by Paul Kaye
PSR Contributor
Tuesday July 25, 2017
Want to be successful? What questions are you asking yourself?
The alarm clock annoyingly buzzes. Loudly. Your first instinct is to pull the duvet up over your head. It doesn’t help. Your mind is sluggish. Your body creaks. With very little coordination and too much disorientation you’re on your feet. Wobbling. You march in a zombie-like fashion in search of the nearest coffee pot. The only thought you can muster is “How will I make it through the day?”
Successful people approach the day differently. They can’t wait to spring into action. Imagine a leaping gazelle at this point. Successful people have a mission. A purpose for their day. It’s a drive to be better than they were yesterday. It is this drive that catapults them forward, ensuring they seize their moment.
It’s easy for us to get consumed by life. Living becomes something we just do. We get up. We go to work. We come home. We sleep. We repeat. It’s very easy to skip asking ourselves the tough questions that we need to answer in order to succeed. Questions that are necessary in ensuring we keep our goals in mind and that we’re actually moving towards them. Every. Single. Day.
Successful people are always asking questions of themselves. Probably because they’re the type of people who are always seeking answers.
Here are some questions that successful people ask themselves in order to pursue and reach their dreams…
Am I learning and growing?
You should always be learning. Stretching yourself is essential to peak performance. It forces us to step out of our comfort zones. When we are learning something new we are effectively turning off our mind’s auto-pilot. We awaken to the possibilities in front of us. You may be learning a brand new skill or simply strengthening a skill you already have. Learning is a sign that there’s still more for you to achieve. Losing your desire to grow is the first step on a path to complacency. Ask yourself… What can I learn today?
Am I making enough mistakes?
Success always follows failure. Failure is part of success’ design. You’re unlikely to have success unless you have failed… often! Successful people use failure as a learning opportunity. You don’t see them repeating the same mistake over and over. They experience a setback and immediately dust themselves off and evaluate what happened and what needs to be changed. Ask yourself… What’s the one new piece of wisdom I take from my last failure?
Am I doing something that scares me today?
If we want to achieve extraordinary results we need to do extraordinary things. Without risk, there’s no reward. We have to run head on into the unknown. We have to take that step when the path ahead is uncertain. We must face our fears because if we don’t, how can we possibly overcome them? Find something that makes you feel uneasy – nervous even – and just do it. You will grow as an individual. Ask yourself… What uncomfortable thing can I do today?
What decisions can I stop making?
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerbeg was once asked “Why do you wear the same grey T-shirt every day?”His answer was simply brilliant; “I really want to clear my life so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community.” Zuckerberg, like so many successful people, understands that making decisions takes energy and our energy is not limitless. The fewer decisions you make the more energy you have for things that truly matter. Ask yourself… What decisions can I stop making?
Do I have a game plan to achieve my goals?
Most of us aren’t crazy enough to climb a mountain without having a map. We would see spending time preparing our assent as critical. Yet so many of us launch into our work without thinking about how we can ensure our success. We don’t give ourselves time to think through all the possibilities. We need to slow down and ask the important questions. “What do I really want?” Be clear on your desire. “Why do I really want it?” Understand why your desire is important to you. “What steps do I need to take to achieve it?” Once you know your desire and why it’s important to you, you need to take action. Break it down in manageable pieces. Ask yourself… Do I know what I want and how I’m going to get it?
And finally… Do I have confidence in myself?
Successful people exude confidence. They believe in themselves. They are their number 1 fan! They know that if they don’t believe in their own abilities no one else will. Without belief we have no chance of succeeding. Our doubts and anxieties have the ability to paralyze us. They breed negativity into our minds. Think of negativity as if it’s wet cement. If you linger in it too long you will become permanently stuck. Ask yourself… How can I become a better cheerleader for myself?
Successful people talk to themselves. Not like the crazy person on the bus but, they have an ongoing internal dialogue. They wake up and ask tough questions of themselves. The answers to these questions keep them moving forwards. Their answers provide focus. The continual internal dialogue forces them into action. You can improve your chances of success by simply asking more questions of yourself. Are you willing to do that?
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About Paul Kaye
Originally from England, Paul spent nearly a decade programming radio stations in the UK before moving to Canada in 2012. While working for Newcap Radio, Paul programmed Classic Hits, Hot-AC and CHR formats in Vancouver & Calgary. Paul was also Newcap’s National Talent Development Director, tasked with improving performance across all content teams, overseeing syndication and leading talent acquisition. In 2016, he joined Rogers Media, as National Talent Coach and National Format Director (CHR). Paul was somehow named International PD of the year in 2016 (vote re-count pending) and is a certified coach. Paul lives in Toronto and can be reached at
ka*******@ma**.com
Other Puget Sound Radio articles by Paul Kaye HERE
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