Life can be very demanding and the things you have to deal with on a daily basis can have a huge impact on your energy levels and the achievement of your success. For example, not having enough time to focus on the important aspects of your life and lack of progress towards meaningful goals and overwhelm.

Each of these situations drains your reserves. Once you experience powerlessness, your brain “bookmarks” it and it is no surprise that it reappears again. To re-enforce this, you add convenient stories, such as, “I haven’t had the breaks”, or, “The times are just getting worse.”

What motivates you?

Power needs to come from within you, however, it is important to understand that you are responsible for your own power alone. So, what gets you up in the morning and drives you every day? This should be a question you ask yourself daily. What gives you the desire to do whatever it takes to succeed? Is it your drive for connection with others, growth as an individual, contribution, or how you will feel when you achieve your goals? It is important for all of us to know this so that we can approach our day with the total focus required for success.

Staying driven can be a challenge — your drive can be attacked by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt at some stage in their lives however, what separates the average performer from the highly successful is your ability to keep moving forward. Take a moment to imagine the single biggest thing that motivates you to succeed. If you want to be your own boss, win a fitness competition, start a charitable cause, write a book – what is the biggest driver of those desires?

• Is it money? Status? Fame?
• Do you want more time with your family?
• What about security?
• Do you love doing something so much that being able to do it for a living drives you?
• Do you need the autonomy of working for yourself?

Now that you have an insight into what drives you, it is important to have inspiring goals for success that also allow for balance in your life. Goal setting is about creating new possibilities in your life, to have a life filled with meaning and purpose and having goals that you will be excited and passionate about leading to a new you. For example, start your new business by July 2013, or writing your new book on success by December 2013.

What is your plan for success?

It is all very well to have goals, however, how focused are you on achieving your outcomes? As individuals we carry out many roles, for example parent, wife/husband or manager and you we need to ensure you have balance in each of these areas as well as look after yourselves and spend time with your family and friends. We live in a fast paced world, very much like an express train and what you must decide is when you need to get off that train and spend time on important things, for example, time for reflection, enjoying an amazing sunset etc. This all becomes a balance of urgent versus important, understanding how you feel about constantly being in urgent mode, what it costs you, or alternatively, what it would be like being in a relaxed situation and totally focused. Each of us needs to be aware of the right balance and focus for success.

Techniques for balancing your time will effectively reduce the amount of stress in your life? There are several things you can do to keep yourself organized and on top of your career, not to mention your very busy social life! Here are a few tips for surviving the year with your sanity intact – start using them now, and your chances of successfully balancing your time throughout the year will be much improved!

• Use a time management system to keep track of your life.
• Review your goals and schedule in blocks of time each week
• Manage around these blocks of time ensuring that your decisions are based on your goals and your true values
• Review progress daily

Knowing what drives you is a key factor for success. Once you know this you will be totally motivated to focus on your goals and create the right approach for success in your life. It is important to acknowledge achievements and remember:

“Success Breeds Success”