Do you want to be successful? Yes? I believe that is what anyone would answer. But have you ever thought how do you become successful? What is a secret for being successful? What does success look like for you? Have you given a thought how you would achieve it?

2691990934_be266986edA lot of people never take time to give a thought to these questions. Everyone wants  to be successful but not many can define what success is for them. Out of those who do know their definition of success, fewer think about developing a plan for success strategically. Remember the old saying “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”?

Anyone thinking about being successful needs to develop a success plan – a clear plan for being successful. The recipe of success plan should start with three imperative factors – vision, core values and mission statement. Without these three ingredients, the recipe won’t taste as it should. Just like pizza needs bread, toppings and marinara sauce, to be successful it is important to have the three ingredients.

 

Three Ingredients of Success Plan

The three success secrets – vision, core values and mission statement – help to define the blue dot, how you will get to the blue dot and what principles you would live to get there. Let’s look at these three ingredients.

1. Having a Vision

Vision is the most important ingredient for recipe of success. We discussed why vision is important. Having vision is the first quality you need to be successful, because, if you don’t know where you want to go, it does not matter where you are going. If you haven’t thought about your personal vision, start creating a vision.

2. Understanding Your Core Values

Once you know what you want from life, it is important to recognize what values are important to you and what you should cultivate to reach fulfill your vision. These core values define what you believe in and what you consider right thing to do. Core values guide you and help you to stay on the right path.

3. Developing a Mission Statement

Before starting to develop a mission statement, you should have a vision and understand your core values. After defining what success looks like for you and identifying your ideals it is time to start creating a mission statement. Vision is usually a very long term desired outcome, whereas mission statement is for shorter term. Understand what a mission statement is and how to develop a mission statement.

 

Getting Closer to Success

These three success factors are a start of a journey, the first leap towards the destination. Having a vision, understanding your core values and developing a mission statement is just a start. Obviously this should be accompanied by action too. Planning does not substitute execution, action is necessary to succeed. However, these three ingredients do bring you closer to success. A good plan forms the basis for effective and efficient execution.

 

What’s Your Plan

Lets hear from you now. Do you have a plan for success? How did you develop the plan? What approach did you use? Tell us about your experience in the comment section.

Photo courtesy: Sir Mevs

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Further Reading:

  1. How to Create a Compelling Vision and Successful Vision Statement
  2. How to Discover Your Personal Values in Less Than 10 minutes
  3. Creating Personal Mission Statements to Define the Path to Success
  4. 5 Simple Tips to Powerful and Effective Vision and Vision Statements
  5. Benjamin Franklin’s Success by Mission Statement
  6. 6 Success Factors (or Rules of Success) from Arnold Schwarzenegger