High achievement is something that many people desire, but only a select few ever get. Similar to a race, most people get very enthusiastic at the start, but dwindle in the middle or towards the end - and therefore not achieve the goals they've set for themselves. If you are bent on your personal and career development, achievement should be one of your agenda.
Situations greatly vary from person to person. There are a number of different factors that may have propelled someone to reach the mark. And there are reasons for others to fail or under-achieve as well.
What sets high achievers apart from the rest of the crowd? Well, I cannot enumerate them one by one but here, I came up with a list of the primary ingredients that are always part of the High Achiever's character.
1. A High Achiever Does Not Make Excuses
In reality, each of us has the potential to do more than we allow ourselves to achieve. This means that, if we only maximize our abilities, time and resources, we can surpass what we've already achieved so far.
The problem with majority of people is that we are so quick to make excuses, most of them not valid or could actually be solved with little effort.
We complain that we don't have enough skills or abilities; that the task is too difficult for us... Hey, isn't learning a process?
One day, a member of my virtual staff asked me, "Why do you know so many things? Do you have many degrees under your belt?"
My answer was simple. I never stop until I get the information that I need to get tasks done. With the onset of the internet, we all have easy access to virtually any data that we need, even step-by-step "how-to-do-this" instructions. And if you are resourceful enough, you'll find them for free.
In order to hone your skills, you need to practice them. You probably don't get it done perfectly at the beginning but you only need to try harder.
Well, if you really won't make the extra effort to study and push yourself to learn and improve your skills, you will remain where you are - an under-achiever.
Aside from complaints about lack of know-how, the next thing we often whine about is the lack of resources. I don't want to make a long discussion about this one. Maybe just a sweet reminder of the all-too-common saying: "Great things have small beginnings."
Be clever in using what you already have. Take advantage of free technology. Be humble and ask for help. Practice wisdom in your financial management and invest in things that will be useful for you in the long term. Actually, there are a lot of practical solutions to this excuse. You can start small and build up your resources little by little.
Lack of time is also a common lousy excuse by under-achievers. If only I had more time, I could have done more.... Really?
One thing that all mankind has an exact fair share of is time. We all have 24 hours to spend in a day. It is really up to us to make them productive and useful.
How many hours did you spend in front of the TV instead of doing something more fruitful? How many days are spent hanging out with friends, which you could have invested for quality family time?
Why can you spend long hours for internet games and social networking but can't set a time for research and more learning? And how many mornings did you oversleep and not start something on the right schedule?
The list can go on... Time management is simply a matter of self-discipline.
2. A High Achiever Learns from Mistakes and Failures
One trait that underachievers have is they are afraid to try - because they are afraid to fail. On the other hand, high achievers are not afraid of failures, not because they are braver than the rest of the world. It is because they view failures as opportunities to improve themselves and to start again more intelligently.
So what if you failed today? We always wake up to a new tomorrow. It is another chance to try again - but this time, learn from the past and make things better.
Wise failure management is an achievement in itself. The secret to being friends with failure is to stay focused to your goals while keeping plans flexible. If plan A fails, try plan B... Makes sense?
3. A High Achiever Believes in Himself
Perhaps this is the most pronounced difference between a common person and a high achiever - the latter has confidence in himself. That is why a high achiever is not afraid to move forward. He is willing to explore and push his limits. He sees beyond the ordinary. He tries other possibilities and ventures to the other side of field.
We may have the unconditional support of family and friends around us. But it makes a lot of difference if we believe in ourselves too. Believing in what we can do is a great motivation towards succeeding at whatever plans we have laid out for our lives.
There is a reason why high achievers compose only a minority of our population. It is because their minds don't run the way that everyone else does. They know what to believe and what not. They don't freak out and panic at bad news. They don't waste time getting caught up on global hullabaloo and negativity. They don't listen to negative opinions of other people as much as they trust their own.
It is important that we develop our self-confidence. Just imagine how confused you can be with all the conflicting opinions available to you daily. If you trust yourself, they need not influence you in a negative way.
4. A High Achiever Makes Plans and Acts on Them
Planning is a great exercise of the mind. It is a major tool for personal and career development. You may have set goals for yourself but if you have not made plans toward achieving them, you will never move any step forward. You need to work out a feasible plan.
No, this is not like the New Year's resolution that you have decided on impulse and immediately forget. These are realistic, actionable plans that are geared towards your goal, whether personal, business, health or relationships areas of your life.
Write out your plans. This will make it more scalable, measurable and flexible. Set timelines. Then break your plans into milestones and ACT on them. And once in a while, park your actions to see if they are effectively working towards the goal. This will give you the chance to restructure your plans if need be.
These qualities of a High Achiever are progressive. They can be learned and developed. That's the great thing about life... We always have the opportunity to be better persons. There is no deadline for improvement. We only need to be wise in taking advantage of what we are already blessed with.
The opportunity of becoming a High Achiever is HERE and the time to get started is NOW... The decision to take a step is yours. Be proactive towards your personal and career development.
Cee J. Fuerte is a Freelance Writer, Personal and Career Development Coach, Lifestyle Blogger and Online Entrepreneur. She is found online at http://www.CeeFuerte.com/.
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