Over time I have read quite a bit about success. The topic fascinates me. Getting clear about how to be successful is key to achieving what one wants out of life.

In my work, personally and with other business owners, some simple steps came to me. Here they are.

Awareness
Frequently we tend to do things the same way we did them yesterday and the day before that. Much of what we do is simply habit. The habits might not be beneficial to us, but they are familiar, which can provide some comfort even if what the habits produce might not be ideal.

I guess this is what is called "being human." We are confounding creatures.

To get closer to becoming a success, you must become aware of choices that you don't even realize you have. This is the way it starts.

Acknowledgment
Acknowledging that there is an opportunity to make a different choice is the next step. From Howard Beale, a character in the movie "Network," this is what it might look like: "I'm mad as hell and I am not going to take this anymore!"

Awareness means you have noticed something. That is all. Acknowledgment means you are closer to taking ownership of the situation, making changes that will get you closer to who you want to be.

Accountability
You decide you want to make a change and you are taking responsibility for doing so. Things are going to be different because you are going to hold yourself accountable for making the change(s) needed.

This is where it gets to be a little scary. After all, you are going to be trying new ways of doing things. You are not sure how they will work out. All you know is you are taking a higher level of responsibility for your life.

Action
Walking the talk is where it all comes to life. You do something completely new or differently than you have previously. You watch yourself decide to make the change and then follow through on doing so.

Breaking through the barriers to change that you have unconsciously put up is thrilling. It is also hard work because we have a tendency to slip back to the old ways, as they are familiar and "easier."

Catch yourself doing things differently. Notice how it feels to do so. Remember that feeling as you make other choices and put them into action. It all builds on itself over time.

As I make my way through life, I am surprised by how hard it is to do all the time what I have laid out here for your consideration. Ask yourself "What do I want from life?" by way of motivation.

If you don't want to be as successful as you can be, then forget about all this. If you want to have the future you truly deserve, try what I am suggesting. A small habit changed, one after the other, is the only way to find the path success.