Secrets of Success: #5 Be Purposeful

On the first Monday of each month when my children were in high school, I wrote a letter to them describing a secret of success in life.  Recently I compiled a year’s worth of secrets into a small book.  Secrets of Success is a great gift for graduates or any high school or college student.  To give you a glimpse, I posted Secret #5 here.

BE PURPOSEFUL

Success doesn’t just happen. People are successful because they figure out where they want to go and how to get there, while making sure they are going where God is leading.

1. Dream big!

What kind of person do you want to be? What do you want to do with your life? When you blow out your candles on your final birthday cake, what do you want to have become and to have accomplished? Think big! Use your imagination! Seek out God’s dreams for you. Allow Him to fill your mind and heart with His plans. He has promised that you can’t even imagine all He has in store for you.  (I Corinthians 2:9 and Jeremiah 29:11).

2. Plan ahead.

Dreams rarely come true if you don’t plan to make them happen. How will you get where you want to go? What resources will you need to get there? Which of those resources do you have? Which do you need to get? What are your strengths that you can apply? What are your weaknesses that you need to work on? What are the next steps that you need to take to begin to fulfill your dreams? Be sure God is part of your planning if you want to have any hope of real success.  (Proverbs 3:5-6 and Proverbs 16:3)

3. Be flexible.

Things don’t always happen as planned. Be willing to make adjustments. Learn from your mistakes. Try a new approach. Don’t quit if it doesn’t happen at first. Recognize that God is in control and He often uses detours to bring about a higher purpose and a greater success (Proverbs 16:9 and James 4:13-15).My prayer is that you will seek God’s plans for you, being confident that, since He created you, His plans are designed for your personality, interests and talents.  I pray that you will work toward those plans and never settle for less than God’s best.You can order Secrets of Success in the US from New Life Resources.  In Asia, you can order from CCC Mass Media.© 2011  Judy Douglassen español:Secretos del Éxito: #5 Se Determinado< Prev