Keys to success--Happy valentine's day

Are there secrets to success and if so what are the secrets? If so what are they? If you google secrets or keys to success you will receive over 44 million responses, yet many of these people may not successful. There is no one key to success, there are however, in  my mind steps one can take to be successful. The first step is to define what success means to you. Does success mean being rich? Does it mean being appreciated? Does it mean being accepted? Or does success have some other meaning for you?

Without the first step, all of the advice one receives cannot be used. Goal setting and understanding of what you want from life is vital to your quest for success.

Once you have defined success then you you may want to review what others see as the secrets of success.

1.  Passion is critical
Always be positive. Think Success, not Failure. Beware of a negative environment and ignore it.
This trait has to be one of the most important in the entire list. Your belief in yourself, you vision, and your faith that you can accomplish your goals has to be unwavering. Positive things happen to positive people.

2. Decide upon Your True Dreams and Goals: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them. Goals are those concrete, measurable stepping stones of achievement that track your progress towards your dreams. What are your goals?

3. Believe in your ability to accept a risk then take action. Goals are nothing without action. Taking action involves risk. Everyone who has succeeded and had to assess the risks and then have the courage to take the risk and live with the consequences (successful or not).Be like Nike and “Just do it”. Have you assessed the risks and taken action towards your goals?

4. Never Stop believing in yourself.  Becoming a life long learner would benefit us all and is something we should instill in our kids. It’s funny that once you’re out of school you realize how enjoyable learning can be. What have you learned today about life or about your passion?

5. Be Persistent and Work Hard: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up. I think every story of success I read entails long hard hours of work. There is no getting around this and there is no free lunch.  How long is enough? Ask the experts and they will tell you that it takes about 10 years to become good at something. It will take about 2 or 3 years for you to master 70% of the skills you need in your craft so it may take another 8 to 10 years to master the next 20% of your craft and the last 10 percent  will take you the rest of your life to master. But, if you’re working towards something that you’re passionate about, something you love – then is it really work?