Success Comes From Within – and With the Help of Others

Thankfully, there are plenty of other people like you out there: People who know they are destined for more professionally, but just need that little boost to pull things together and get to the next level. Deciding to follow your calling is one of the most courageous things you can do with your life, but then being successful at it is a different thing.

Not only are there people like you, but there are people who have been successful, radiate positive energy and vibes and are exactly the kind of person you should want to strive to be like. These are the people to surround yourself with. These are the people who, instead of trying to hold you down at their level are going to lift you up to where they currently reside - physically, mentally and spiritually. 

You’re not going to believe how much easier it is to become successful, but to truly live the life you want when you’re being pushed forward, not pulled backward by the naysayers. 

There are three kinds of relationships you can have with other successful people that can help on your journey. 

Networking: These are your acquaintances, casual friends and those you’ve yet to meet. You don’t have to know this group well, but you should ask yourself how they can play a role in your success. What assets do they have that you can leverage and vice versa? Take as many opportunities as you can to grow your circle of acquaintances and friends. This does not mean every person has to know your life story. It just means that you never know when a relationship with someone will prove to be important. 

Mastermind: This is a group of people – usually 5-to-10 – you meet with on a regularly basis who have a similar goal as you. For instance, it could be a group of small business owners, or a group of people in your age group or gender who are all trying to climb the corporate ladder. These groups can easily be found online and are sometimes the best places to feel like you’re not the only person in the world trying to make something of yourself. 

Mentors: These are the teachers. They are the ones who have “made it” and can show you the ropes. Whatever your strategy or path to success, however you define it, they traveled a similar one and can warn you of potential hazards and provide valuable feedback. They’ll not only help you become the best you, but they’ll be an informed cheerleader, who can give you that wise nudge and that informed pat-on-the-back when you need it.

Tapping into your soft assets

YOUR most valuable assets are the soft ones. I call them soft assets because they aren’t tangible, like your bank account or anything you own, but they are more a combination of facets of your personality and speak to who you are at the core. 

When it comes down to making judgement on others, I believe these soft assets are often the areas that most people will remember. 

Are you someone who always keeps their word and is loyal? Do you always exceed your promises? Are you the first to arrive and the last to leave and do you always give 110% regardless of the task at hand? Almost as importantly, do other people see you doing this and respect you for it?  What conclusions do they draw about you?

These are a few of YOUR most valuable soft assets: 

YOUR Reputation YOUR Effort

YOUR Time YOUR Energy

YOUR Opinion YOUR Attention

It’s ironic, as we can only control these things to a degree yet I firmly believe it’s these soft assets upon how we are judged. These valuable assets are not to be given away in haste. Treat them like gold as they are worth so much more than most people understand.

When it’s Time to Leave That Job You Absolutely Love

You’ve got a great job – you actually love it – nice benefits, work with good people, but are still feeling this tug of unfulfillment. You know that it’s time for follow your calling. Enough with measuring risks or budgeting or simply second-guessing yourself. It’s time to stop following the script your parents or spouse or someone else in your family created for you. It’s time to blaze your own path!!

The security-driven side of you says not to listen to the voice that you’re not doing what you want to do, or that somebody else will take care of the situation. But, as you’ve known all along, you’re the person who listens to that voice inside of themselves.

I’ve known people who have left cushy jobs to open their own little shops, go back to school in hope of following a different career path or simply to travel the world. I also look at them and realize they are among the most content and fulfilled people I know.

Leaving what you know can be the scariest thing you’ve done in a long, long, long time. Leaving a world where you’ve established yourself as a professional and take pride in your work is tough.

Saying goodbye is tough. Gianpiero Petrigleri, an associate professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD wrote in the Harvard Business Review: “While you say your heartfelt goodbyes, remember that when you leave a beloved job, there is no need to pack light. Take all you can with you, lest you leave yourself behind.”

While you’re trying to figure out if you should leave your career, for whatever reason, consider the following:

Your History of Following Your Gut – Are you one of those people with good instincts or does everything you touch turn to mush? My guess is the former. What is the universe telling you to do? What feels right?

Expecting the Unexpected – Whether you’re considering leaving to care for an ailing parent or want to open a cupcake shop, your new life will be full of the unknown. Can you rise to the challenge without the security blanket of your corporate life?

Doing What’s Best for You – You get one chance at life and those with regrets seem the least happy in old age. Think about how you’ll feel about your decision to leave your job in 30 or 40 years. Will you look back and think it was a mistake or regardless of the outcome, will you be glad you took a different route?

Value-Added – Is what you’re planning to do next going to make the world a better place? You could knit socks, bake brownies, or coach corporate retreats – and I can make an argument you’re making the world a better place in all three instances. You’ll find that you’re going to go much farther if you feel good about what you bring to the world.

If it was easy to leave a job and live a life where you’re pursuing your calling – and your dreams – everybody would do it. Nobody was born wanting to be the Junior Vice President of Whatever for Whatever Corporation. Most of us just eventually find ourselves in a career and convince our minds it’s what we always wanted. It’s time to start being honest with yourself and start listening to that little voice inside of you that sounds like it’s begging for oxygen when it’s telling you to make a change. Always listen to that voice.