Have You Stubbed Your Toe Today?

By Bob Roth

There is one secret to success that every college student should take to heart. Nothing gets done when you do nothing. You must take action and move in one direction or another, if you are to accomplish your goals.

Unfortunately, many talented students are afraid to step off the curb. They let their fear of failure hold them back. They sit on the sidelines and play it safe. However, they will never find success if they don't decide on a goal, select a strategy, face their fears and initiate action. Yes, they will make mistakes, have a few setbacks and may occasionally stub their toes.

"Only people who are going someplace can stub their toes."

Taking action, moving forward and accepting a few risks are all part of life and are some of the requirements for success. Here are a few others:

Establish A Clear Goal - To be successful, start with a clear goal. How else will you know when you have succeeded. Write one short sentence that clearly identifies your goal.

Keep Your Goal In Front Of You - Print out your goal statement and tape it to the front of your computer. It's important for you to see and think about your goal each day.

Prepare A Written Plan - Whatever your goal, there will be steps that must be achieved. Put together your written plan with time deadlines for each step. Be prepared to change it and add to it, as you move along.

Face Your Fears - You can't allow your fears to defeat you before you even get started. At times, everyone is afraid. However, successful people deal with those fears. They find the courage to achieve wonderful things, in spite of their fears.

Identify Resources - In many cases, you won't be able to accomplish your goal without additional resources. Will you need money, equipment and other people in order to achieve your goal? Make a list of everything you will need.

Tap Your Network - When you need information, assistance and support, contact the people in your network. They may have exactly what you need or may be able to put you in touch with people who have the information and resources.

Take Action Every Day - This is a critical point. Successful people move forward in small but continuous steps. They are relentless. This is the primary way that things get done, since giant leaps are rare.

Accept Mistakes - Mistakes are part of life. Of course, you should always try to avoid monumental blunders and disasters. However, nobody is perfect. Therefore, mistakes will happen. Correct them. Get back in the game. Successful people recognize that they will stub their toes once in a while. It means that they are taking action and trying to succeed.

Anticipate Obstacles - The most successful people are seldom blind sided. They keep their eyes open for problems and obstacles. Many times, when they are able to anticipate a problem, they can take an action that will prevent the problem or minimize it.

Maintain Your Focus - Everyone has conflicting priorities, distractions, interruptions and frustrations. However, successful people still achieve positive results. That's because they are very clear about what is important to them. They chose to maintain their focus.

College is a time for students to spread their wings and try to fly. Wise students do not ignore the simple fact that this is relatively safe environment, one in which they can experiment. They use this precious time to discover their passions and find out where they can make a difference.

If you want to be successful, get out there and get involved. Try new things. Test your skills. Learn about your talents. Then, smile when you stub your toe because you'll know that it means you are going someplace. Have you stubbed your toe today?

Visit Bob's web site: http://www.The4Realities.com . Bob Roth is the author of The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College -and- The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job. by Bob Roth The "College & Career Success" Coach Bob Roth is the author of The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. He also write articles for more than 175 college career services offices and campus newspapers. Additionally, Bob has developed 15 self-scoring learning tool that help college students find success. http://www.The4Realities.com Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. Known as The "College & Career Success" Coach, Bob also writes articles for more than 200 College Career Services Offices, Campus Newspapers, Parent Associations and Employment Web Sites. Additionally, Bob has developed 20 Self-Scoring Learning Tools that help college students find success. He has been interviewed on numerous radio programs across the country and also by many newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal. Lastly, Bob has served as an Adjunct at Marist College, teaching a course in Career Development. The4Realities.com