“Don’t do nothing because you can’t do everything. Do something. Anything.”

~ Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

If you set goals at the start of this year and you’re feeling overwhelmed by them, don’t let that get in the way of success. Do something. Take one small step toward better.

The last thing you need is to let perfection or overwhelm halt your progress, especially since the year has only begun. You’ll rarely find enough time, energy or resources to get it done the way you’d like (or so it seems), so let success come in increments, and consider what it will take to really make it happen.

Last week I introduced my Success-Energy Equation, and the four cornerstones that make up my model. This week I want to dig a bit deeper with each cornerstone, and I’ll start by introducing the first three:

DIRECTION: “I know what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.”

First off, if you want true success it’s vital that you know what that looks like for you, because if you don’t know which direction you’re going, it’ll take a lot longer to get there. DIRECTION is your big-picture goal. What do you want for yourself personally and professionally? What is your vision? Why is it important to you?

When you can answer these questions with absolute clarity, and you can see the direction you need to take, the journey can begin.

DISCIPLINE: “I know how to do it.”

Of course, knowing isn’t enough. Once you’ve established your goal, you have to do the freakin’ work, and that requires DISCIPLINE. Without it, you’ll spin in circles, make slow progress, or no progress at all. Discipline requires good daily habits, the right skills for the work (or a willingness to learn them), focus, work ethic and a ‘no matter what’ mindset.

Discipline is about doing what you have to do, even when you don’t want to do it, because you know the efforts will bring success. Do an inventory of your habits. What are you doing well, what  should you add in, and what should you subtract from your daily habits? Push away any distractions that will rob you of the time and energy you need to get the job done. That’s not always easy or fun, but if you’re clear about the direction you want to go, you won’t get there without a lot of discipline.

Now you’d think that if you have a clear direction and a lot of discipline you’d be destined for success. I think that’s mostly true, but I believe it’s because the most successful people also possess high levels of self-esteem and self-worth, and a belief that they deserve and are capable of success.

MINDSET: “I know how to own it.”

The road to success can be a bumpy one. Any time you charge after a bigger goal, you will be met with challenges and disappointments. There will be times when you will question whether you can, or whether it’s worth it, or whether you deserve it (yes, fear of success is a real thing). Self-doubt is a success-killer, and that’s why a strong mindset is essential when you’re leaping outside that comfort zone. There’s two things you need to know if you want to strengthen mindset, and boost self-confidence.

The first is that our thoughts are powerful and they’re not always right. You may be operating with a mindset that is feeding you inaccurate information – about what you deserve, what you’re capable of, what’s actually possible (lots), or what other people will think (who cares). What does your inner-critic say when it talks to you? How is it holding you back from better? And, what would happen if you chose not to listen?

I’ll be talking more about taming that voice in future blogs, but until then, the second thing you need to know if you want to strengthen mindset, and boost self-confidence is that it takes a bit of practice. Begin by noticing that inner voice. When is its voice the loudest, what does it say? When it rubs you the wrong way, pay attention, pause and just breathe in silence for a few minutes. I call it a mini-meditation and it’s a simple way to tap into your intuition, to identify how you really feel, and to erase the negative thoughts and replace them with more powerful messaging.

There’s so much more to be said about mindset, so stay tuned. Until then, start thinking about your own direction, discipline and mindset. Are you clear about what you want out of work and life? If you aren’t, that’s step one. If you are, do you possess the discipline to do what it takes? Without it, your goal will remain a dream. And if you’ve got direction and discipline are you owning your worth at a level that will make an impact?

But wait, I mentioned four cornerstones of success! Well, the final cornerstone isn’t so much a cornerstone as a ‘charger plate’ that fuels your success-journey. And to my mind it’s the piece that is missing for many people. Even some who are already successful.

HEALTH: “I know how to fuel the journey.”

Health is often the first to go when we get busy, and it should be the last thing we hold on to. The Success-Energy Equation views health as a multiplier because good physical, mental and emotional health will not only give you stamina on the road to success, it will strengthen your capacity in the other three disciplines. It will make you better at work, and give you more energy for life. It will give you confidence, focus and determination in everything you do.

We’ll talk much more about that one in the weeks ahead.

DIRECTION, DISCIPLINE, MINDSET AND HEALTH. That’s Success-Energy, and we’ll keep exploring.

Until next time, I’m Michelle Cederberg helping you transform your work and life, one Success-Energy idea, at a time.