Of course, everybody wants to get to heaven, but nobody wants to die!
I’m tired of hearing “If only I can”, “I wish I could”, and ” Only if I can”!
At the end of this week, most businesses are winding down. 2015 is closer than you can imagine. If you still need to prepare for the new year, you’ve almost missed the boat, just about!
What I referred to at the beginning is the thief of success and growth for many professionals and potential leaders. So I felt I should share a simple prescription for greater heights in 2015 and beyond from Steve R Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:
- Be Proactive– Take initiative in life by realising that your decisions (and how they align with life’s principles) are the primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life. Take responsibility for your choices and the consequences that follow.
- Begin with the end in mind – Self-discover and clarify your essential character values and life goals. Then, envision the ideal characteristics for each of your various roles and relationships in life.
- But the first thing – a manager must manage his person. And managers should implement activities that aim to reach the second habit. Covey says rule two is the mental creation; rule three is the physical creation.
- Think Win–Win – Genuine feelings for mutually beneficial solutions or agreements in your relationships. Value and respect people by understanding a “win” for all is ultimately a better long-term resolution than if only one person in the situation had gotten his way.
- Seek first to understand – then to be understood – Use empathic listening to be genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to be influenced by you. This creates an atmosphere of caring and positive problem-solving.
- Synergise -Combine people’s strengths through positive teamwork to achieve goals that no one could have done alone.
- Sharpen the saw – Balance and renew your resources, energy, and health to create a sustainable, long-term, practical lifestyle. It primarily emphasises exercise for physical renewal, prayer (meditation, yoga, etc.) and good reading for mental renewal. It also mentions service to society for spiritual renewal.
It will always take work to move ahead, and it is always challenging to succeed. In an article from Huffington Post, some of our most admired entrepreneurs and celebrities failed woefully and overcame adversity. Examples are:
- Bill Gates’ first business failed
- Jim Carrey used to be homeless
- Richard Branson is dyslexic
- Oprah Winfrey gave birth at 14 and lost her baby
- Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before creating the light bulb
Show me anyone who has succeeded, and I will confirm that the person has never tried.
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world is not all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place, and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody will be hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you’re hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit and not point fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that, and that ain’t you. You’re better than that”! – Rocky Balboa
Standing out, succeeding and leading your peers in 2015 and beyond will not come on a plate. There are many frightening thoughts, hangovers from the past and real fears about heading out, expanding or going into the next level of growth.
I will tell you that you should not let anything hold you down. So, if you’ve not done it, plan, use the 7 habits above, get inspiration from famous names who’ve been where you are, contact a coach, mentor or adviser and keep your focus.
Beyond all, I wish you success and greater heights in 2015. Just Do It!
You may get in touch directly via [email protected] or call me on +44 203 097 1718 to confirm how I may offer my service to help you.
Published on 2014-12-17 10:27
