Life-Changing Tips for Long-Term Success
Many of us aim to thrive in the long-term instead of struggling to survive the short-term. But for many of us, this also seems sadly unattainable; our pesky life circumstances always seem to get in the way—crippling our progress and thwarting our success.
It’s time, however, to rethink that mindset. If you’ve been feeling down about your life status, wondering why it seems like you’re barely inching your way through life while everyone else is prancing along, then you’ve got to make some changes—stat.
To get you started, we’ve dedicated this week’s Tweet Chat to sharing life-changing tips that will help you out of that slump and back on track toward success. We’ve invited expert panelists Dorie Clark @dorieclark and Kate O’Neill @kateo to give their advice on everything from setting goals to networking to strategic patience, all of which will help you grow into a stronger, more successful YOU!
Missed the Tweet Chat? Here’s a recap:
Q1. Many are finding that short term focus is not preparing us to progress forward efficiently. What is the difference between a futurist mindset vs a fixed or short-term mindset? How can you prepare to thrive in the long-term instead of working to survive the short-term?
Dorie Clark: We can't even begin to think long-term if we don't create white space for ourselves...which comes from saying no! (Easier said than done - we have to keep tightening our criteria!)
Kate O'Neill: A key concept in #AFutureSoBright has to do with mindset: that the way we talk and think about the future is too limited. We always seem to talk about "dystopia vs. utopia" when the future is not likely to be either, but something that is a little of each.
Q2. Setting goals is important. Setting the right goals is imperative. What are your current goals vs your long-term goals? What is important to keep in mind when determining a series of future strategic goals? How do you prepare for the unexpected?
Dorie Clark: Some people ask me, "what if I pick the wrong goals?" I like to say: so what?!?! You can change!!! The key is placing small bets until you know for sure you want to go all in.
John Lim @bemovingforward: Goals can start with dreams or ideas, then it's up to you to define them into the tangible, break them down into benchmarks, deadlines, steps, etc. The more concrete you make them, the better you'll be able to accomplish and enjoy them.
Maiko Sakai @MaikoSakaiBiz: I take a bit of a different approach. The act of planning is more important than the plan itself. You want to be firm & flexible with your plans (hard to do btw.) I have no attachment to my plans so that I can adjust accordingly.
Q3. How do you network for the long term? What’s different in networking specifically for the long term? What are the types of short term, long term, and infinite relationship building and their benefits? What is important to remember about marketing and communications with your long term contacts?
Dorie Clark: In my new book The Long Game (https://dorieclark.com/longgame), I write about "infinite horizon networking" where you connect with people who seem *totally random & professionally irrelevant.* Those are the most unexpected, and often best, connections.
Kate O'Neill: I always encourage the executive leader clients I advise and speak to that networking is a long-term big-picture game. I also love what@dorieclark writes in#TheLongGame — in short, prioritizing the most interesting people, people who inspire you. TOTALLY.
Q4. What does it mean to build strategic patience? What can you do to shift your perspective to optimize this practice of “patience”? How can your business benefit from practicing patience? What are you learning / doing that requires patience?
Masooma | Content Writer @inkandcopy: Go in with a giving not taking mindset. You’ll see that it help you:
• learn a lot by teaching/discussing with others
• get clarity of thought and refine thoughts
• offer a lot of free value that’ll make ur network want to return it to you
Dorie Clark: My definition of patience in The Long Game: people basically telling you to shut up and wait. My definition of *strategic* patience: it takes longer than you want it to, but you suck it up and do what needs to be done to accomplish your goal.
Q5. The power of ‘no’ is underestimated. How do you create professional boundaries and say no to expectations and / or opportunities? What are the benefits of creating healthy boundaries? How do you effectively implement them? Is there a purpose to saying no to good opportunities also?
Masooma | Content Writer @inkandcopy: Have clarity of goals. When you know what your short and long term goals are, you can easily accept or say ‘no’ to opportunists based on how they align with your goals.
Q6. It’s fair to say that WFH isn’t going anywhere. What are the most important and most efficient tips to optimize your productivity and maximize your daily WFH experience for the long term? What does your ideal WFH routine look like? What changes would you like to implement?
Suzanne Brown/speaker & author @mompowerment: To work smarter when you WFH:
*Plan week + days
*Set clear boundary of work time (it's too easy to hop back on for 1 more email that becomes 3 hours)
*Have dedicated space for work, even if it's the dining room table
*Set boundaries with family to avoid interruptions
VirtuDesk @virtudeskcom: WFH is often misunderstood as easy and relaxing to the point that we sometimes forget our responsibilities. So, to become productive, have this mindset: Wake up and work as if you are working in the office.
Q7. How malleable is your mindset? What are the most important areas of focus to increase your adaptivity and resiliency? How do you prepare to tackle long term obstacles and overcome challenges? How can you learn to shift into a more successful mindset?
Deb Coman @DebComanWriting: I have always loved mindset work and the power of it to influence change in ourselves and in others. It's a part of everything we do. I shift my mindset by recognizing fears and old patterns and intentionally moving my focus to abundance and possibility.That said, I'm also better at saying no to opportunities that aren't a good fit. As you grow, you ideally find yourself developing these two muscles and sides of your brain.
We hope this tweet chat taught you how vital forward-thinking is to your prosperity. While it’s easy to get caught up in the “now,” successful individuals know how to keep their head above the water and set their sights on the future.
Now that you’re equipped with the expert advice from our panelists, you’re already on track towards growing stronger and more successful.
So go on, envision your future and seize it!
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