Guest Contributor: Tara Meade
Shimmer, Sparkle, Shine Volunteer
When I was just 8 years old, I dreamed of
riding around the neighborhood on a new bike. This new bike would be much
bigger than my old bike; bright red, shimmery, and it would have pink tassels
on the handlebars. Every weekend, all the kids in my neighborhood ride bikes,
and I would feel so happy, free, and empowered to have this new bike. But how
would I be able to get this bike, since my parents said I needed to buy it
myself?
Every human being looks, thinks, and feels
differently; similarly, each person defines success in their own way. Does
success come in the form of dollar bills, acceptance of others, everlasting love
and relationships, a new bike, or does it come in the form of fitting into
smaller clothes or earning 1st place on the podium? The first step
toward achieving success is defining it for yourself. Ask yourself; What
does success look like?
Whether you are trying to be successful to
make a new friend, being kind, getting a good grade, finishing a project, or
just checking off a simple task, the first step to defining success for
yourself is to think about success as a process. Ralph Waldo Emerson quoted
that, “Life is a journey, not a destination.” The best way to visualize what
success looks like is in the form of a long-term goal. Success for me as a
young girl was riding the new red bike. This was my ‘destination.’ A long-term
goal is a as a reminder of your ‘destination.’ Ask yourself; What are you trying to
achieve?
The second step to achieving success and
reaching one’s ‘destination’ is to draw of a roadmap for your ‘journey’. One of the greatest predictors of success is setting
small, yet reachable short-term goals. Achieving success and reaching goals is
not easy and not without road blocks, detours, and unexpected disruptions. As I
started my journey toward buying my new bike, I needed to determine how I would
earn and save enough money to buy my dream bike. One of my short-term goals
included asking neighbors for weekend jobs like weeding gardens, walking their
dog, cleaning up after their dogs, or even watching babies while they slept.
From each of these tasks, I was able to earn small sums of money. Another
short-term goal I took was to visit my bank with my mom and open a saving
account, so my cash was safe and stored away to I could not spend it. Ask
yourself; How are you going to get there?
What happens when you get lost and lose your way to your destination? Winston Churchill states, “Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” Success has many ups and downs. The detour for me and my quest for a new bike was that none of these neighborhood jobs paid me enough money to buy my bike, so I had to change directions and ask my family how I can help them to earn more cash. My chores sure did add up with this detour, but now my saved money grew, and I was one step closer to my new bike destination. Keep trying, stay focused, ask for help, and continue to visualize your success. Ask yourself; Is there another way to achieve your short-term goals? Who can help you find a new way?
The final step to achieving success is to celebrate
each step toward your destination. How can I reward myself for forward
momentum? The biggest reward for my 8-year-old self was seeing my money
grow. I was rewarded with each job or chore completed and each deposit into the
bank. This is where self-care, love, and joy come into the equation. Eventually
for me, I bought my dream red bike. I was so proud of myself and I had so much
fun riding the neighborhood with my friends. As you reach your short- term
goals and final destination, reward yourself with something that makes you feel
beautiful, a favorite treat, a new book to read or song to listen to, or just a
moment away from the stresses of life.
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