Each of us is responsible for our own lives, our futures and everything in between. It’s not enough to simply sit back and wait for success to find us. We need to take initiative to seek out and create that success for ourselves, whether it’s in our daily lives or in business.

While there’s nothing you can do to control the things that happen around you, every aspect of how your life develops is the sole responsibility of you and you alone. It begins by taking the initiative to do something, to take action and to make things happen.

Here are a dozen ways you can start taking action to find success in every aspect of your life:

1. Ask lots of questions

We can’t learn if we aren’t asking questions. In addition to helping us gather information, being inquisitive shows others that we have a genuine interest. This means, whether it’s in a workplace setting or in day to day life, those around us will be more willing to teach and guide us, because we’ve shown them we are interested.

2. Make a list and get it done

It’s easy to put things off or forget what needs to get done when you don’t have a concrete list to follow. Even if it’s something as simple as household chores or errands that need to be done, having a list in front of you helps keep you on track to get things done. It also feels great to visually see things being checked off of your list, and keeps you motivated to do more.

3. Recognize your mistakes

There’s another list you can make – that’s a list of your biggest mistakes. It’s not a matter of dwelling on those things we did wrong in our past, but rather examining them and drawing lessons that we can carry forward. If we’ve made bad financial decisions in our lives, writing down and recognizing these mistakes, then learning from them can help you avoid making those same mistakes again.

4. Own those mistakes

It does take a lot of courage to not only admit you’ve made a mistake, but completely own it as your own. Trying to put the blame on anyone but yourself means you’re not able to accept the responsibility for those mistakes.

“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” – Morihei Ueshiba

5. Let your voice be heard

It can be intimidating sometimes to speak up, especially when we’re in a new situation or still learning something. But, putting your ideas out there can show great initiative in a meeting, where you can share your opinions and present your ideas. Not all of your ideas will hit the mark, but you have to take a shot in order to score.

6. Set goals

Milestones, both small and large, are great motivators for success. They set us up for successes and give us targets to keep in our sight. The small or short term goals keep us moving towards our larger goals. Whether it’s a scholarship you’re aiming to get in order to help propel your education or completing that education and walking across stage to collect your diploma, setting goals help build the steps along the way to the ultimate success you’re seeking.

7. Actively participate

No matter if it’s work related or in everyday life, don’t just be a wallflower. Participate actively and get involved in what you’re doing. Taking part in discussions and activities helps make your presence known and shows that you’ve got enthusiasm for what you’re doing.

8. Embrace new opportunity

New opportunities will always present themselves to you, in different situations throughout your life. It can sometimes be unnerving to consider change and new opportunities, but remember that progress can’t be made without change happening. A willingness to embrace new opportunities shows that you’ve got the initiative to accept new challenges and changes in order to find success.

9. Stick to your values

Think about the values that are most important to you, and hold them high. Upholding these values demonstrates that you are willing to work for the success you want, without ever having to compromise what you believe in.

10. Inform yourself

The greatest service you can do to yourself, while seeking out success, is making a well informed decision. It shows that you’re not just making flippant decisions or taking a shot in the dark, and that you’re actually taking the initiative to educate yourself in order to properly decide what moves you want to make.

“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.” – Jim Rohn

11. Ask an expert

A great way to learn is to ask someone who’s already been there. If you’ve got goals of working for yourself as a freelance writer, it’s a good idea to sit down with someone who’s found success doing that, in order to pick their brain.

12. Make a plan

You can’t get anywhere if you don’t know where you’re going. Laying out your plan creates a vision of your future as you see it, and gives you a road map to follow in order to get there.

Which one of these things are you going to focus on immediately? Please leave your thoughts below!