Plans without action will amount to nothing

By Goretti Kimani

Having a successful career is a dream come true for everyone. Many people lead unsuccessful careers translating to a lifetime of misery.

They sit around waiting for success to knock on the door. What they don’t realise is that they hold the key to their own success and nobody can do it for them

Success starts with planning. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Wishes and hopes only become plans once they are written down. Planning should start as early as in school. People who make plans while still in school make fewer mistakes. There is no foolproof plan to anything and plans should never be fixed. Your plan should include the preferred career choice and growth strategy among others.

Staying power

Next is action. Grand plans without the corresponding action will amount to nothing. Always stick to the laid out plan, make amendments as necessary as you go along and if possible, seek assistance as and when required.

Success takes patience. Rather than lament and blame people and circumstances, you should take advantage of these low times to reflect and make changes as necessary. Every diamond was once a hunk of coal that was made good under pressure. Nothing great was created suddenly. Inch-by-inch, everything is a cinch.

Without pain, there can be no gain. One must be prepared to nurse some bruises in the battle of success.

Some people want to play the spectator in their career life and we all know that a spectator can never know the real taste of the game. Without active participation, true success will remain elusive. As you participate, your level of persistence will come under test. You will go down a road only to realise it’s the wrong one and you have to restart all over again.

Think about how many trials a marathoner has to make before winning that coveted gold medal.

One must have ‘Staying Power’ to be sure they will get there. Remember success is continuous improvement.

Giving up after a few trials is a foolish endeavor. In any case life judges us by what we finish not by what we start.

As you labour along the path to success, you must realise that the best fruits will usually come towards the end. Immediate benefits are only associated with fads. Your career is a lifelong venture and your focus should be to pay now and play later. Simply do the work, improve continuously and maintain a steady belief in your ability to be successful. At the end of the day hard work and discipline will always pay.

—The writer is a human resources specialist with Peoplelink Consultants. Email: [email protected]