Success is a choice- those having clarity and discipline achieve their goals

If you are to ask anyone- if they would like to be successful, then ofcourse they would say yes. In fact, if you are on our website reading this article, then you are definitely looking at upping your game and achieving your goals and ambition. 

The question that comes up is- what stops most people from achieving success? Is it merely a luck factor? Not really- as they say, fortune favors those who work hard. But then again- this is not working about working long hours or doing tedious, undesirable tasks… this is about working hard-strategically and with a definite purpose.
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Not many people have a clear sense of purpose for what it is they are doing, why they are doing it and what it is that they actually intend to achieve by their action.

Strategy is one of the most touted words in the work environment. Working SMART and using the 5-Ws principle is recommended, but few understand them, leave alone actually following those principles!! Also, many people think of SMART methodology with respect to managing projects, not conducting any and every activity… 

Remember that all the key activities that you perform make up your day and ultimately your life. So, conducting ‘strategically selected’ actions is crucial to leading a successful life.
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Ask yourself these five key questions about every major activity you do, and you will find a drastic improvement in your rate of success.

1. Why are you doing this? - i.e. what exactly do you intend to achieve/accomplish by doing this activity. If it is something tangible that you can actually measure, then even better.
2. How do you intend to conduct this activity? Do you have all the required tools and knowledge to complete it in minimal time and effort (most efficiently)? 
3. How does this activity fit into the bigger vision?
4. When will you consider this activity as ‘complete’. Define your success-criteria for this activity- i.e. when will you think of an activity as complete.
5. How will you celebrate your accomplishment?

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Question 5 does not seem important when deciding which activity to conduct, but you need to have as much clarity on how you will celebrate as you do about the activity itself. 

Always, take some time out to celebrate your accomplishment. Not- just when you do something big, but even your small achievements. This helps to enhance your enthusiasm and also makes you look forward to completing the activity that you have taken up…

Be clear about your reason for doing something and then enjoy the process- your actions and the results.

About the Author:

​Sandhya Bhat MSc, CSSMBB, CSSE has developed several new (under patent filing) and enhanced existing strategic methodologies to improve technology and human capital utilization, produce greater ROI on investments and streamline service delivery. She is an acclaimed author, speaker, a sought after thought leader and an avid world traveler.

​#strategicthinking #settinggoals #successcriteria #activityplanning #workingsmart