According to Earl Nightingale,
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.”
Many people struggle to acquire and retain the success mindset necessary for this progressive journey. It’s similar to a marathon where you need the stamina to finish. In your own journey, there have been times when you’ve been discouraged and overwhelmed or possibly derailed by obstacles.
But what if you had a checklist to get you back on track? A list of 5 key words to get you in the success mindset. At any given moment, you gauge your current mood against these five elements. If any are in red status, you’ll know where you need to course correct.
Would you find such a list useful?
Introducing the 5 A’s
Early in my career, I was program director for a community-based organization turned University of California outreach program. The program was designed to assist K-12 students master the skills required to excel on the math portion of the state-administered annual exam.
Each working session began with all employees and students reciting the 5A’s of Achievement, sometimes referred to as the 5 A’s to keep things short. The purpose was to prepare each learning group for a day filled with progress. Here’s how.
#1 – “Attendance: I am here physically.”
Students and employees were expected to show up for all learning sessions. As a business professional or entrepreneur, if you don’t show up for work, then you don’t get paid. Now apply this concept your dream or goal in progress. Are you showing up consistently? Is your lack of progress due to you not being there in the flesh?
#2 – “Attention: I am here mentally.”
After reciting the 5 A’s, the group dispersed into smaller learning teams. The teaching interns directed the student’s attention to the learning objectives that they had prepared for the day. They worked with the students to remain on task. Are you on task? Are you focused on what you want to accomplish? Or are you distracted by email, interruptions or competing priorities?
#3 – “Attitude: I need. I want it. I’m going to get it.”
Sometime the students became frustrated with the material. They grew negative and became discouraged when confronted with a stumbling block. The teaching interns redirected their energy, reminding them of why doing the work was important and how it was possible to achieve what they set out to accomplish. Are you motivated and determined to achieve what you want?
#4 – “Atmosphere: I am in an environment conducive to learning.”
As an organization, we set up a supportive and affirming work environment for our students. Removed all clutter from the desk (i.e. no backpacks, extraneous papers), just the materials for the task at hand. The buzz of learning could be heard. Progress charts and 5 A’s charts were posted in the room. Is your environment conducive to creating…producing…executing? What can you change about that physical environment to give you the mental, physical and spiritual energy to excel?
#5 – “Achievement: If I can conceive it, I can believe it. If I can believe it, I can achievement.”
The students’ success hinged on being able to fathom that skills mastery was indeed possible. With each small step, they strengthened their belief system. This was positively reinforced with a formal recognition system. And progress over multiple lesson plans transformed into achievement. Success! Are you envisioning the possibilities of your dream or goal? Do you have faith that it can happen? Are you measuring progress over time to reinforce this belief system?
So if you want to accelerate your success, start each day with the 5 A’s. It will help you acquire and retain the success mindset in a given moment. When you get stuck, run through the checklist and course correct as needed.
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