Is it just me, or did February seem to fly by in a blink of the eye? Just when I thought the worst of the winter was over, we had the biggest snow storm of the year yesterday! And it’s not just New Jersey, the entire East Coast all the way down to the South were affected. This morning, the sun came out, so bright and beautiful, as if the snow storm was merely a dream.

We are officially in the 3rd month of 2009, or, the last month of the first quarter. How are YOU on target to achieve your goals? Sometimes it might seem like you’ve made some headway, and then BOOM, you got pushed back, just like the huge snow storm that seemed to come from nowhere. If that’s the case, don’t get discouraged. Just hang in there, and be patient with yourself. As long as you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, and know how you can get there, you will eventually succeed if you take consistent action.

The other day, I got an email from my best friend from high school, sharing her exciting news that she was selected as a Fulbright New Century Scholar. Only 30 grantees are selected worldwide, with 10 from the United States. She is a college professor who lives in Taiwan. You can imagine how competitive and difficult it is for her to win this honor. She told me that she didn't know how competitive it was when she decided to apply. She seemed to imply that if she knew, she might not have applied for the grant.

I congratulated her for such an amazing achievement, and for giving herself a chance! Instead of assuming she had a very slim chance of winning and not applying for the grant, she gave herself a chance and applied anyway. She totally deserves this honor!

I know how hard she has worked over the years, and how many barriers she has had to break through, to get to where she is now. My dear friend has come a very long way indeed. I remember back in high school, she had some difficulty academically. Our homeroom teacher assigned students who are good at math and science to tutor others who did not do so well. Believe it or not, I was actually good at math back then, and was assigned to help my friend. That's how we became good friends. She tried her best in high school and got into a good college, and later came to U.S. for graduate studies. Over the years, she has had to work extra hard in the academia, competing with male colleagues, enduring tremendous stress and prejudice against female professors. She is now a full professor at a very good college AND a Fulbright New Century Scholar. I'm so thrilled for her and so proud to be her friend!

The road to success is not always a smooth one. It takes commitment, consistent efforts, and tremendous perseverance. What I witness often, as a life coach, is that most people give up way too early. In fact, many people give up after just the first try. What's worse, they give up before even giving it a try. They just assume that they are not good enough, or, it's just too difficult, so why bother? Does it sound familiar?

How do you expect to succeed, if you don't even give yourself a chance?

Sometimes, when it looks like there's no chance to succeed, you have to create your own opportunity. Perhaps you need to change your plan, reaffirm your commitment, or hiring help. Perhaps you need to change your mindset and beliefs. Perhaps you need to align yourself with a mentor, coach, or a mastermind group.

Success is not an event, it is a journey. It requires learning outer strategies and skills, as well as changing the inner mindset and beliefs. Working with a life or business coach can be extremely effective in helping you break through your barriers (both external and internal), so you can achieve your goals. Yes, there is an investment involved, but, it's an investment in yourself, your business and your life. As the legendary investor Warren Buffett emphasized, in the economic downturn, the best investment you can make is to invest in yourself. In this trying time, it's even more important to make sure you have all the up-to-date knowledge, skills and tools to succeed in your field, and know how to adjust quickly to any change that comes your way. If you have tried over and over by yourself, without the desired result, isn't it time to try a different approach?

Give yourself a chance. Invest in yourself and your business. Your future depends on it.

P.S. Are you ready to work with a coach? Let me be your guide on your journey to success this year! Check out my Coaching Oasis program.

Labels: attitude, coaching, commitment, empowerment, goal-setting, mastermind, success