BY: Kayvonna Stigall
We often measure success by what we have accomplished. When we set a goal and achieve it, that achievement then becomes a part of our success story. As we continue to navigate through what many have coined as our “New Norm,” we can also look at today as “New Opportunities”. If new opportunities have presented themselves, then it’s also time to consider how we can best position ourselves to take advantage of them and how they can support us achieving success on our own terms.
 Here are five pathways to build your success story on your own terms:
CELEBRATE SMALL WINS: Some goals are going to take longer than others to accomplish. It is important to remember where you started out to help you see how far you have come. Give yourself grace on things that you can not control as you take steps toward completion; however, hold yourself accountable when it’s you who needs to make the adjustment and refocus on what you have set out to do. Main thing, don’t give up. Instead adjust and keep going!
WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER: Be sure to tap into human resources so that you can work smarter not harder on your quest to success. Take advantage of people-power. Identify who are the resources that are helpful and have fidelity. Then, connect with those who can provide you with the direction you may need to get you on to the next step in accomplishing success in your work and those that you may be trying to impact.
BE PASSIONATE: When passion meets purpose a lot of creativity can happen! This creativity can develop into positivity and allow creatives to move forward with innovative ideas. If you are going to dream, dream big! Put forth your best effort and let your enthusiasm and commitment walk ahead of you. Be sure to speak the language of success daily so that you become fluent in it.
BACK TO THE BASICS: It is important to remember that there may be a time that you need to scale back on a goal in order to reconstruct or create a different foundation. Going back to the basics is not always a bad thing. It can allow you to build or create a more successful platform that will support you with increasing your reach or allowing you to grow, whether it’s in knowledge or experience, to become more successful and effective.
PLANNING VS PLACEMENT: As you are looking at success on your own terms, it is important to tell yourself that winning doesn’t always mean being first. Keeping this mindset will be helpful as you see others accomplishing goals and becoming successful. Being consistent and growing forward will give you what you need to build according to the goals that you have set for yourself. However, also leaving room to be stretched, mentored, and challenged will allow for success that may not have been originally sought after but happens as a result of thinking outside of the box and being open to change and unexpected opportunities.
In time, you’ll find that the more engaged you are with your success plan, the more possibilities you’ll invite into your success journey.
Kayvonna K. Stigall is a published author, freelance writer and poet from River Rouge, Michigan.