Stop and think a minute. Who is the most successful person you can think of? Chances are your thoughts turned to Donald Trump, Bill Gates, or Oprah Winfrey. Did you ever wonder what makes successful people successful?
Many people think that those who achieve success just "got lucky". The reality is, however, that success doesn't happen by accident or even by luck. Every successful person everywhere started with a plan - a strategy for their life. And most successful people didn't start thinking about their plan after they finished college, they envisioned it since childhood.
Developing your own plan as a teen is a concept that many of your parents never thought of until well into adulthood, if then. Luckily for you, this gives you an advantage they didn't have - a head start on the rest of your life. So what if your dreams change as you age, chances are they won't shift too far from where they are now. And, just in case, that is why you always write a life-plan in pencil - you can always make changes later!
Step 1: Forget what your teachers said, throw out your dictionary, don't even "Google" it - you get to make up your own definition from scratch!
Before you can achieve success, you must define what success means to you. The usual definition of success is based on wealth, prestige and power. The problem with this definition is that it completely ignores the values and priorities in the Four Important Areas of Your Life;
1) school and work,
2) community,
3) home and family, and
4) your own physical, mental, and spiritual needs.
Step 2: Discover who you are and what you stand for.
Before you can dream your true dream you need to know who you are and what your personal values and priorities are. Values and priorities are simply the things that are important to you and which guide your behavior - they express who you are, what you believe in and what you stand for.
Personal values and priorities can come from many different places. They can be based on religious beliefs or teachings, cultural norms, family expectations or simply something that your conscience tells you is right. Once developed, your personal value system will help give your life structure and purpose by helping you determine what is meaningful and important to you.
Values and priorities are yours - they don't belong to anyone else, they don't have to be like anyone else's and no one can set them for you. Without identifying and understanding your own unique values and priorities, you run the risk of making bad choices.
Allow yourself to dream without limits. Then achieve total success by focusing your dreams on all four areas of your life. Don't forget that there is no "right" or "wrong" definition - there is only your definition!
Activity: Brainstorming
Now is the time to pull out a pencil and some paper and discover what your basic, core values and priorities are. Just let the thoughts flow - words, phrases, pictures - there is no rule for brainstorming.
Examples of some character traits, values, or priorities to help you get started:
Trustworthy, Honest, Happy, Thoughtful, Respectful, Hard-working, Achievement, Accomplished
Dependable, Caring, Healthy, Wealthy, Timely, Organized, Loyal, Energetic, Giving Charitable, Hopeful, Healthy
Your value statement can be as long or as short as you like. A good idea is to make the final statement into a bulleted list that is easy to read and easy to remember. No need for big, fancy words. Remember, this is your own value statement, your own private reminder of who you are and what is important to you. You are writing it for yourself and the most important person who will ever see it is YOU!
Make sure you complete your personal value statement before reading my next article on developing your vision. You can't define your vision without your values!
With over 18 years experience in educational development and school administration, Stacy Cairns-Abdein is able to count among her major professional contributions; school founder and principal, teacher, educational program coordinator, curriculum research and development for schools in both the USA and Jordan, and private educational consultant for numerous international organizations. In 2005, Ms. Abdein decided to set out on her own and use her experience to tackle social and educational problems in Jordan. Hence, Whiz Kids for Educational and Social Development was registered and incorporated in May 2005.
To date, Whiz Kids' largest and most recognizable achievement has been the design and implementation of a Parent Involvement Program in over 800 Jordan Ministry of Education Kindergartens in collaboration with the Jordan Ministry of Education and the Academy for Education Development. The goal of the program is to introduce and involve parents and other family members in the classroom as well as activities related to the school curriculum through designing curriculum-based activities to link home and school.
On the social front, Whiz Kids is currently introducing and implementing a teen leadership program, "Today's Teens - Tomorrow's Leaders", in the Jordanian private sector. The program is geared towards youth in Jordan between the ages of 13-17 and emphasizes self-development and ethical leadership through community service.
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