Success Achievement Worksheet – The Practical Approach

Enough is enough! Fantastic inspiration and motivational articles that continually stocks the mental faculty without achieving their “real contents” aren’t good enough. Somehow, these qualitative publications actually achieved their purposes – I’ve written a lot too. I just believe that adopting a systematic approach of translating those intellectual treasures into physical achievements rather than transforming people into walking encyclopedias alone will foster more results.

Actually, I’ve posted twelve blogs on success principles that focused on desire, discovering oneself, dreaming, learning from failure, thinking, idea generation, goal setting, planning, decision, action and hard work. I was about to start writing the thirteenth episode when this worksheet idea jumped up and stool very tall on my table. Guess what I did – I grabbed it immediately with my pen and paper.

I’ve actually written eleven or twelve topics that shall be focusing on sustaining achievements and how to make them last forever when I realized the need to consolidate previous blogs into one action-inspiring worksheet that will speed-up the journey to the land of super-success.

Warning: Don’t attempt to use this worksheet for anything negative; anything that hurts anyone, anywhere for any reason at anytime is definitely bad. The next group of people that won’t need to read further are those that have learnt everything in life and achieve their peak with overwhelming assurance of remaining there forever –such people have definitely closed up the books of knowledge and wisdom and wrote boldly on the cover – FINISH! I’ve learnt it all and never to open this book again. The success-bound people that are always striving to better their best should proceed. This worksheet is applicable to everyone – right from the least achievers to mammoth of businesses owners

You’ll be asking yourself a lot of questions that leads to more questions and other questions – your sincere answer is your ticket to the land of supper-success. I strongly suggest that you print out this article for maximum benefit or at least have writing materials.

You’ll also be scoring yourself when no one is watching – what a pleasant examination; you are the student, the invigilator and the examiner, fantastic! This exam will initiate a mental council meeting where” you” and ”yourself” will be brain-storming for mutual benefits. ARE YOU READY? Go, Go, Go!

SCORING KEY: No = 1, Somehow = 2, Averagely = 3, Above Average = 4, Affirmatively = 5
SN	Success Components	Brief explanations	Score
1	Have you got well defined DREAMS in life?	These are things you’re aiming to achieve in all areas of life such as business, family, profession, relationship, spiritual, social, etc. At times, it is someone you are aspiring to duplicate or exceed his /her achievements and successes. Think very deep and score yourself correctly! It’s your life!
2	Where are you NOW?	No matter what you’ve achieved, there is always something better and bigger! No level or status is considered supreme or almighty; anyone that is not growing is definitely dying – probably slowly. Are you slightly, averagely or exceedingly successful? Are you schooling, intern, professional, skilled, employed and aspiring, employed and tired, unemployed, unqualified, unskilled, un-promoted, depressed, addicted, disappointed, homeless, wounded, regretful, betrayed, bereaved, heartbroken, love seeking, spiritually low, overweight, childless, worried about children up-bringing and welfare, experiencing low sale, in debt, contemplating business closure, medically challenged, physically challenged, fugitive, confused contemplating suicide – No! Nothing is bigger that human life. WHATEVER! The fact that one’s destination is not determined by the present position remains. Rate yourself, 5 is the best and let’s proceed.
3	How CLOSE are you to these DREAMS and ASPIRATIONS?	Using the score rating 1-5, write down the that best description of your closeness to these dreams and aspirations
4	How can you rate your DESIRE and PASSION toward these dreams?	This has to do with the position it occupies in your mind. Are you always pondering on how to achieve it? Does it keep you awake at nights? Are you doing something about it every day? Do you posses the self-discipline to aid its actualization? Are you prepared and determined to pursue it continuously and possible for many years until it is achieved? If it makes you cry; then you’ve not started and your score is ZERO If you’ve tried and failed and somehow reluctant, your score is ONE
5	Have you clearly written down the ENTIRE CONTENT of these dreams?	Use the scoring key above to rate yourself as appropriate as possible. Subtract one point when in sketch or draft form Remove another one point for incomplete descriptions Remove another one point for pending investigation and evaluation Remove one more point if criticism and opposition affects your performance rather than heightening investigation? Have you ever read it aloud to yourself for all your systems to agree? Score 5 only when you’ve written everything, explained all details, carried out all observations, investigations, researches, surveys and evaluated it over and over again plus several enhancements aided by learning, asking, thinking, pounding, observing, insight, etc
6	Can you REMEMBER and WRITE these dreams “by heart” at anytime?	Score yourself using the key 1-5. Stop reading and WRITE them NOW!   A passionately desired dream ought to be your song, it should be appearing in your mirror and “popping up” in your brain – everytime, everyday, everywhere and in every direction Think over what you’ve written and adjust your scores accordingly on the preceding components. Judge rightly! Remember, it’s your very own life. Above all – nobody is watching, your errors are 100% protected!
7	Rate your SAVING culture and INVESTMENT plans	Not VALUE but HABIT. How many percentage of your earning goes into saving for harnessing opportunities? How long have you been saving? Are you consistence? Do you buy at impulse? Have you been raising your over-spending life-style for every pay-rise? What is your DEBT profile? Is it on pleasurable things, if yes then score yourself ZERO. Mortgage is investments that resemble debt. Debt on medical, education, business ventures aren’t that bad – just draw out repayment plans and “stick to them”
8	Have you DISCOVERED all your skills, talents, gifts, special abilities and outstanding capabilities? Many may be hidden so think very well	Anything that is useful; cooking, singing, writing, acting, caring, narrating, arranging, athlete, swimming, meeting people, pleasant personality, caring for children, helping the elderly, artistic, fact finding, oratory, intellect, experiences, decorating, sewing, sport commentary, comedy, musical instrument, photography, poem, organizing, designing, inventing – Whatever! Write them down and let’s put old ideas to new use or new idea from old ideas your smile, strength, eloquence, skills, swimming experience, watching, cooking, dog walking, writing, computer, internet, apartment, friends, relatives, old colleagues, past employers, sporting club, association, religious body, pet, driving skill, drawing, strength, sporting ability, phone calls, record keeping, photography, talking, helping, arranging, tidying apartments, decoration, music, dancing, writing, interrogative, counseling – anything
9	Does this dreams AGREE with you personality, faith and believe system	Do you enjoy doing it? Can you do it continuously with little or no reward? Hope it’s good and pleasant to everyone concerned? Will it make our world better, safer and happier?
10	Have you divided the DREAMS into their appropriate GOALS?	For instance, the dream of having a world class furniture company will definitely include the goals of skill acquisition, factory setup, machinery acquisition, specialize workforce, raw materials, waste disposal or recycling, business and marketing strategies. Each of them is a sub-goal that might have its own sub-sub goals.
11	Have you identified all the SUB-GOALS or OBJECTIVES	Do you have all the sub-goals and sub-sub goals clearly written down? Score yourself and remember to be true to yourself because it is your own life and it will be good not to have you blaming yourself for pampering yourself and being unrealistic.
12	Are these goals or objectives and their sub-goals /sub-sub goals SMART?	S – specific, significant, stretching M – measurable, meaningful, motivational A – agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented R – realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented T – time-based, time-bound, timely, tangible, trackable
13	Do you have well structured PLANS for achieving them? What about continuous and extensive refinements /enhancements?	Can you produce a COMPLETE and DETAIL list? Have you ITEMIZED their sub-goals and sub-sub-goals? Have you broken them down that yearly, half-yearly, quarterly, monthly, forth-nightly, weekly, daily and hourly to guarantee achievements. Have you identified where “other people” can be invited for allied building, out-sourcing or support and MOU to protect your idea Rate yourself accurately
14	What is your DECISION MAKING rating?	Not at all, Rarely, Occasionally, Sometimes, Often or Very often How good and fast are you at decision making? Have you been using SWOT analysis for critical evaluations to support your decisions?
15	Do you have PLEASING PERSONALITY and amiable LEADERSHIP qualities?	Intolerance, cupidity, greed, jealousy, suspicion, revenge, egotism, conceit, anger and the tendency to reap where one have not sown are the stubble “snares” of poverty, failure and regrets. What about your health and appearance – do you have an amiable outlook that connects? Do you have self confidence, moral excellence, self sacrifice, fairness, initiative, diligence and courage of a leader?
16	Have you been taking appropriate ACTIONS after your decisions	Hope you’ve banished all the poisons that destroy destiny? Fear, depression, dejection, hopelessness, laziness, revenge, procrastination, self-pity, pride and uncontrolled sexual desire are negative emotions and feelings that destroys Do you know how to spot opportunities? Have you learnt super-salesman’s secret of closing deals? How can you rate your preparedness and capabilities for planned actions
17	Have you been WORKING HARD and SMART?	Are you prepare to start in small ways Have you’ve been working very hard and smart toward its actualization? What about backup plans? I guess you have to read Who Moved My Cheese.
	Total Score

 If you score is 60 and above – congratulation; it simply means that you’ve got more than what is required for super-success, provided your scoring was sincere. No doubt, you are successful or super-success in waiting. Go ahead, open new doors, chat new path, break ground and put in all you’ve got and conquer you world.

In addition, you might need to learn more on positioning for opportunity, re-investment of profit, consultation with experts, forming allied, communication, leadership, etc – These are principles that sustain achievements and make them last forever.

For scores that are below 60 – don’t worry, all successful people today were once there – some suppe- achievers were even below your rating. Don’t tell Melinda Gates that her husband dropped out of Harvard. Opps! She knew. If dropping out lead to Microsoft Windows – I’ll gladly drop out of anything over and over again.

However, scores below is an indication that you’ll need to learn more – skills, success principles and every other material that will boast your self-confidence and stimulate creative thinking and reasoning in better proportion

Lastly, nobody is a failure until such person agrees to the failure declaration. You must have identified what is required for granting you speed to the land of success – Go on, do it, get it and take your life to a new level.

Don’t forget to print this worksheet; you’ll need to re-evaluate yourself in future – remember to do it sincerely.

Thanks and see you at the VERY Top!

Victor Onanubi is an experienced System Analyst /Programmer @ www.maxtech.com.ng, he can be reached on victor@maxtech.com.ng or victoronanubi@yahoo.com

Do you find this worksheet useful? Would you like to make it better and more useful for millions of people out there that earnestly desire success? You comments are will be highly appreciated.

Laws of Success Series – #5 Create a Thinking Corner

Thinking was defined as the action of using one’s mind to produce thoughts while thought itself can be referred to as ideas or its processing and critical arrangements.

Thinking aids conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to idea generation.

It’s not time bound; it can travel decades into the past and future within seconds. It is indeed the greatest wonder of creation that clearly distinct human from all other living things.

Thinking is all about visualizing, forming an image, combining different elements and patiently organizing, improving and subjecting the idea to numerous acid tests until it comes out as a refined and brilliant idea.

A wise man named Martin Heidegger once remarked that “What is most thought-provoking in these thought-provoking times, is that we are still not thinking”

Thinking has been discovered to be the amazing force behind all inventions and revolutions. It takes great thinkers to provide great solutions! The medical professionals surprisingly revealed that only a tiny percentage of the human brain is ever used in one’s lifetime. WAO – what a super-factory you’ve up there? Let that engine roar and shake this world!

The frequent emergence of discoveries and inventions in our technologically advanced world is a glimpse of the human thinking capabilities – The computer, internet, mobile phones, home /office appliances, magnificent buildings, engineering masterpiece, motor vehicles, airplanes, jets, ship, submarines, medical equipments, gadgets and all others are products of “good thinking” – see why you must start think now!

Fuel your mental machine, let your dream and desire prompt the resumption of your intellectual productions; the entire worlds’ market is waiting for your winning idea and super-wealth.

Different people have different events that trigger their creative thinking – Yours could be during shower, when taking a walk, staring at the moon, a sea view, the beauty of sunset or twinkling stars. Sometimes, ideas pop up when we explore the opposites. Whatever, wherever – just think!

Start thinking, think again and re-think on everything you’ve seen everywhere – ask yourself the “golden question” How I can improve these inventions. Think deeply on everything that is expensive – your question should be “how can it be made cheaper”?

Having a blue chip company currently producing a particular item does not matter – if you ever find a way to produce it cheaper and better – then, your own blue-chip company is about to be born. Other must sit tight and learn from the master or gradually go into extinction like their predecessors. Go ahead! The whole world is waiting for you.

Presently, there are millions of researches going on in all fields of human endeavor – they are all looking for solutions! Switch on your mental laboratory, start your boundless researches and be the first to discover the next world acclaimed solution. Amazingly, the cost is just time not money.

Take a plunge into the future – visualize what will be required. Bring tomorrows’ technology out today! Step into the domain of unimaginable, take your imagination to the wildest jungle and explore the power of creative thinking – open new doors, go the uncharted path, set the standard – be the yardstick! Thomas Edison was an expert in doing that! At another time, go down memory lane – trace backward, imagine your childhood days and see with the eyes behind.

Wait a minute – have you seen anything in your environment that is yelling – make me better? They are always there – it’s just that you need to look deeper, clearer, brighter and more passionately.

Leverage on past achievements, there are many proven and unbreakable principles that had help exploration – key into these wisdom. Take your water from an already-dug well – you don’t need to dig your own well before drinking water.

Newton said; “if I’ve seen any further, it is by standing on the shoulder of those that have gone before me”.

Inventions are not always about originality, but rather constant application of thought and tools to arrive at a solution.

Read widely and deeply. Don’t limit yourself to standards – go overboard no matter how silly or unworkable they sound, after all, it’s in your mind nobody and can term that as offense or crime. Think differently, pounder unconventionally, let it be beyond ordinary, take it from a new perspective, step into the future – see more than normal – use your internal eyes and conceive the idea that will shake our world once again.

Ask questions repeatedly, be super-quick to write, consider everything everywhere, re-orientate the idea, turn it upside down, right-side up, tilt it, screw it, punch it, shrink it, bounce it, throw it, expand it and observe every single inspiration that sparks out.

Don’t be afraid when your ideas are criticized, at times such opposition shed more light, what do you think those executive does at meetings – ideas clashing warfare – allow ideas to clash, be ready for criticism, don’t be dogmatic, the spat that the clashes generate might make you see clearer.

It is also very important for you to consider the best and worst case synerio –it’s simple a style of “hoping for the best and preparing for the worst” – this will protect you from being down casted and having your idea truncated when confrontation emerges. When your idea crumbles before you like a pack of logs – just say “Oops! Where’s the next direction?”

Sometimes ago, I read an article on WikiHow. I guess, it is provocative enough to bring out geniuses out of everyone. The link is http://www.wikihow.com/Think-%27Outside-of-the-Box%27

A onetime American president was asked “sir – what is the secret of your success? He looked up and said I think for six hours every day. Use that stuff between your ears – yes, your brain. It is the fastest computer in the world.

Be a great thinker, set up time each day to think critically – whatever department that requires attention such as finance, health, relationship, spiritual, physical fitness, academic, skill acquisition, invention – whatever!

Let you thinking provoke thought for understanding and emergence of wisdom plus idea that will eventually cumulates into invention and supper-success.

Think, Think, Think and see you at the Top!

Victor Onanubi is an experienced System Analyst /Programmer @ www.maxtech.com.ng, he can be reached on victor@maxtech.com.ng or victoronanubi@yahoo.com