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Resolutions for Happiness and Success – 5 Habits to
Gracefully Change for the Better
How do you define
success? According to a recent Vistage poll, many of you -- 43% -- said that
you measure success in your life by your level of happiness. Thirty percent
measured success by revenue or income, and 21% by freedom. To help you reach
your goals for success in 2007, consider the following five New Year's
resolutions from Vistage expert resource speaker Vince Langley.
1. Take better
care of yourself
Nothing good can happen
for you or your organization if you aren't well. This includes your
physical well being as well as your emotional state. Try this time-tested
three-pronged approach for a healthier you:
Diet -- Give
your body what it needs to maintain health.
Lots of fruits and
vegetables. Whole grains. Low-fat dairy. Fish. And everything else in
moderation. Occasionally wandering from this formula won't be the end of
the world, but continual deviation spells problems.
Exercise -- Get
moving.
30-40 minutes of aerobic activity -- walking, biking, dancing -- at least
four times a week. Nothing new here, just find something that gets your
heart rate up and that you enjoy so you'll stick with it. If you can't start
at 30 minutes, start at 10 and work your way up gradually.
Social and
psychological support
-- Find
someone to lean on. Total independence is
not a strength. Maintaining
close relationships with friends, family, and your community can keep you
healthier longer. Also give
yourself regular time-outs. Meditate, practice yoga, or
walk your favorite path.
In a hectic work week,
the biggest challenge of all is to take time to concentrate on our own
bodies and minds.
2. Set
achievable goals
It’s tough to hit the
target if you don’t know what you're shooting for. Too often people get up,
eat breakfast, hurry off to work, work hard, come home, watch TV, eat dinner
and go to bed. This is a dismal way to think about your existence.
Satisfaction often
comes from accomplishment. If we have specific measurable goals, it's much
easier to feel attainment. Write your goals and share them with other
people.
3. Measure,
measure, measure
What gets measured,
gets improved. In big, bold letters, print your starting position and the
goal you want to achieve. Post it in a public place and update it as
progress is made. Use this document as a tool to focus everyone in the
organization in a consistent direction. Create formal systems to help the
key measurements improve. And celebrate when they do.
4. Raise the
bar
Satisfied with your
results? That's a great feeling. But now watch out for complacency. For
example, think of the current track stars and compare their performances
with track stars of 10 or 20 years ago. Performance continues to increase
because the effort to excel continues. There's no such thing as good
enough, fast enough, or “any thing else enough.” It's fun and exciting to
improve and learn. Get everyone participating.
5. Appreciate
Appreciate the efforts made each day by people all
around you. Display an abundance mentality. Recognize achievement and
sincerely strive to catch people “doing it right.” This is the most
powerful leadership tool in the toolbox of successful people and
organizations.
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