Are you where you want to be in your life right now?

The chances are that you will say no, you aspire to be more successful than you are at present.

But why haven’t you reached where you wanted to be?

This is a tough question, and requires you to look inward and find the #girlboss in you.

It could be circumstances (like family), or a set of negative beliefs (“I’ll never get there in life”).

They are all excuses. None of them are valid.

Often, the biggest hurdle to your own success is YOU. Somewhere along the way, you lost that passion and spark. The real reason why you haven’t tasted as much success as you would like is because you accept your own reasons not to succeed.

The only way to get out of this vicious cycle is to take charge of your life, instead of waiting for success to happen to you.

It doesn’t. You make your own success.

Think of your life as a company, and yourself as its CEO.

Photo courtesy of huffingtonpost.com

How is your company (life) faring? If it hasn’t achieved its goals, in which areas is it failing?

When you consider the second question (make sure you have a list of goals written down first), you need to look at the various ‘departments’ that you would like to improve. These could be personal, like health, relationships, spirituality, religion or professional – career, finances, education.

As CEO, you know that no department is insignificant. Everything has a role that figures into the larger scheme of things.

But when it is underperforming, it could do with a bit or re-organisation.

Get rid of all the clutter

Photo courtesy of mindful.com

This involves NOT entertaining any negative thoughts whatsoever (“I’m so bad at numbers, I’ll never get this right”). But an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, so you need to ensure that there are positive thoughts to take place of what you have banished.

Place affirmations in your bathroom mirror, as the screensaver on your mobile phone, in your car, wherever you can see them and repeat them continuously to yourself.

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.” -Buddha                                                

Take one step at a time

It can be overwhelming when you have a barrage of things that need to be done, so much that the easy way is to not do anything at all. The right way is to do one thing at a time, and then move on to the next.

• Prioritise: Which of these absolutely need to be completed?
• Manage: How can I complete them in the limited time that I have? Which do I do first? And which one after that?

Review your schedule

Take a closer look at the way you do things at present.

Sometimes, things can be rearranged to give you more time for yourself; or you might be able to spot little breaks that afford the same thing.

Treat yourself as well as you do your partners

Your family does not have to suffer in any way just because you decided to focus on achieving your goals. This also involves asking for help. Sometimes, your kids won’t mind if you are not there to watch them at soccer practice (games are a different matter), as long you are there to pick them up at the end of the sessions.

Fire yourself up

Some people can do with seven hours of sleep. Some need eight. Whatever your body needs, sleep accordingly instead of waking yourself up with an alarm clock.

Eat right (this means cutting down on junk food and more of the healthy foods). Exercise – this actually releases endorphins and makes you more happy.

Make the right business moves

Photo courtesy of barbarapatchesblog.com

Join a networking group where you can be motivated by stories of those who have actually done it. They even share experiences of how they overcame challenges – you could apply the same to your life. Educate yourself by reading up articles online. Get a mentor to help you succeed.

Stay the course

You will fail. This is part of any business cycle, and life is no different. When you fall, you need to look at it as a learning experience, and move on, determined not to make the same mistake twice.

Three questions to ask yourself about your business

1. Will it help me attain my ‘performance’ targets?
2. Does it motivate you, inspiring you to get out of bed and do your best?
3. Could I do things in a better way?

Each of these questions puts you on the track to achieving your goals – and it could be sooner than you thought possible. Which is why you need to get started today.