Success… what does it mean to YOU? The big ones are obvious… there are diplomas, titles, big houses, fancy cars and exotic trips to remind you that you have achieved the BIG one. Then there are those small successes that we don’t often stop to celebrate. The client was VERY impressed with your work, you were selected to be on the team, the kids went to sleep without a fuss, you finished the contract… this list is a LONG one, indeed. YOU are a success in life… celebrate it everyday.

Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson writes in her Harvard Business Review article Nine Things Successful People Do Differently, about the common denominators among successful people. She says there are nine…

1. "Get specific." As always if we don’t know where we are going, how could we possibly get there. Remember, it all starts with a plan of some sort.

2. "Seize the moment to act on your goals." As you probably know by now… I don’t buy… "I don’t have time". Everyone can find time for what they are committed to. Seize the moment for the things you are committed to.

3. "Know exactly how far you have to go." I love this one. Because knowing how far you have to go also shows you how far you have come… celebrate the progress.

4. "Be a realistic optimist." Yes… nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Don’t underestimate what it will take to succeed.

5. "Focus on getting better, rather then being good." I love this one as well. If we develop skills step by step and when we focus that effort on our strengths we become… better… better… GREAT!

6. "Have grit." Be persistent and focused. 

7. "Build your willpower muscle." Self-control is risky business sometimes; strong muscles would sure come in handy.

8. "Don’t tempt fate." Yes… don’t make success harder to achieve than it is.

9. "Focus on what you will do, not on what you won’t do." Do you remember as a child when your mother said, "Don’t drop the milk"… you dropped the milk! Focusing on what you will do… really WORKS.

SUCCESS? This is a great list. Read Dr. Halvorson’s entire article to get her thoughts.

Let’s remember to celebrate the little successes that surely happen every single day… it will keep you motivated and energized.

Black Pearl: Dr. Halvorson’s book… Success: How we can reach our goals.