The 12 factors of Business Success: Discover, Develop, and Leverage Your Strengths

Chapter 3. Directed Action

If you are not happy with what you have now, or who you are in life, then the only one who can make a difference to your situation or life is you. A change could mean altering your outlook on life, your outlook on yourself, your priorities, or your activities. You have no one else to blame but yourself and only you have the power to change your life.

For the vast majority of people, what goes around comes around. You only get back in life what you are willing to put into it. If you are helpful, honest, and a good person, then you will get the same back in return, which can help you on your path to success, particularly in the workplace.

Change, by definition, requires movement. And movement is not inertia. It is action.

But action by itself will not create success. Directed action is a necessity for success. Directed actions that are part of a plan with contingencies are the ultimate cause of successful change.

Change is uncomfortable. So, you need to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Choose to be uncomfortable. Know that being uncomfortable is probably a very good sign that you are on the road to making something good happen.

Directed action is about focusing on the outcome you want and the process of getting there. This does not mean you should focus only on the positive and what it is you want to achieve and ignore the negative or what it is that you don't want to achieve. Only unsuccessful people visualize good things, and only good things, and then ...