You Can Achieve Anything at Work and in Life Using These 3 Tips

You can achieve anything!  Isn’t that a great statement?  Now the important question is how.  I hope this story and these 3 tips will help you achieve anything you want at work and in life.

I love watching my kids try new things.  It’s a marvel to witness how much effort they put into it, even though they fail repeatedly at first.   The other day, I took Alexis, my six year old, to the Yerba Buena playground in San Francisco.  She was fascinated by this steep wall that had the climbing grips on them.   She wasn’t at all interested in using the grips to climb up.  Instead, she wanted to just run up and get to the top.

At first, I didn’t think it was possible for her.  I am twice her size, attempted it and failed miserably the first two times.  On the 3rd try, I had a running start and made it but with quite a bit of effort.   Alexis was not fazed by the challenge.  She tried from standing still and only made it half way several times.  I thought she might give up.   I was wrong.  She was determined to get to the top.  I told her why don’t you try with a running start.   She thought that was a great idea.   Below it’s her first attempt 🙂

I loved it that she was not at all disappointed by not making it still.  She even lost her shoe but instead of over-thinking it, she just laughed and head it back to try again.  Below are her second and third attempts.

Why am I sharing this simple playground story?  As I was watching her try and try again, I was amazed by the pure energy and enthusiasm of all her attempts.   It made me realize that if we want to achieve anything in life and at work, we need these 3 things that she had in this effort to climb this wall.

#1 A Clear, Focused Goal – She was crystal clear on what she wanted – Getting to the top on her own without the help of the climbing grips.    

Many times at work, we are not that clear on what we want.  For example, if you are giving a big presentation for the first time to a large audience, are you clear on your objectives?  All the following could be your goals.

• I want my manager to tell me it went well
• I want to sound smart and feel comfortable presenting
• I want my audience to be engaged and ask questions.
• I want people to tell me afterwards they liked it
• I want my audience to take action based on my recommendations.

While they all sound good, having too many goals is overwhelming and lacks focus.   The last bullet is perhaps the ultimate goal.  As long as people took action based on your presentation, the first 4 bullets doesn’t actually matter.   If you are crystal clear on the most important goal, then you can better focus your efforts.

#2 Expect it to happen – This goes beyond just believing in yourself and believing you can do it.   It’s about being able to visualize yourself getting what you want.  If you can visualize and expect it to happen, then all your mental energy is on figuring out how to achieve it.  It’s like you don’t even give your mind a choice of whether it can happen or it.  By expecting it to happen with all your heart, there is only one possible outcome.   I know each time Alexis tried to climb that wall, she is visualizing and expecting herself at the top.  I can see it in her face that singular focus.    Even when she was slipping half way, she didn’t give up and kept trying until she got to the top.

This tip may be counterintuitive to logical thinkers.  Many of us have stronger self confidence AFTER we have achieved something.    It’s like we need the evidence that we can do it, before we would allow ourselves to feel confident to keep going.  What’s ironic however is if we can be confident FIRST then our chances of success increases dramatically.  Our confidence would help motivate us to keep going in spite of the first few failed attempts.

If you want to achieve something, take time to visualize achieving it. That visualization will focus your mind on the ultimate goal and it will carry you through any bumps in the journey toward achieving it.

#3 Keep making an effort until you Achieve it.  I think Alexis made at least 15 runs up that wall. First 5-7 were failed ones.   She just kept trying.  Even after she made it to the top, she kept doing it to refine her technique and timing.

As adults, we tend to get much more discouraged when we don’t do something well on our first or second try.  We have a harder time shaking it off or laugh like Alexis did.   Many of us just give up after the “failed attempts” and then focus our energy making up excuses as to why we were not able to achieve this or that.  We either put ourselves down or blame someone else or both.

• “I am just too much of an introvert to present well”
• “Women just don’t get the same opportunities as men”
• “This group is just impossible to work with.”

Does any of it sound familiar?  With trying anything new, we will make many mistakes and stumble before we can truly master it.   Will you be able to keep going after you stumbled or would the fear of discomfort or embarrassment stop you?  I hope you will keep going like Alexis.  There were a few kids and parents watching her, but she never notice them.  She just keep trying.  That’s the difference between someone who will achieve anything they set their mind to vs. someone who has honed their skills on creating excuses as to why they can’t achieve something.

Expect discomfort in the journey of achieving something and just keep going.  As long as you keep striving toward your goal, you will ALWAYS get there.

I smiled proudly as Alexis reached the top over and over again. I really wasn’t sure she could do it already.  The wall is seriously steep for a girl her size.  She has proven me wrong and I am glad for it.  I hope this article inspires you to attempt things that seems just out of reach.    Anything is possible if you have a clear and focused goal, expect it to happen, and most importantly keep making an effort until you achieve it.

Your comments: What is the one thing you are working on achieving right now?  Do these tips help you?  What questions do you have?  I look forward to your comments

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I am always in your corner.

Lei