Success is something we should all want in our lives, whether that is in our personal development, in our social groups or families or in our work places. I’m not suggesting that the measure of success is becoming a famous celebrity or even an infamous character, but success is measured by achievements and results in every area of our lives.
I encourage you to take a long, hard look at what you have achieved over the past 10 years, even your life to date, and write down your results. Many people just drift through life, going where the current takes them. Many are just satisfied by putting one foot in front the another, day by day, and will readily change direction when pushed by someone else or by circumstances, but that is not going to get anybody anywhere worthwhile, unless they’re extremely lucky!
I encourage you to look at where you are now, then to look back at where you have come from, and see the results for yourself. How do you feel about it? Saddened, satisfied, or celebrating a great result? Asking how you feel about it is very important, because our feelings drive so much of what we do. Drive comes from a Force which enables us to a) Accelerate, b) Overcome Resistance or c) Change our Direction, and one, two or even all three of these are constantly needed, if we really do want to achieve success in any area of our lives.
People overcome some incredible obstacles to gain their life successes, and we have just seen many great examples of this in the 2020 Paralympics in Japan. But what is it that enables us to do this? Well, this is where leadership comes in, not of others, but of ourselves. We can lead with self-renewal and bring about continuous improvement in our lives by working on 4 areas:
- Our Values
- Our Physical State
- Our Mental State
- Our Emotional State
You can be in charge of each of these areas of your life, and ensure that your activity, and hence your health, in each is always being optimised. These are key Leadership Success Habits. Don’t ignore your own needs, because you do have them, and they can always be improved.
I watched a great TV programme the other week featuring Chris Packham, famed for his work in the natural world and environment. He has been very successful, despite his autism. He was taking his audience on a 10 mile country walk, one his father had often taken him on, so it triggered all sorts of memories and reflections about the things Chris had done in his life to become the success that he is today. He reflected that, in order to be the person he is today, he has had to control his Temporal, Emotional and Physical States. Looking back on his life he had very much recognised the importance of his own state, which had to be in the right place for him to achieve any measure of success.
We are responsible for how we look after ourselves, and that can bring great benefits, whether in the long term of life, or in the short term of what we are engaged in today.
As you reflect, are you saddened, satisfied or celebrating your results? If you, or your organisation, needs people with great Leadership Success Habits, then don’t just wait to get lucky, do something to make it happen.
Paul Freeman
MANAGING DIRECTOR
[email protected]
