JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Success is desired by most people but not always achieved. Is it just that some people are destined to be successful and others are destined to be unsuccessful? I think not! Success is a life-long marathon and before you can reach the finish line, you have to know where to start.
Achieving success starts with how you define success. Every person has their own definition of success and motivators that lead them to strive for success. Some may define success as attaining wealth, a top-level position or recognition.
For others, success may be more personal such as helping an Airman through a tough situation or being the best Airman, leader and wingman they can be.
Any person that desires success can achieve it with a little guidance and self examination. There are countless books available that can teach you what to "do" to be successful but a self-inspection is also needed to see if there are any behaviors that could hinder your progress. There are specific traits of successful versus unsuccessful people that set the foundation for whether you achieve success:
Successful Unsuccessful
Vision No vision
Take responsibility Blame others
They learn from their mistakes They repeat mistakes
They go after what they want They think it will come to them
Passion No passion
They work hard and smart They complain about their circumstances
Work on improving themselves Tolerate their shortcomings
Creative problem-solver See themselves as limited
Encouraging Discouraging
They look for things to do They wait to be told what to do
There is really no secret formula that guarantees success, but displaying the above successful traits will get you started in the right direction. As military members, we are often held to a higher standard so we owe it to ourselves, our unit and community to make every attempt to be successful in everything we strive to achieve. Nevertheless, success is an individual choice that each person has to purposefully strive for. Make the right choice ... choose to be SUCCESSFUL!