As I speak to different groups, I hear what makes a difference in people’s lives—how one conversation, one sentence, one meeting, one phone call, one radio program can put an idea in someone’s head that sticks there and won’t leave until action is taken, and things become different.
There is great power in one, single day. We do not always know which day it will be. Recently, at a speech I was delivering, a woman named Susan said that a few years back, her manager told her to do some writing for the business. After having gotten “Ds” all through college in writing, this request caused her to fear for her job. Instead of letting her fear and feelings of inadequacy win, she took action and signed up for a nonfiction writing class at her community college. After only the first meeting of the class, she went back to work and wrote a case study for her employer that ended up running in the Harvard Business Review. Today, Susan is a sought-after business writer.
That one day that she decided to go to class was the day she set her professional life on a new course, even though she did not know it at the time. Your willingness to believe you can figure out how to do whatever it is you need to and get the result you want is a powerful part of success. It puts you on the path of living a full life, having a rewarding career and giving yourself unexpected adventures.
To add more power to your life and job every day, consider the following:
Put Attention on Pumping Up Your Belief in Yourself
I see over and over that people who enjoy huge success and do what other people only dream of are the people who truly and deeply believe in themselves. J.K. Rowling, who wrote the astronomically successful Harry Potter® books, which have been on the bestseller lists for more weeks than any other books ever, believed she was a writer even though she had never been published. Edison knew he would figure out how to create what became the lightbulb, despite thousands of failed experiments. Michelangelo knew he could create a statue of David from that huge block of marble.
What are some beliefs that might be interfering with you moving forward?
- Do you want recognition for a job well done while believing you do not deserve it?
- Do you think you are creative, yet believe you could never land a job as a graphic artist?
- Do you want a promotion to another division and, at the same time, doubt you can get it?
Take some time to pump up your belief in yourself and watch your whole life expand.
Start Appreciating What You Do
Sometimes, we are so busy with business, we do not take time to tell ourselves, “Job well done! Congratulations!” How? Keep a “Success Storehouse.”
Your “Success Storehouse” can be a beautiful box, journal or notebook. It can be a list of all your achievements to date, congratulatory memos and emails from your manager or customers, a place to keep certificates and other awards, or all of the above!
Update your “Success Storehouse” regularly and refer to it when your performance review comes around.
Say Yes to Any Opportunity Coming from the Right Direction
Be open to all the possibilities that come your way. Opportunities lead to other opportunities. You never know where a “yes” will take you. A “yes” to a networking event could lead to new clients or a mentor.
Do not wait for opportunities to come to you—go out and get them. Offer to serve on teams that will give you visibility, ask if you can represent your department at meetings, volunteer to teach a class on something you are good at, such as writing or managing a database.
Remember, you need to meet your job responsibilities each day, so do not take on too much. You want to be noticed in a positive way!
Employ the Power of Exploration
Make it a weekly practice to do something new, even unusual, simply for the freshness and uniqueness of it.
Take a walk around your own block and notice what is new. Instead of going the same café for lunch, try the Ethiopian restaurant that just opened. Stop driving home on the same old route; take a detour and discover something new.
New experiences polish your perspective, offer new frames of reference and metaphors for living, provide fun and can make a significant contribution to your well-being.
Make a list of the things you have never done that you would like to do. On your list put artistic activities, like throwing ceramics and making a necklace. Include mental activities on your list, like going to a lecture on astronomy or playing chess. Do not forget physical activities, like indoor rock climbing or taking a Pilates class. Add some things that feed your spiritual self, like going to a different congregation or taking a meditation class. Every week, pick an activity and do it. Your world will get bigger, your mind will be broader, and your soul will be fuller.
One day may not make much impact; 300 days can turn your life and career around. The key is to take that first, small step on one day, then another and another. Occasionally, things will not work out; setbacks will happen. If you take a stumble, right yourself, see where you are and take the next step the next day.
I am sure that as you have read this article, you have begun to see how you can add tremendous power to your life in just one day. Even if you are not sure if something you do will result in a significant push in the right direction, I encourage you to do it anyway and watch what happens. Action makes the difference—take powerful action now.