Gerry Thompson, author of Inspirational Gamechangers from Financial Times Publishing, and director of Positive Comedy Learning & Development.
Inspirational Gamechangers
1) Work out what's most important to you in life and in what you want to achieve. Have a clear vision of the thing or things you want to be successful in achieving. Hold onto this vision, especially when things become difficult as they inevitably will if you are planning to achieve anything substantial. Adjust your vision and goals as and when they need to be adjusted, as you move forward and learn more about what is involved.
2) Commit. Be prepared to work hard at what you want to be successful at. Great ideas or talent are certainly not enough; many people with very little talent have been hugely successful.
3) Be persistent and don't give up on your quest to be successful and to achieve your objectives - but not at the expense of having a life. It's relatively easy to start something, but much harder to keep on working at it through all the stages until completion. Being able to persist and overcome problems and challenges along the way is the most commonly occurring difference between those who achieve their goals and those who fail.
4) Be flexible and adaptable. If things aren't working, change your strategy - but not your vision, principles, ethical stance or core priorities. Learn from your mistakes; remember that there are very few total mistakes - most of them are learning opportunities.
5) Keep on learning. Develop your capabilities, and keep self-developing all your life. Honestly recognise your strengths and work on your weaknesses. If there are areas of ability which are essential to your desired area of success or achievement and which will never be part of your skillset, enrol others to help you in these areas.
6) Believe in yourself and your ability to be successful. Examine your habitual ways of thinking about yourself. Challenge any habitual negative thoughts about your own ability if they are not grounded in realistic self-assessment; replace them with more accurate, more positive thoughts. Accept praise and appreciation from others if it is relevant and valid.
7) Keep an eye open for opportunities that may further your purposes, and seize them boldly. See the positive potential even in situations that may at first seem unwelcome.
8) Engage with other people in pursuit of your success. Tell people what you're doing and enrol those who are genuinely in support of it. Listen to people who can help you do better. Associate with successful people; learn from them, notice how they do things, and pick up their best habits if these integrate well with the kind of person you are.
9) What goes around comes around. Support other people in being successful. Be altruistic as well as self-motivated. Treat people well. Build alliances that can be mutually beneficial.
10) Be yourself. Follow your dream. Be daring. Overcome your fear. Don't risk finding yourself on your deathbed thinking, "OMG, I completely forgot to write my best-selling epic novel set among an obscure cult of basket weavers in twelfth century Japan".
For further information, see www.positivecomedy.com and www.FTGamechangers.com
Inspirational Gamechangers by Gerry Thompson and David W. Mellor (Pearson) is available in paperback, priced at £14.99. For more information visit www.ftgamechangers.com.