Success - Have you caught the disease?

Success is a funny thing. Ask any two people what what they want to do to be successful and it will be different. However for most, it all relates back to money. Success is so much more than your w-2, it is accomplishing your goals and dreams. No matter if being successful to you is being a great Mom or curing cancer- you have to work at it. It starts with creating goals and in the end achieving them. Ask the question.. how can I be successful at ________, what does that term mean to me?

For me, success is something I have dreamt of since I was a little girl. Flipping through the pages of a womans work wear catalog and looking at all the suits, I knew I wanted to have a career and no matter what it was I decided to do as a career - I wanted to be successful at it. This meant I needed to find out what the term meant to me. Over the years my definition has changed slightly and my goals and dreams have evolved with it. I started my first bucket list when I was 18, and happily have have crossed off a number of things on my list. Sure some of them seem silly to me now - but it is important to me that the girl who once dreamed of success is happy. As adults we too often sacrifice success for "excuses".

When some are faced with the task of creating personal goals, they simply can not do it. Why is that? Because the idea frightens them that they could potentially fail. There are more people in the world scared of failure than there are people willing to follow their dreams. If your one of those people - surround yourself with people who will push you and encourage you. Otherwise your fear will paralyze you and I am sad to say it but - chances are when your 60 you will make excuses why you were never successful. At the end of the day they are simply that "excuses".

The great part about success it that it can be achieved at any point in your life - success doesn't discourage. So, there is no excuse for not starting your on your plan today! Even if your plan takes years to finally accomplish, it should be what you wake up thinning about and what you think about before bed. After all, no one else is going to make you successful - so it is up to you to want it.

My Dad always told me growing up that unless you want something - you will never have it. It is as simple as that. Sure you think about what your life could be like - but do you WANT it. You have to want it - and when you want it bad enough - you will get it. So if you don't want success you will never make it happen. The trick is turning your want into a forward momentum to actually achieving something (this is where most people get stuck).

Below are some tips for taking your want to actually achieving SUCCESS!

1. Believe in yourself - your dream, your abilities, and your success. If you believe in it - it can happen.

2. Be passionate - if your passion is involved you are all in and there is no turning back.

3. Live on the edge - do not get comfortable. If you hit a wall think of a new plan to get around it - there is always another way to reach the same goal.

4. Focus - make it a priority everyday. Make time for it! Were all busy - successful people just make the time for it, even when they are too tired.

5. Trust your gut - don't listen to what everyone else thinks you should do, if you think their wrong - it is OK to follow your heart.

6. Make failure not an option - Never give up, if you want it see yourself with it and you will eventually have it. It is your WANT that will push you to go forward!

If success is what you want - then my friend - there is no reason why it can not be yours. There is a reason why they call it a disease because when you really want it - it will consume you. Have you caught the disease? If not you might want to catch it - before your immune.

Thanks for reading I hope you catch the success disease - soon!

- Jessica Donnelly