Today, I come to the second in a series of blogs on the subject of success. As I mentioned in my previous post, success really is what you define it to be for me. You don’t need anyone to set that standard for you. No one has the right to decide for you what success means to you. You must own it, you must define it and take responsibility for its achievement. Usually the temptation is to define success in terms of money, but this view has its limitations. Take Mother Theresa or Nelson Mandela for example, neither of these could be said to have a lot of money, but they were very successful in their own rights.

In my over four decades of existence, I am made mistakes – too many to count I must admit. I once had an opportunity to meet with a senior executive who was quite influential in the organisation and within the few minutes I had with him, I failed to make an impression or pass across the message I would have loved to. I have taken some personal investment decisions without truly thinking through what I actually wanted and lost some money in the process. In my quest for success, I have also taken several wrong steps. In all these, I had goals I wanted to achieve, but failed to do so because I didn’t do certain things right. If you ask me today what was one of the most important lessons from these experiences, I would tell you without mincing words – I wasn’t clear in my mind on what I wanted! I have failed to get a dream job once, because someone talked me out of the opportunity. If I was clear on my goal, I would have gotten a better outcome. To learn more about how to set my clear, specific and results-oriented goals, I encourage you to take a look at <a id=”6PXlANVTd4Y&offerid=507388.62493&type=2&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.udemy.com%2Fcourse%2Fset-and-reach-any-goal%2F” ” href=”http://How To Do More, Faster – Set And Reach Any Goal You Wish
” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>How to do More, Faster – Set and Reach Any Goal You wish

” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>How to do More, Faster – Set and Reach Any Goal You wish

Today, I still see so many people making similar mistakes. I once had a church member who always accosted after church service to ask for a job. Our conversation would follow this pattern occasionally.

Him: Please help me, I need a job

Me: What type of job are you looking for?

Him: Any job will do as long as I get paid

One day he met me as usual after church and the same conversation ensued. This time, I had an answer. I told him “you said you wanted any job, right? Well there is an opening in my office for a particular position (name withheld). Would you be interested in this job? At this point he countenance changed. When I asked to know why he had such a sad look on his face, his response was that this wasn’t the type of job meant for me. So I took him back to our earlier conversations. It was then he got the message. Do you see yourself in the same situation? Can you clearly say this is what you want? If you were to take an inventory of every important part of your life – business, relationships, career, relationships, health, and so on, can you clearly say there is a crystal clear image of what you want? How clear is the picture? You might know how to get there, but it is critical you know what you want.

On your journey to success, knowing what you want is an essential kit in your success toolbox. Supposing you woke up this morning, got dressed, entered your car and drove off without any particular destination in mind, where would you end up? A simple word for knowing what you want is clarity. It is therefore important that before you set out on your journey towards your goal, you need clarity.

Why is clarity vital?

1. Clarity Creates Control: A man with a clear sense of purpose lives intentionally. There are certain places he would not go, some friendships he would not keep and certain things he would not do. A lack of clarity will produce chaos and frustration.
2. Clarity Brings Conviction: There is a certainty, assurance and confidence that comes with clarity of purpose.
3. Clarity Produces Results: People with clarity of purpose in their lives are result-oriented. They go for what they want. It is unimaginable the kind of result a man can produce when his purpose is clear. When you are clear about your goals, it is easier to find ways to achieve them.
4. Clarity Maximizes Potential: You don’t dissipate energy when your goal is clear. You are able to summon all your inner forces and resources and channel same towards the attainment of your goals.
5. Clarity Fast-tracks Answers: You get to your destination faster when you are clear in where you are going. You also get answers and resources faster when your purpose is clear.

In studying the lives of great men and women – Thomas Edison, Helen Keller, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa and numerous others, one thing stands out clearly: these men and women were very clear about their mission in life. I am better today than I was five years ago because I knew clearly which direction I was headed. I am still work-in-progress because I am not yet the best version of myself. Therefore I strive daily to become better, to learn, grow and improve in every aspect of my life. Think about this statement from Jim Rohn “Five years from now, you will arrive. The question is where?” A clear picture of where you want to be in 5 years time from today can help you arrive at a destination you will be proud of. So, I’d say don’t live your life by chance, live by choice, be intentional. You need to have a clear picture of the destination you want to go.

In life, we go the direction we face and we face the direction we have designed. The question then is “am I facing the right direction? What direction have I designed?” The good news is that humans are not trees, so if you feel you are on a wrong direction, you can stop and take a detour, right now. Yes, you can change direction. A lot of successful people did. I did. You can too. Why is it important to make sure you on the right track? This is why: direction determines destination. Your destination is not determined hope or wish, but by the direction you face. If you set out to go west and you are driving east, there is no way you can get to the same destination. Though you cannot change destination overnight, but you can change direction in an instant. I hope this helps you make that decision today. Start a new direction today.

You can literally start from the bottom and get to the top. You can start from nothing and get to a place of significance as long as you are clear on what you want and you are going in the right direction. There is magic in taking a new direction, whether its in your career or business. Suddenly there is a gradual acceleration of self-belief and a sense of purpose.