A sixth-grade girl was running for the post of secretary of her school class. A major part of her campaign was a speech to be given to her classmates, but she had no idea what to say. So she asked her mother for ideas.
"Well, you love to cook," her mom said. "Why don't you look in a cookbook?"
It was the stupidest idea she had ever heard, but, desperate, the girl followed her mother's advice. But flipping through the pages, it hit her: Why not write a recipe for what would make a good class secretary? Two cups of good handwriting, a cup of dependability and so on.
Jan Bolick, now a management coach, won the election. And she also learned to look in unusual places for creative solutions. As it turns out, creativity is part of the "recipe" for attaining success.
What is success? The answer might depend on whom you ask and the stage of their journey. Yet, no matter your age, occupation or dream for the future, achieving success comes down to a few basic factors that will likely shape your future.
• Know what you want. Build your dream, craft your vision, write down your goals and create a plan. Whether or not you ask for advice, never let someone talk you out of something that you have your heart set on doing. As I always say, believe in yourself even when no one else does.
• Search for creative approaches. Sticking to the old formula will produce old results. If you can find a new or better way to build the proverbial mousetrap, more power to you. Even little tweaks and bright ideas can make the difference.
• Avoid comparisons. You have goals and aspirations that have little to do with what others are doing. Focus on what you are trying to accomplish and your plan for making that happen.
