Broaden Your Perameters of Success

By Brian Maynor

 

It’s fall and while the weather is perfect and outdoor activities abound the end-of-the-year looms ahead pushing you to reach all of your annual goals.  This drive may help you achieve professional success, but is that the only type of success that matters?

Popular belief is ‘yes’, but even if that were true, and professional success was all that mattered, you don’t have to sacrifice success in other areas of your life to achieve it.  Stew Friedman, founder and CEO of Total Leadership, defined it best when he charted the four areas of success: work, home, community and private life.  Each area is equally important, but interestingly he found that exceptional leaders combined these areas to achieve their success.

Instead of approaching each area individually, by striving to incorporate all areas into a single plan for success we create a more balanced and ultimately successful life.  Here are a few tips on how to do it:

1.    Start with the vision.  Plans require deliberate action, and this one is no different.  What is different is your intention.  To achieve this four-pronged success you need to focus on ‘what’ and ‘who’ are the most important to you and take actions based on them.

2.    Actions stem from values.  By prioritizing what matters to us we establish their value and set our intention to act in ways that are ultimately beneficial to them.  This clarity of purpose helps reduce friction, stress and conflict by making choices more clear.

3.    Time is key.  This is a long-term plan, so expecting immediate and perpetual balance and harmony among all four areas is unrealistic.  Often times you may have to sacrifice one area for another, but think of it as a chess game.   Sometimes you have to sacrifice a pawn.

4.    Maintain your authenticity.  Before you can take action based on what you value first you have to define what you value.  It could take time and soul searching to find what truly matters most to you in your life, but you need to know or else your actions will be in vain.

5.    Look at the big picture.  Our lives are messy and jumbled, so you can’t focus on one area at a time.  Instead you should look at your big picture and see how your actions in one area affect the others.

6.    Be creative.  Your life is unique so how you approach it may be very different from someone else.  As long as it is best for you that is all that matters.  Don’t compare your actions, priorities or wins to anyone else’s.

When we think about a successful life it’s easy to focus in on one specific area like work, community or family, but how often do we look at our life as a whole.  Instead of trying so hard to achieve success in each area individually maybe we should strive for a successful life as a whole.

 

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I am always curious to hear some of your weekend wardrobe dilemmas and challenges. Please send your comments and questions to [email protected]. Also find each of these storyboards at http://brianmaynor.polyvore.com with links to purchase each item.

 

About Brian Maynor

Brian Maynor has built a reputation as one of the leading style coaches in the Southeast and is quickly expanding his eponymous company, BRIAN MAYNOR and his FIND, FLATTER & FLAUNT line of image consulting services. A professional with a fresh, upbeat and down-to-earth personality and boundless creative energy, he works frequently with with local celebrities; Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations; modeling agencies; fashion designers; production companies; record labels; media and individuals. A regular contributor to various fashion blogs and online communities, Brian Maynor is one of the most trusted and recognized style experts in the region, utilizing his education and training as a broadcast journalist to serve as a style lecturer, emcee, and commentator for over a decade. He has appeared at fashion shows, expos, and charity fundraisers, as well as events with big brands like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Chico’s and Macy’s. His approach is innovative, creative and fashion-forward, balancing fresh, modern styles with classic pieces to keep one’s look grounded. To learn more, visit http://www.brianmaynor.com.

 

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