Are you striving to achieve success? What does it take to be successful?
Many qualities contribute to success and in this 3-part series I propose six that I believe are critical.
In the first post, we explored our levels of initiative and perseverance and answered the question: How well do I start and finish?
In the second post, we explored our perspective and passion and answered the question: How do I view what I do?
In this third and final post, we explore our last two keys to success and we will answer the question: Do I trust myself and others?
The next key is the characteristic most people score themselves lowest in… creativity. Do you trust yourself to be creative?
Key to Success #5 is Creativity.
Many people, especially adults, do not think they are creative. Have you ever considered how your opinion of your level of creativity affects how creative you are? Henry Ford put it this way: “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Do you agree?
Everyone is creative! You are creative! Charles Schultz said: “Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use!”
I like how Seth Godin puts it, “You don’t make art after you become an artist. You become an artist by ceaselessly making art.”
Consider that Albert Einstein, one of the smartest men to have lived, said this: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Reflection: Using the scale below, pause for a moment and reflect on the degree to which you consider yourself to be creative. Circle that number. Would you like to allow yourself to be more creative? Mark an X on that number.
If you struggle with creativity, list a few of the things you think block you from being creative. Consider both internal and external barriers to your creativity.
No matter how passionate or creative we are, we can only go so far on our own. Humans are social creatures that achieve greater success working with others.
Key to Success #6 is Teamwork.
It was President Kennedy who inspired us to reach the moon and said: “Americans will reach the moon by standing on each other’s shoulders.”
Helen Keller said: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Vince Lombardi said: “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work.”
Or H. E. Luccock: “No one can whistle a symphony, it takes an orchestra to play it.”
When teaching college students it was often a challenge to inspire them to work in teams after all of the negative experiences they’d had with group projects. You may struggle with teamwork as well; but would you agree that those who are good at teamwork are much more successful than those who are not?
Take a moment to assess your current ability to work effectively in teams.
Reflection: On the scale below, circle your current ability to work effectively in teams and mark with an X where you’d like it to be:
If you struggle with working in teams, list a few of the things you think keep you from working well with others or wanting to work with others.
Now it’s time to put it all together. Look back over all 3 blog posts. If you missed the first two posts, begin the series here.
Here are the 6 Keys to Success:
Initiative
Perseverance
Perspective
Passion
Creativity
Teamwork
Which one is easiest for you? Which one did you circle the highest “score” on its rating scale? If you had a tie, which one do you think is easiest? Now, which one is most challenging? It will be the one with the most distance between your current rating and your desired rating.
Now, determine one action step you could take to help you move toward your desired goal for your most challenging characteristic. We can all achieve success when we take the initiative to start, and when we persevere to the end, with a positive perspective, and plenty of passion, creativity, and teamwork.
“I have found the secret KEY to success... All I need to do now is... To find the DOOR...” ~ Nelson M. Lubao
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