Often, in our business of helping people to be more successful, we get so busy and end up multi-tasking so much that we can easily begin to feel that we are stuck in a rut on the roadmap of our lives. Most of us desire greater success and happiness, but, despite all the hard work, we haven't yet grabbed that "brass ring".

I have a framed quote hanging in my office that says: "Albert Schweitzer once wrote, 'Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."

Here are seven simple steps you can take today to achieve more happiness and success in your life:

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Identify your natural talents and abilities. Do what you enjoy and what you do best. Truly successful and happy people find joy in their working lives. Invest your time in what you do best. (Good advice for your clients too!)

DEVELOP A VISION. First define your path. Write down a vision for yourself and the rest of your working life. What is it that you wish to accomplish? What do you want your life to be like in five years? In 20 years? At what point do you wish to retire? Now that you have the vision, develop a plan of action to move you toward your vision. Plan the work and then work the plan. Try to be as specific as possible. Several wars ago and in a different millennium when I was a young Army Captain I knew another young Captain who told me with 100% certainty that he was going to be a three-star general. I laughed and he said, "Let me show you my game plan." He then placed on his desk an 18" long chart upon which he had plotted, by year, the key assignments he would need to qualify for early promotions. At the end of the chart was the 3-star rank! He was serious. As I plodded along in my military career I often heard about him and his accomplishments. He had become a military "super-star" and made it to his goal of 3-star general two years ahead of his schedule! Guess there must be something to planning your career.

DEVELOP GOOD HABITS. Happy and successful people develop good working habits and habits that support a good lifestyle which, in turn, supports your profession success. If you are watching too much television, are chronically late in completing clients' work, or have a poor diet (like I do,) make a commitment to change your bad habits into habits that are consistent with and supportive of your goals.

SHOW GRATITUDE. The happiest people are also the most grateful people. Make a list of all of the things for which you are grateful and read and update it at least once a week. Laura DeCarlo and CDI are on the top of my gratitude list for helping make our industry more professional and creating opportunities for me to succeed. Who will be on your list? Count your blessings frequently and you'll quickly start seeing a change in yourself and the world around you.

TAKE A CHANCE. Make and seize opportunities! Success and happiness do not come to those who sit on the couch and wait for them to be delivered on a silver platter.

GIVE TO OTHERS. The happiest people are also the most generous. Oprah Winfrey has grasped this concept and often talks of the big "Secret." She has even devoted several hours of her daily program to the big "secret." It really is no secret at all. In fact, we have known for decades that "what goes around comes around." Do, say, or give something nice to another and see how your own life improves!

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. You hold the key to your professional success and future. Take responsibility for your actions. Choose the work you like to do, and do it well. I often hear excuses from our clients regarding why they lost their last position. They can be very creative in shifting the responsibility for their failures to others. Yet, ultimately, we are the masters of our own destinies. You choose your own future by the decisions you make and the actions you take.
As Jean Luke Picard, Captain of the Starship Enterprise often said: "Make it so!"

LTC Donald B. Skipper, USA (Ret.) has been associated with the military to civilian transition process as a senior consultant for 22 years and is currently the CEO of Career Beginnings, Inc. He is a Credentialed Career Master, Certified Employment Interview Consultant, and Certified Electronic Career Coach. Don is an active member of the Professional Resume Writing and Research Association, the Association of Job Search Trainers, and the Career Master's Institute. You may visit with him at http://www.nofeartransitions.us

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Last update : 16-11-2007

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