Destination: Success! Take the "4-D Express"

Everyone does not aspire to earn a million dollars a year or to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. To some, success is not measured in dollars or titles or promotions; but in time with their families, health and happiness, or in making a difference in the lives of others.

What does "success" mean to you? Does it mean making lots of money? Living in a big, beautiful home? Driving a fancy car? Wearing designer clothes? Or is success, to you, setting and reaching a goal that you never before thought possible? Staying at home with your kids? Or simply receiving recognition for a job well done? Before you can ever achieve success in your life, you must first know what it is that you want!

Once you create your own definition of success, you will need a plan to help you achieve it. The "4-D" approach provides a roadmap to achieving our goals. When we keep focused on these four simple principles, we can achieve success in every area of our lives: business, finances, health and well-being, and personal relationships.

1. DECISION

First, you must make the decision or set the goal. Ask yourself: What do I want? Where do I want to go or be, and in what timeframe? Where do I want to be in the next 30 days? In the next six months? These are decisions you must make before you can proceed.

Once you have made the decision, you’ll feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. You begin to feel empowered and energized! Commit to your decision by writing it down and placing it in places you will see. These visual reminders can be put on the refrigerator or on the bathroom mirror. When you see it, you believe it. When you believe it, you accomplish it!

Capture your excitement! Remember how you felt when you came home from a convention or seminar? You made decisions to accomplish things you had never done before! You believed in yourself; and you knew you had the power to do it! You were energized, excited and motivated! Then you came home. . . and the kids got sick, your car broke down and two shows cancelled. Your energy began to wane...your excitement began to wither...your goals began to disintegrate.

Take control! The next time you are in this excited state of mind, capture it. Make a verbal tape recording of your excitement and enthusiasm. Express on the tape what inspired you and why you believe you can accomplish these things. The next time life takes over and the negative forces begin to go to work on your psyche, plug yourself in! Listen to your innermost desires and dreams. Remember how you felt when you really believed you could do it. Hear the passion, and let your own voice re-energize you and help you refuel.

2. DESIRE

Once you’ve made the decision, things suddenly start to fall into place. The desire begins to build, and you become more excited, motivated and focused on your goal. The size of the goal determines its effect, so set a goal that you intensely desire. Then believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can achieve it. Paint yourself a picture. Visualize your goal as already accomplished. Replay that image over and over in your mind. Where will you be? What will you have? How will you feel when you get there? Goals are like magnets. The better defined the goal, the stronger the pull.

3. DETAILS

While making the decision provides the roadmap, the details become the vehicles to get you to your destination. The details are the little things, your daily list of things to do. Make healthy lists, comprised of no more than five tasks that can realistically be accomplished within a 24-hour timeframe. Don’t set yourself up for failure by listing tasks that are unrealistic and impossible to complete. Making healthy lists reinforces a positive sense of accomplishment.

Group your tasks. Whether you have calls to make, letters to write, e-mails to send, errands to run, children to car pool or a home to clean - do similar things all together. You will save time and be more productive. Before you leave your home, pause for a moment and ask yourself, "Where am I going? What am I going to do? What do I need to do it?"

Begin thinking in minutes, not in hours. It’s surprising what can be accomplished in 60 seconds. It’s ridiculous to put things off because you don’t have the time. Put a pen and notepad in your pocket for just one day. Tally the minutes you find yourself between tasks, i.e., waiting in line, sitting at the doctor’s office, etc. Discover how much time literally goes down the drain. Like pennies, minutes add up; and it’s up to you how you wish to invest them.

4. DESIRED RESULT

When you reach your goal, you enjoy the desired result. Have you ever heard someone proclaim, "My business is just snowballing. I’m really on a roll!" That’s what happens when the "4-D Approach" is followed.

Once the decision is made, the desire builds within you. You then follow through with the details, which gives you the desired result. You get more excited. More desire then builds within you, which causes you to take care of more details, which causes what? More desired results! This is what is called the snowball effect, or being "on a roll".

The only way you can stop "the roll" is to stop taking care of the details. It’s only when you get tired, cease making lists of things to do, cease being focused on the job or goal at hand, that you begin to lose the momentum it takes to achieve your goals.

It’s also important to remember that as we attain each short-term goal, we must have another to replace it. We’ve all had the experience of working toward a goal, contest or trip, and when we win or achieve it, we stop working. Without another short-term goal to work toward, it’s difficult to get back on track, and often we lose sight of our long-term professional and personal goals and get discouraged.

Goals are like tree roots. They need to be nourished to grow and flourish. Ask yourself: what deep roots am I setting down right now to make this holiday season the most rewarding and satisfying of my career?

Success is a journey, and the road is marked with many tempting parking spaces. Understand that no matter how perfect your plan may be, everyone who has tried to achieve great things has had failures. It won’t happen overnight. It takes many small steps to reach your goal. Small steps equal big results. Always keep your eye on the goal, not the obstacle, and it will pull you through the trying times.

Remember, you may not get everything you want, but you have to want everything you get!