So what do you want for yourself in 2015?  Remember, it could be more joy, contentment, freedom, ease, peace, connectivity, feeling more satisfaction,  In achieving SUCCESS, I’ve simplified it for you by compiling all the things I’ve learned over the years. If you follow this today and everyday, the goals you’ve chosen will come to you. Try it and find out. Email or call me and let me know how it works for you!

SUCCESS

 S – Self-Aware:  When you think of being self-aware you probably think of many things. One thing, and most important, is “am I an ‘innie or an outie’?”  “Am I an introvert or an extrovert?”  (If you’re a new subscriber to my newsletter, feel free to go to the website and read past articles or listen to Audio Coach podcasts to learn if you’re an introvert or extrovert.) Knowing this can help you learn how to use your energy throughout the day, and whether you need some alone time. For example, I’m an introvert and at the end of the day after seeing many clients or presenting, I really need quiet time alone to recharge my battery. An extrovert would be okay with going out to dinner with a friend, going to the gym, or doing other social activities. As an introvert, I can do these things, but I’d prefer to do them alone. If I do go out with a friend after work, I really need time alone at home first, or some relaxation before going to sleep. It took me years to become aware of this, but when I did, it certainly diminished my anxiety levels. So, make it a point to honor yourself in this regard. Secondly, acknowledge your hunger and exercise desires. If you have a busy work schedule, but you know you’re discontent without a workout, consider a noon workout or early morning. And always be self-aware of what makes you tick and honor this about yourself.

U – Understanding:  In order to understand others we must first understand ourselves. So, going back to being self-aware is critical in this area. By being aware of what makes us tick it allows us to consider what might possibly make others tick. This understanding allows us to meet the desires of ourselves which then makes it easier to meet the desires of others. By being able to meet the desires of others we are more likely to be successful because the peace it brings increases our Serotonin, decreases our blood pressure and aids in better digestion. Ultimately, we feel better, others feel better, and it’s truly a win-win situation.

“When you connect to the silence within you, that is when you can make sense of the disturbance going on around you.” ~Stephen Richards 

C – Consistency:  Consistency is the KEY to success!  It’s defined as “conformity in the application of something, typically that which is necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy, or fairness.”  Think about this:  You want to lose ten pounds by January 1, 2015.  With regular exercise and eating correctly, or even consistently eating better, your chances are far greater of obtaining your goal.

So, what my client was referring to when he described what makes me successful was very simply – my CONSISTENCY. He said, “you schedule our appointments for the month ahead, you rarely have to switch the appointment times, you always send a confirmation email 2 days prior to my appointment, you’re regularly on time and rarely keep me waiting,  I always receive an email receipt of my credit card charge,” and then he went on and on.  He then said that because of this, it makes him feel very safe with me and it gives him a sense of “comfort” because he always knows what to expect.

Consistency is the key to everything from raising children, managing staff, achieving your goals, or even training a dog. Yes, that’s right – dog trainers and child psychologists say that CONSISTENCY is the key to having a good dog or raising a good child! Consistency creates guidelines for each, identifies consequences,  and helps them know what to expect. A dog knows if he jumps on someone it will result in a scolding.  Most dogs aim to please their owners, and if the owner is consistent with discipline and accolades, then the dog knows what to expect – which creates this safety that they appreciate.  The same holds true for children in the case of bedtime, chores, manners, etc.

So, in terms of the business environment, if you’re in sales and need to reach a quota, staying on task with a certain number of sales calls everyday, making sure you’re continually adding new potential clients to the “pipeline,” and constantly seeking new referral partners are all ways to CONSISTENTLY get more sales. If you’re a department leader, manager or business owner, CONSISTENCY is vital. Handling employees in a fair and consistent way for raises, probation, sick leave, and promotions are all ways to give employees a huge sense of comfort and stability. Growing a business is no different. Being CONSISTENT in marketing, sales, and providing quality customer service on an on-going basis are critical to a business succeeding. When these aren’t done on a consistent basis, one by one things start to fall by the wayside and business will start dropping. It may not be seen overnight, but as time goes on, it will be noticed and the success of the company will suffer tremendously.

This also applies to the mood of leadership. If the mood of the leadership flounders where one day they come in yelling and the next day whistling Dixie, it will create a tumultuous environment. Employees will start to look elsewhere for employment and after time, this affects the company bottom line. Each new employee can cost a company 2 times the salary of the person they replace.

Now, how about relationships? Being in a fairly good mood really helps. However, there will be days when you are just in a bad mood or having a bad day, that’s okay – just try not to make a habit of it, and remember to apologize. How about if you’re constantly meeting your wife or significant other and showing up late, or making promises to see a certain Broadway show, go to a football game etc. and not following through?  This creates animosity and resentment and sets the relationship up for failure.

Being CONSISTENT in every area of life is far better than the consequences of inconsistency.  So, go ahead and try it!  Just for this week, be consistent and see if your whole personal and professional life goes better.  Give it a try, what can it hurt?

C – Create Positivity:  Let’s keep this one simple. When you remember the “P” in positive it brings your thinking to “Possibility.”  When you go to the “N” in negative, it brings your brain to “NEVER,” which doesn’t invite others to want to be around you, doesn’t create that halo around your head, and doesn’t attract success to you.  So, stay in the positive and remember this, “Is your glass half-full or half-empty?”   Richard “Rick” Steves is an American author and television personality on European travel. He is the host of a public television series, and a public radio travel show and the author of many travel guidebooks and autobiographies. Rick says “Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something is not to your liking, change your liking.” 

E – Enthusiasm:  What motivates you? What floats YOUR boat?  Answer this and you will know where you will find success.  Many artists are afraid to pursue their dream because people tell them they’ll be “starving artists.”  This simply isn’t true.  Walt Disney was declined many times on his idea of Disney, but he was so enthusiastic that he didn’t give up.  He kept his enthusiasm for his dream and today Walt Disney brings in 2.2 billion in profits.  Not shabby!  I have followed my dream of being a corporate and life coach, and though it hasn’t brought me millions or billions, it has brought me the ability to obtain my freedom, work autonomously, be an entrepreneur, and help others by using my talents that require no effort because they are God-given.  When we follow things were enthusiastic about, SUCCESS comes and it’s easy!

S – Simplify:  Keep it simple stupid!  This is the method commonly referred to as the KISS method.  Meaning, “stick to the basics.”  But as it relates to SUCCESS, to simplify means to “streamline.”  As it relates to your business and life, use every shortcut possible.  For instance, how often do you forget your passwords?  KISS Method: Get a password book or subscribe to a program such as “Dashlane”  that will save every password you use.  Using Outlook folders helps streamline your emails within the organization.  You can save each email from certain individuals in a folder and then when needed you can go to that folder to find what you need to recall about correspondence. How about at home?  I use a personal organizer once a year to make sure I don’t gather too much clutter.  For example, we clean out my kitchen of things I haven’t used that year and the closet of clothes not worn. Also, make sure you don’t have lots of items on your desk, table, coffee table, or too much furniture in any one space, etc.  This can clutter the mind and keep you from being creative and the simpler everything is in business and life the easier it is to be more timely and productive.

S – Self-discipline: Similar to consistency, being self-disciplined can build tremendous confidence which results in easy success.  Think of Donald Trump who certainly doesn’t lack any confidence and has had success.  Qualities of self-discipline are sacrifice and self-denial.  Not giving in and waiting til tomorrow to finish a project if its procrastinating, working out today and not postponing it, taking an additional step today to grow your business, or making one additional sales call. I’m reminded of this quote by Abraham J. Heschel that reads, “Self-respect is the fruit of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.”  We can all be guilty of sabotaging our own successes if we give in to our own negative thinking and doings.

This year let go of procrastination, simplify, seek to understand yourself and others, grasp enthusiasm, stay disciplined and learn who you are and then you can enjoy success like you never have before.