Editor’s note: This article was first published in October 2015; Lolly Daskal’s title as president and CEO of Lead From Within is as of 2015.
When life gives you the chance to choose, you should try to make the decisions today that you will be grateful for tomorrow. That way, when you look back in the future, you’ll be able to say proudly: “I chose well.”
A better future isn’t built by chance or luck. So start today by making decisions and resolutions that will not only serve you in the short term, but will also help you become the person you would like to be.
Lolly Daskal, president and CEO of Lead From Within, has put together these 10 choices you can make today that will help you succeed in the future.
1. Believe in yourself
There are times in life when nobody believes in you. People tell you that you don’t have the experience to start a business, the skills to be a boss or the right temperament for leadership. But do everything in your power to prove them wrong. Recognise your abilities and your strengths, and work hard to achieve what you want.
2. Be grateful for what you have now
Sometimes we focus so much on what we don’t have that we fail to see, appreciate and use what we do have. There are many people who would love to have what you have right now. Be grateful for what you have and you will end up having more; focus on what you lack and you will never have enough.
3. Live in the moment
When times get tough you have two options: let adversity destroy you, or let it make you stronger. The choice is yours. Even the most successful people have had some failures. Learn from your mistakes so they can serve as experience in the future. Don’t let your failures define you. Use them to make yourself even better.
4. Be a person of integrity
Success comes and goes, but integrity is forever. Live in such a way that if anyone ever speaks badly of you, nobody will believe them. Never leave room for an action or a thought that isn’t grounded in your personal values.
5. Let go of what holds you back and embrace what lies ahead
There is a time to hold on to things and a time to let them go. The most successful people let go of what was, accept what is and have faith in what will be. And we’re not talking about faith in some god or in the universe. We’re talking about faith in yourself and in your ability to make it happen.
6. Control what you can every day
Don’t worry about the past, the future or what someone else is doing. Focus on what you can control right now, above all your own attitude and actions.
7. Make time today for what matters
The best gift you can give yourself is to get your priorities in order. It’s not about when, but how. Your priorities show up in every action you take each day, so make sure you stay focused on what matters most. Remember that most of our time is spent on unproductive things, and we devote only a small percentage of it to what is really worthwhile for the future.
8. Learn from others today
Learn from as many people as you can. Some will change your whole world if you listen, and others can help you sharpen your knowledge and your spirit. Trust them and learn all you can.
9. Today’s choices shape our future
It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past; what matters is what you choose from now on. Successful people don’t look back, except to learn, grow and make amends if necessary. Once that’s done, they focus on choosing what really matters and pursue it passionately.
10. Assess your own worth
Some people are incapable of seeing someone else’s worth. The moment you feel you have to prove your worth to someone is the moment to walk away from that person. Never try to be someone you’re not just to please someone else, and don’t stay around people who are negative, who don’t know your worth or who don’t understand what you have to offer. Never settle for less than you deserve.
When you look back in the future, you should be able to say: “I was always true to myself. I always believed in myself, I never wasted time trying to be someone I’m not, I embraced everything I had to offer, and today I’m worthy of the success I’ve achieved.”
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