? Take martial arts lessons.
Make eye contact and smile with everyone you encounter. Be genuine and watch how people positively acknowledge that simple action.
Read an article on managing money. Even better, invest some. If you’re already investing, take an action step that helps your money work harder for you.
See the adventure in small steps today and how they lay the groundwork for the great and awesome you to emerge from your cocoon. The secrets of success are yours for the taking. All you have to do is embrace different and make a move today.
