Success Strategy One: You as CEO

This success strategy is so extreme it will literally rock your world! As a teacher you will have more energy, you will have better relationships, you will be incredibly successful in your career, you will have more money, you will be healthier.

You're thinking it sounds too good to be true that something could do all of that for you. Once you understand this strategy, this concept, it will change your life. It did for me. The moment I heard it, truly heard it, I felt a shift in my view of the world and my place in it. Are you ready?

You are the Chief Executive Officer of Your life

Right about now you are starting to get a little agitated. Your brain doesn't want to accept this idea. Your inner voice of self-doubt wants to be able to complain and blame when something goes wrong. It doesn't want to accept that it is your fault you didn't get the job, lose the weight, your car broke down, you ran out of money. Your inner voice is trying to protect you, to tell you it is someone else's fault. But now you know better. You are going to accept full responsibility for whatever happens to you. This is the most important success strategy on your journey to riches.

The idea of accepting full responsibility for one's own life has been known for thousands of years. Those who have studied the science of success, and individuals who have achieved great success, have found this success strategy as a common trait. The idea really is a simple one, but simple does not necessarily mean easy.

Accepting 100% responsibility for your life takes ongoing work. I frequently have to stop and reflect on a situation and ask myself, "What role did I play in this event?" But keep working at it. You will begin to feel more at peace, have more energy, and see life in a whole new way. This is where the riches for teachers begins! Taking 100% responsibility has improved my interactions with students, colleagues, and parents incredibly.

What does it mean to be CEO of your life? It means that your happiness and success is up to you. It is not up to anyone else. It is not up to your parents, spouse, significant other, friends, or boss to make you happy. It is not your company's responsibility to keep you employed, or pay for your retirement. If you can truly understand this, you will operate the rest of your life from a position of strength, rather than dependence or weakness. You can begin to reflect on your purpose in life. You will attract into your life people who treat you the way you expect to be treated.

Once you accept that you are in charge of your life, you can begin to understand what you want to be, do, and have in your life.

This strategy will take some personal reflection and some practice.

First, you need to accept that everything in your life is a result of your past behaviors.

Next, understand that the past is done, let it go so you can move on.

Third, do not blame anyone else for what happens to you. How do you go about doing this when things happen in your life which seem uncontrollable? You manage your behavior, because that is all you can really do anyway. Events will happen such as illness of a loved one, job loss due to a company downsizing, weather-related accidents, or many other seemingly random events. What you can do is manage your response to the event. It is your response to the event that will determine the outcome.

Will this make you one of those "look on the bright side" "glass is half-full people?" You bet it will. And it will begin to propel you forward.

You must give up whining and complaining and separate yourself from other whiners and complainers. If you are not getting what you need in your life you must make your needs known to the person or people that have some control over changing it. Most people are complaining to the wrong person. They complain to someone who cannot do anything about their situation. So, if you want something in your marriage to change, you need to speak with your spouse. If you want something with your job to change, you need to speak with your boss.

Finally, you need to pay attention to what is happening in your life. Are you happy with your results? Remember, this is a process, and not one that is always easy. However this strategy is so extreme and so important, that it is the foundation for all of the other success strategies.

You cannot move forward and be successful until you really do accept 100 percent responsibility for everything in your life.

There is a saying, "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you will keep on getting what you've always gotten." For better or worse, richer or poorer, it is up to you!

Action Steps for this Success Strategy:

• From this point forward accept that you are 100% responsible for you.
• Practice taking 100% responsibility.
• Surround yourself with positive people.
• Avoid or limit your time with people who are negative.
• Ask for what you need in a way that is authentic.

Now it is time for the next Success Strategy identifying your life purpose and defining your personal mission statement.

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