Work AT Success in 4 Steps
Pamela Slim, in Escape From Cubicle Nation likens being in the wrong job or profession to wearing an ill-fitting shoe. The shoe may look great, but it causes great pain when you wear it.
According to Pamela Slim, "for some people the message to quit doing what they’re doing comes to their bodies". Symptoms include:
Extreme fatigue and lethargy. One day, it feels impossible to get out of bed even on a weekend energy levels are extremely low, and it is often all you can do to make it to work and back.
Health problems. If fatigue is not addressed it often turns into an illness like bronchitis and pneumonia, etc. Heart problems, high blood pressure, and stroke can all be the result of stress.
Uncharacteristic emotional outbursts. Emotions can range from sappy tears while watching a television commercial to the, lashing anger at a spouse or child that is totally out of proportion to the interaction.
Depression. Staying in a non-healthy situation for a long period of time can use the emotional reactions from slide blues to clinical depression.
So, if you are going to change shoes, what do you do? Here are some ideas:
1.Work AT gaining wisdom. True wisdom is nothing more than understanding how the world works, knowing how and why people behave the way they do, how situations develop: and with that knowledge in mind, understanding the most appropriate way to live. Wisdom is applying mental and emotional intelligence to the study of life.
Watch and learn from people you admire.
Read good books/listen to podcasts – learn from those who are succeeding in life!
Reflect on both positive and negative patterns and situations that reoccur in your life.
Take action. Use what you have learned.
2.Work AT building up your body. Research shows that no area of your life has as much positive impact on all the other areas as when you invest in your physical health. Nourish your body with good food, stay hydrated (no matter what else you drink – drink LOTS of water), get enough rest (that 20 minute power nap does work).
Some simple ideas:
Eat whole foods
Walk a little.
Even better try to get in 20 minutes of exercise daily.
3. Work AT building relationships. Too often we invest in our professional careers or business endeavors, often at the expense of developing meaningful relationships. To be successful in any field you need strong relationships (family and friends) to keep you committed to that purpose.
Purposely set aside time on your calendar for family and friends.
Open up to chance encounters and unexpected social opportunities.
Develop a few key relationships (hard for most men, but important).
4. Work AT some spiritual exercise. The benefits of activities like meditation, prayer, and being still are documented and well-proven. These practices often ‘restore’ the soul and open you up to connect with a deeper sense of purpose in life.
Some simple ideas:
Sit in silence or practice ‘visualization’
Read scripture and other inspirational material
Meditate/Pray
For years leaders such as Brian Tracy, Ziz Ziglar and others have taught goal setting, and as they do they always mention some form of one thing Zigler called the wheel of life. The wheel has spoke to represent each area of our lives and for our lives to be successful as a whole we must address each area. The spokes of goal setting are:
Career
Financial
Spiritual
Physical
Intellectual
Family
Social
You may be good in some of these areas, not so good in others. A broken spoke makes a wheel out of balance, and it takes a lot more effort to move it. The same is true of life; out of balance, it’s hard to make progress.
