Happy New Year Everyone!
It’s hard to believe that the New Year is well underway. We’ve already packed away the Christmas decorations, dusted off the holiday cheer and are slowly getting back into the swing of our daily lives and routines.
While we are just getting started on our prosperity plans for 2017, the Chinese calendar year for 2016 is coming to a close. The Chinese New Year does not officially begin until January 28, and is the year of the (Fire) Rooster. The Rooster symbolizes the dawn and awakening, where triumph and success can only be achieved at the price of hard work and patience.
“The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.”
This coming Saturday, January 7th, my mother will be celebrating her 103rd birthday with the Angels. I mention this because Mom was a wonderful example of what hard work and sacrifice is all about. Mom was adopted at an early age and grew up in the Depression era. Growing up she had to overcome extraordinary obstacles, including dropping out of school after the 9th grade, to help her adopted family out financially and “earn her keep” in order to survive.
Now we all know that success requires hard work and sacrifice, but what else? What is the key to success?
Well, before I share this “silver bullet” with you (which by the way you already know), let me tell you what it is not. The key to success is not …
- Focus Education Happiness
- Preparation Perseverance Leadership
- Planning Action Culture
- Hard Work Execution Failure
- Commitment Knowledge Change
- Consistency Teamwork Confidence
Although each one of the above may be important in determining how successful we will be, none are the real key to success. Why? No one really knows which of these factors will play a role in an individual’s success, because it is different for everyone.
However, there is one item missing from the list that is the universal key to success for each one of us. The real key to success at anything is … wait for it (drum roll please) … RESULTS!!! We all know this, but results often gets left out of the conversation when we talk about the key to success. However, the bottom-line is this, without results nothing else matters. So, let’s stop chasing rainbows and unicorns and focus the narrative on our ability to deliver outstanding results as the benchmark for our triumph and success.
“Find your happy place and make it your permanent residence.”
My best advice for the New Year, if you are not happy with your current situation, and not achieving the results and success you had hoped for, then change it. Life is much too short to not enjoy each and every moment. Remember, you are solely responsible for your happiness and your success, no one else. So, make the most of it!
Wishing you happiness, triumph, success and outstanding results in 2017 and beyond.
Enjoy the journey!
John
COPYRIGHT © 2017 John Carroll