Successful people know that having a great idea and making a plan are the foundations of success planning. That’s why they take steps to fortify and protect that foundation. The strategy to follow through with the success plan is just as important as the plan itself! In this article, I will share an easy-to-follow, winning 3-step strategy to help you transition to success and make it to the finish line!
Winning 3-Step Strategy to Transition to Success: Starting and Following Through with Your Success Plan!
Successful people don’t start out holding all the keys to success. The keys to success are often acquired one by one as a result of trying things, making mistakes, and lessons learned. The important thing to note is that to earn those keys, you have to stay on the path to success. For many people trying to achieve a goal, staying on the path is harder than anticipated.
Reaching your success goals takes a long-term vision. That vision includes planning how to fortify each stage of your progress so you can build upon it. Failure to develop a realistic strategy for moving from one phase of your goals to the next can lead to self-doubt and diminished confidence. Don’t let these success killers get in the way of your plans! This winning 3-Step strategy based upon the National Bestseller, Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, by Dr. William and Susan Bridges, will help you envision your success journey in phases, and build confidence as you start and achieve your success goals! NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
1. Start and the End! Let Go!
Erykah Badu made a song “Bag Lady” about letting go of the emotional baggage that prevents forward progress. She sings “I guess no one ever told you, all you must hold on to is you” and “pack light.” Erykah Badu (2000). Bag Lady. On Mama’s Gun[CD]. Palmer, TX: Motown Records.
To win the success journey you have to plan how you are going to stay on the road to success. Think of yourself preparing to go on a long walk, hike, or run. You are going to bring only what you need, and leave the unnecessary stuff that will weigh you down at home. You are going to plan out what you need based on how long you will be gone, and make sure you have the stamina to make it to the end.
Staying on track with your success plan takes the same kind of mental preparation. You need to focus your mind on where you are going and bring only what you need with you. To do this, you need to let go of the baggage that is weighing you down and causing you to crawl, instead of walking or running along the road to success. The baggage might be different for each person: oppositional people in your life, fear, defeatist mindset, attachments to old identity, etc. Dr. Bridges recommends a few activities to get people to let go:
Acknowledge the End of Your Old Existence:
Working toward a successful goal is a transformative experience. You will grow, learn and go through a personal or professional metamorphosis. You will be shedding your old ways, and discontinuing in activities not aligned with your goals. Acknowledge the end of your old existence by informing people impacted by the loss. Explain your new goals and do something to memorialize it. Take pictures, and videos, and create keepsakes. Make plans to have check-ins and reunions to maintain a connection. Invite helpful people in your life to join you on your transition to success.
2. Nurture the In-Between Time
I know you have heard of the saying “riding the fence” when people aren’t clearly on one side or the other of an issue. The time between starting your transition to success and arriving at the end is what Dr. Bridges calls “the neutral zone.” This is a time of uncertainty, which can be scary because you don’t know just yet how things will turn out. This is a delicate time when you will feel unsteady and small things can throw you off-balance. Emotions can be high during this time. You may feel anxiety, confusion, self-doubt, low motivation, and fear. You may also find yourself stopping and starting your goals.
The emotional ups and downs are normal and are a natural part of making changes toward success. I know it is easier said than done, but staying the course during the in-between time is crucial. Here is where you can lose motivation and confidence and small challenges will seem like giant roadblocks. To stay focused and keep moving forward, it helps to be prepared. The road to success is scary, tiring, and hard to see for everyone who travels it. Those who are prepared are those who make it to the end.
What can you do to survive the neutral zone?
First, manage your expectations of perfection to lower your anxiety. Accept that you are going to encounter a few bumps and bruises as you learn how to stay on course with your goals. Successful people take setbacks and criticism as learning experiences that keep propelling them forward to do better.
Second, set small benchmarks and chart your success so you have a visual reminder that you are moving forward. Have you ever seen a fundraiser that has one of those huge thermometers? That is a visual reminder of progress!
Third, use the neutral zone time to continue to gather the resources you need to be successful: better time management, skills, apprenticeships, support networks, and licenses. Surround yourself with like-minded successful people who will candidly share their successes and failures. Learn from their experiences, and how they overcame setbacks. Put this information in your toolkit to help you continue to move forward as you transition to success.
Fourth – start to develop your new identity to prepare for the end of your successful transition. Develop your success language, appearance, mantra, and values. Think of the neutral zone as a time of discovery and development. Build your confidence and show yourself that you are stronger than you thought.
Last – celebrate each milestone of accomplishment. Treat each milestone as its own significant success! Those small successes add to your long-term goals. Do something to recognize each achievement as an important part of your transition to success. Celebrate yourself!
3. End with the Beginning – a Fresh Start!
Dr. Bridges advises leaders not to force a new beginning on a team, but to create an environment conducive to acceptance of the new beginning. This is true for individuals as well. Although successful people appear to have just arrived at their successful state, they all had to go through the neutral zone too. They had to learn the hard lessons, develop their skills and confidence and prepare the final product you see: the new beginning!
Dr. Bridges advises that to prepare for the new beginning a leader can give the team information such as the purpose of the outcome, a picture of how success will look and feel, a plan of how it will work, and tell them about their part of play in the outcome. The same advice holds for individual people at the end of their transition to success.
How Do You Finish Your Transition to Success?
After navigating the in-between zone, doing the work, staying motivated, and focused on your goals give yourself and the world the information about your new beginning! Hold an event to let others know about your new beginning, share photos and videos of your transition, send announcements, set up a blog or a website, use social media, and send Thank You notes and acknowledgments to your helpers and supporters. Announce that you reached your goal and share your goals for continuing to move forward. Let others know what role they will play in experiencing your success with you.
There you have it! A Winning 3-Step Strategy to Transition to Success!
Don’t forget to reinforce your transition to success with behaviors and language that are aligned with your successful end state! Celebrate your mini-wins! Put reminders of your success around you so that you can use them to stay motivated! Best Wishes on Your Success Journey!
