Success Pointers

Life Perspective

Discover your purpose and inspiration * Build a living legacy * Direct your life toward others * Live with few regrets * Don’t define success by riches * Diversify your life * Don’t allow work to consume your life * Plan, practice, and persevere to succeed * Take risks—even if you might not succeedl * See the glass as half full * Control what you can, but accept what you can’t * Value the ride, not just the outcome * Embrace change as an opportunity * Commit to being a life-long learner * Allow time to reflect * Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature

Character

Demonstrate your capacity to love * Live to serve * Be proactively nice * Preserve your reputation and integrity at all costs * When facing risky situations, ask how your conscience will feel tomorrow * Stand up for your beliefs and values with conviction * Give everything your best * Don’t make promises you can’t keep * Take responsibility for your mistakes and shortfalls * Choose humility over self-pride * Solicit and embrace constructive feedback * Laugh often * Don’t whine…just do it! * Be an encourager rather than a critic and always look for the best in people * Don’t say something about someone else that you'd regret if they heard * Be on “role model behavior” around kids

Relationships and Communication

Put relationships before things * Express yourself! * Get connected with others who share your interests and values * Steer clear of destructive people * First impressions are huge * Know your audience * Be inquisitive when meeting others * Enthusiasm is contagious * Smile…your countenance matters! * Notice how others react to you * How you say it can matter more than what you say * Talk it out, don’t write it out * Be an inspiring team player * Regularly show appreciation and gratitude toward others * Strive to be an “agreeable disagreer” * Choose reconciliation over grudges whenever possible

Spiritual Life

Invest in your spiritual growth *  Count your blessings * Reserve time for daily reflection * Connect with a faith community * Develop an accountability relationship with a trusted friend * Keep the faith during times of trial

Handling Adversity

Accept that adversity is a part of life * Adversity can be preparation for greater things and often makes sense in retrospect * Day follows night * Release your pain * Take seemingly insurmountable challenges one step at a time * Take charge of your worries * Don’t make an important decision while you’re upset—sleep on it * Seek opportunities to help others in even worse shape

Miscellaneous

Set and periodically assess your goals * Mine your treasure * Plan, don’t procrastinate * Time is precious…use it wisely * Become a masterful decision maker * Celebrate your victories and learn from your defeats * Don’t let technology control your life * Learn to speak comfortably in groups * Be a discerning skeptic of all you read and hear * Drive defensively, especially in these situations

Post-Secondary Academics

Excelling is about planning, preparing, and performing * Consider this study method…

Career Selection and Advancement

Choose your major/career after conducting a comprehensive assessment of yourself and potential career matches * Consider if it’s a career, hobby, or volunteer opportunity * Build a winning competitive edge * Build your sales force * Seek the wisdom of experienced pros * Demonstrate the qualities employers value * Learn to persuasively market yourself * Likeability during the interview is huge * Consider career advancement opportunities when evaluating offers * The secret to a glowing performance evaluation! * Diversify your contributions to build value and promotability

Love and Marriage

Recognize the difference between love and lust * Love takes time…and timing! * Take a “3D approach” to dating * Choose your spouse as a forever decision * Fully explore your compatibility before committing * Don’t expect your spouse to change his/her ways * Maintain your friendships after marriage * Marriage is a partnership that requires continual investment * Keywords for a successful marriage * Commit to making these life choices to avoid poverty

Managing Your Finances

Commit to your financial literacy * Strive to become a wise manager, disciplined saver, savvy consumer, cautious debtor, and cheerful giver * Beware…even those with substantial assets can go bankrupt! * Live within your means and generate positive cash flow * Create regular cash flow statements and analyze your spending * Use credit sparingly and wisely * Develop a financial plan that reflects your short- and long-term goals * Understand your ability to handle risk and invest accordingly * Invest early, regularly, and as much as you can in a diversified, long-term strategy * Build an emergency fund for unforeseen circumstances * Grow your wealth patiently * Build and maintain a good credit rating * Be the only you