Don't delay Just do it!
Published:Sunday | December 26, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Glenford Smith, Career Writer
I always chuckle whenever I hear someone say, 'how time flies when you're having fun'! Are you curious to know why? Well, read on to find out.
Let me assure you first of all that I understand perfectly what the person means, okay. The stark reality, however, is that time stands still for no one - it marches on relentlessly whether you're having fun or not.
With this inescapable truth in mind at the end of another year, we should ask ourselves one question: Did I achieve all the career goals I set for myself in 2010?
If no, we need to discover why. Did you do everything possible to land the job you desired or did you allow self-doubt, fear, and frustration to cause you to quit the job search?
Did you delay on starting your own business because you allowed others to convince you that you didn't have what it will take? Are you among those who let another year slide by while you were thinking of returning to school to get better qualified for your ideal career? Did you fail to make and save as much money as you planned to this year?
Simple truth
Well, if you procrastinated on your important goals, desires and dreams during this year, then you would have realised a simple truth.
It is that thinking about, dreaming, planning, or telling others what you intend to do will not make you succeed. Without taking determined, persistent and passionate action on your goals, nothing happens. Here's how to begin.
Let go of the past. Don't dwell on what you didn't achieve this year. The only way to change your past is to focus on what you do in the present. Regrets, hopelessness and feelings of despair will result from dwelling on past failures.
Decide on what you really want. Clarify what kind of jobs will suit you best. Set a goal to enter a specific college or university to gain a particular kind of degree in the field you're most excited about. Determine your sales target, salary level or the position you'll qualify for in your company next year. You can't hit a target you can't see.
Create a plan. Work out the steps you will need to take to achieve the goals you've decided upon. A failure to plan is a major indication that you're not really serious about success. It is true that, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
Ask for help. No one succeeds by himself or herself. Talk to other people who have already succeeded at what you're aspiring to. Ask for their advice and support.
Take action now. If there's a goal you really want to achieve, don't wait. Do what you can with what you have, right where you are, right now.
The difference in results between people who are in the same situation comes down to the actions they take.
If you fail, just try again with a new strategy. Remember: Time waits on no one.
Don't delay; just do it.
Glenford Smith is a motivational speaker and personal-achievement strategist.