Authentic Success

Top Ten Gifts to Yourself to Put You on the Road to Authentic Success
by Astrid Baumgardner

Life is a journey and if you can immerse yourself in the process without worrying about the end results, you will know what it is like to live in the moment. There are no mistakes on this journey to success since everything presents an opportunity to learn and grow. If you have been searching for success and are not sure where to begin, here are my top ten tips for attaining authentic success.

1. Put your life in balance.

Life balance is a matter of knowing what is important to you in your life and taking actions so that you are living those important areas in a meaningful way. Look at the attached Wheel of Life. It shows 8 key areas of one's life. Feel free to change it by adding new areas and eliminating the things that do not resonate for you. Then, rate each area in terms of its importance to you using a scale of 1-10 (1 means "not important" and 10 means "vitally important"). After that, rate how well you are living each of these areas. What do you see? How well is your life in balance? If there is a discrepancy of 2 or more points in an area that is important to you, what can you do to close the gap? Keep reading for some ideas on how to do that!

2. Live your core values.

Values are the core principles that govern your life and are the essence of who you are. Once you know your values and begin to make decisions that honor those values, you will experience the power of living in accordance with your own authentic choices. A powerful way to align with your values is to see how they relate to the areas that you found to be vitally important on your Wheel of Life. The more your values are tied to your goals, the more inspiring your goals will be and the more motivated you will be to pursue those goals.

3. Tap into your passions.

Imagine jumping out of bed every day and pursuing the thing that you love best. Even if you cannot do this full time, find ways to incorporate passion into all aspects of your life, whether it is your career, your relationships, your activities and your fun time. How do you discover your passions? Think about the things that you loved doing as a child. Imagine what you would do if you had 5 lifetimes. Consider what you would do if time or money were not an object. Those should give you some clues as to what you love. Now, how can you start living those passions?

4. Play to your favorite strengths.

We all have things that we are naturally good at. Find ways to use your natural strengths in whatever you do. And better yet, chose the strengths that you like and not just the ones that other people tell you are good for you! To find your strengths, try the StrengthsFinder2.0 assessment.

5. Set an intention for yourself.

What do you dream of achieving? One powerful step that you can take is to set an intention for yourself about that dream. All you do is pick a period of time down the road and state what you are dong in that future time. The trick is to write this in the present tense, as though you were already doing it:

¨In ____years, I am a ________doing___________.

Write down your intention and be sure to date your entry. Now look for ways to start making that dream a reality! You will be amazed by the results.

6. Set inspiring goals.

Once you know your big dream and have set your intention, think about what you want to accomplish a year from now to start making that dream a reality. That is your one-year goal. How well does it incorporate your values? How does it relate to your passions? The more your goals are tied to your values and your passions, the more inspired you will be to pursue your goals.

7. Take action!

To accomplish your goals, they have to be doable. The trick is to break them down into manageable chunks. What strategies can you think of to help you achieve your goals? Once you know the strategies, think about the first action that you can take to making that strategy a reality. Every week, set some actions that will take you to your goal. Before you know it, you will be there!

8. Tackle the obstacles to your success.

Goal achievement would be a no-brainer if only those "things" did not get in the way: e.g., time, money, knowledge gaps, fear, perfectionism, inherited belief systems that no longer work for us. Figure out the main obstacles that are holding you back and set goals around eliminating these challenges. Then take daily actions so that you can overcome the obstacles to your success. Still stuck? Get to know your Ideal Self, the person you are when you are totally in the flow, doing what you do best, feeling incredibly confident and joyful. Then, whenever you get stuck, ask your Ideal Self for guidance and trust your inner wisdom to lead you on the right path.

9. Take time for yourself.

Take time to be very good to yourself so that you can be your best, authentic self. Create a nourishment menu of fun, free things to do that make you feel great. Keep a success journal documenting all the things that you do well. If negative self-talk is holding you back, come up with a mantra or affirmation that can remind you of yourself at your best. Make these practices a habit throughout your life!

10. Surround yourself with people who support you.

Seek out the people who support your vision. Create your personal board of directors of people whom you trust to guide you. Know which friends you can count on. It takes a village so do not hesitate to reach out and ask for help when you need it! And last but not least, eliminate the crazy-makers from your life. These are the people who drag you down. By distancing yourself from your crazy-makers, you can minimize the effects of their negative energy on you.

Start today by selecting the tip that resonates the most powerfully for you. Commit time each week with this new habit. Then, start another one. You will be amazed at the results!

Astrid:
astrid@astridbaumgardner.com
http://astridbaumgardner.com

Astrid Baumgardner, JD, PCC is a Certified Professional Life & Career Coach and Lawyer working with musicians, lawyers and creative professionals to help them achieve authentic success, life balance, better time management and productivity. Sign up for her free newsletter with tips on how you can achieve authentic success at http://astridbaumgardner.com.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com