20 Action Steps Towards Success

1. Read books every day

Reading is a mental exercise for your mind, and it is the one thing most successful people say they do regularly. Having a teachable heart and a desire to learn will accelerate personal growth. You can read a book from an author who most likely took ten-plus years to master a subject, and you can absorb all that wisdom in just a few short hours. Leaders are readers, and there is a reason reading almost always tops the list of things successful people do. So could you pick up a book and read it? Create a daily habit of reading, and you will be amazed at how much you will grow in the next five years. I have built a reading habit and enjoy that discipline in my life.

2. Write down your goals with a target completion date

Written plans tend to get accomplished more than goals that are not. There is accountability in writing goals down on paper and a tendency to follow through. I write a to-do list every morning that includes tasks that will achieve my goal. When I accomplish a job, I mark it down as completed, and I immediately feel a sense of accomplishment. I write another list in the evening as I reflect on what I have done vs. what I still need to work on tomorrow.

Including the completion date is critical because it adds accountability and helps prioritize the next steps. Put the due date in your calendar and hold yourself accountable. It will feel good to accomplish the goal on time!

3. Get counsel from people with wisdom

If you know people who have “been there, done that,” I suggest you invite them to have coffee with you. Buy them lunch or dinner and do whatever it takes to get their counsel. The very best athletes in the world have a coach for a reason. We all need someone with experience to look at us and help us do better. This person could educate, mentor, or be an encouragement. The point is we should not try to do anything alone. Counsel will help us avoid mistakes and help us evaluate the mistakes we do make. There is nothing better than having a wise person invest their time to help.

4. Maintain a positive attitude

The difference between two people with similar skill sets is their attitude. The ones with a positive attitude will set themselves apart. A positive attitude makes everything and everyone better regardless of circumstances. Give me a challenging event with someone with a positive attitude, and we will overcome it. Life is just better with a positive attitude. Your chances of success go way up because your attitude determines your altitude. Be positive and hang out with those that are positive. Encourage those that struggle to be positive and help them along the way.

5. Keep a calendar and schedule everything

Whatever gets into your calendar will probably get accomplished. This calendar, of course, is accurate if you keep and follow a calendar. If you do not currently use a calendar, I suggest you start today. Success is scheduled and does not happen by accident. I also encourage you to take control of your calendar and not let others capture your time. Yes, the boss will tell you what to do, but that person does not control every moment of your life. Take the moments that are yours and manage YOUR time.

6. Give and serve others

Give someone in need $5, and you will feel like a million bucks. Give someone your time, and you will build a relationship. Serve someone without any expectations, and you will be glad you did. Keep doing that long enough, and you will create a life of significance. Significance is better than success! This idea may not make sense, and you may not believe me, but I am telling you it is better to give than receive. It is part of my definition of success.

7. Focus on healthy eating and exercise

I am not good at this. I work too much at my desk and do not move enough throughout the day. I eat healthy food, but there are moments when I eat unhealthy food. I am not consistent in this area, and I need to be. Success is being healthy enough to enjoy success. I am not going to give advice here, but I am just going to acknowledge that it is essential. When I do the right things, I feel more energy which supports more productivity in my life. We need to Just Do It and make it a priority.

8. Learn a new skill and continue learning

I am reading a John Maxwell book called “Sometimes You Win, Sometimes you Learn”. Humility is the spirit of learning. Reality is the foundation of knowledge, and improvement is the focus of education. These are just a few of the principles shared in this book, and it reminds me of the importance of education. When we win, we learn, and when we lose, we know even more if we take the time to evaluate the experience. Learn a new skill with a teachable heart, and you will move towards success every time.

9. Get enough sleep

8-9 hours is the recommended amount of sleep we should get every night. Think of it as renewal and having a fully charged battery to start your day. There is so much healing and refreshment in your body when you sleep, and it takes time to get the job done right. It sounds counterintuitive, but to be more productive, you need to get more sleep! Take a nap right now.

10. Learn to relieve stress with relaxing activities

You get to define a relaxing activity for yourself. You may like to scroll Instagram on a comfy couch, and I may want to take a walk in the park. The point is to find something you enjoy and relax while you do it. Relaxing is a proven stress reliever and is essential for your overall health. Reducing stress moves you towards success because it sustains your mental and physical health and allows you to move ahead. Calm down, so you don’t break down is the idea here. Plus, it is enjoyable, which is also part of my definition of success. Stop and smell the roses if that is relaxing to you.

11. Tackle problems head-on and do not procrastinate

Procrastination is a real problem for many, including me! I struggle at times, so I go back to the basics of keeping a to-do list and filling every moment up in my calendar. Every minute has something scheduled for me to do, and I try to follow it. I tackle big problems in the morning when I am fresh, and all of the “must do” stuff gets priority in my calendar. If I get stuck on a project, I will put it aside and immediately work on something else to keep me going. I try not to stall to a stop, if you know what I mean. We all have our moments, and none of us are perfect, so the goal is to eliminate procrastination as much as possible. Again I say Just Do It.

12. Be part of a team that pursues excellence

You become what/who you hang around. If you want to soar with the eagles, do not hang out with turkeys. If you want to avoid the monkey business, don’t hang out with chimps. You get the idea. The power of association is mighty. Believe in others more than they believe in themselves, and they will sometimes do the same for you. If you want to do better at something, hang out with people that do that thing better. Being part of a winning team with a winning mindset is powerful. Pursue excellence with excellent people.

13. Maintain a sense of humor

Life is funny, and so are some of my friends. They make life more enjoyable with their sense of humor. I laugh at myself and do not take myself too seriously. Have joy and allow the fun to be part of your success journey. Spirit goes back to attitude and perspective. Unless you are a brain surgeon, don’t make what you do brain surgery. Have fun and maintain your sense of humor.

14. Work on having good relationships

We are not to do life alone, and we need relationships in every area of our lives. Spend time with your family and friends and build solid relationships by investing time with them. Get to know your associates and business partners. Add value to people and serve them. They will not always remember what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Invest in people and enjoy the return on investment. Yes, relationships get messy and sometimes cause heartache, but they are worthwhile! Success is not under a rock, so get out there and engage with other human beings. Be quick to forgive and ask for forgiveness when necessary. Do the right thing and enjoy building stronger relationships.

15. Develop a strong work ethic

When I drop my daughters off for work, I tell them to be the hardest workers in the room. They smirk, smile, and say, “sure, Dad.” Showing up is a big part of success. Consistency is a big part of success. Hard work is a big part of success. Regardless of your position, you can lead by example in this area. I feel good when I lay my head on the pillow, exhausted, knowing I did everything I could that day to succeed. Sure we all have lazy moments, and yes, I recommended sleep and relaxing activities earlier. I also suggest adding hard work to the mix and developing a solid work ethic. Lazy, inconsistent people do not reach their potential.

16. Exercise patience

Exercise patience on the freeway and in line at the store. Be patient with your children and spouse. Do not snap at your employees and certainly not at your boss! Take a deep breath and learn to be patient. Patience is another area I need to work on, and it takes effort to be patient. The microwave mentality has cooked my brain, and I want everything now! I don’t want to wait to be seated, and I do not wait for the internet to reconnect. I do not want to sit in traffic, and I do not want to wait until 3 pm to check into a hotel. I want it now, and patience is not on my to-do list. I need to work on #16 on this list. I cannot wait to get better at this. (see what I did there?)

17. Do what you enjoy and get good at it

If you enjoy cooking and get good at it, you could probably open a restaurant and do pretty well. Of course, it is not that simple if you do not enjoy the business end of it. However, doing what you want is the foundation of a great opportunity, especially if you are willing to get the help you need. Learning things we want makes it easier to pursue excellence in that area. I would venture to say that it also ties into your giftedness and aligns with your values. If you enjoy it, are great at it, and find it valuable, then you are on track for success and eventually significance.

18. Be flexible and embrace change

Change is the scariest thing we do and the most significant opportunity! Embrace change because it will happen. Plans change, circumstances change, people change, and you need to be ready to pivot. Pivot is the hip new term for being flexible. You can initiate change or react to change, but one thing is for sure, change will happen. Get ready and embrace it. Change is the adventurous part of life and keeps things exciting. Focusing on 20 action steps for success prepares you for change. You can do this.

19. Think things through and then follow through

Take the time to think, and then take the time to follow through. Thinking about it has little value if you don’t do something about it afterward. You should follow everything learned with the application. Why learn something if you are not going to do something? Be thoughtful and make intelligent decisions. Then be action-oriented and go follow through on that decision. You will be glad you did because it gets you closer to success.

20. Be humble and pray for help

I mentioned earlier that humility is the spirit of learning because the learner realizes that they do not know everything. Humility encourages gratefulness for the information and the teacher. I cannot give what I do not have, so it is easy to be thankful when I get something I can use to succeed. Praying for help expresses faith, trust, hope & humility.

Gradually build this list into daily habits. You will be amazed at what you will accomplish in the next five years if you stay consistent and never give up. Growth is a journey and not a destination, so keep at it and enjoy the ride.

To Your Success.