3 Positive U-Turns on Your Road to Success

Ever find yourself driving down the road headed in the wrong direction? What’s the quickest way to solve that problem? Make a u-turn.

What about on your road to success? Have you ever found yourself headed in the wrong direction on that road? What’s the quickest way to solve this issue? Same way… make a u-turn!

3 Positive U-Turns on Your Road to Success

If you are headed the wrong way on your road to success, here are three u-turns you can take that will get you headed back in the right direction.

U-Turn #1: Turn Away from Dreaming the Same Old Dreams

Dreaming the right dreams is essential to navigating your road to success.

The reason? The dreams you dream determine the direction you go. In fact, the dreams you dream end up shaping the what and why of your life. Specifically…

• What is your life mission?
• Why have you been put on this earth?

Many people buy into a shortsighted version of their what and why dreams. For example, they think money, power, and prestige are the ultimate keys to success. Sure, this is conventional thinking, but there is a problem with this sort of conventional thinking. It’s not that it is wrong, it’s just incomplete. There is nothing wrong with making good money or gaining prestige. The problem is thinking this is all there is on the road to success when, in fact, these are just perks that often accompany dreaming the right dreams. Dreams that lift you beyond yourself and give you a passion to contribute something significant to the world are what make life meaningful and fulfilling. U-turn towards these kind of dreams and you’ll be headed in the right direction on your road to success.

U-Turn #2: Turn Away from Saying Yes to the Same Old Stuff

Remember the Just Say NO campaign? Drugs were sweeping the nation and the basic message was: “Everyone knows drugs are bad for you, so you don’t need more information about the dangers of drugs. What you need to do is Just Say NO!”

Perhaps we should start another Just Say NO campaign. This one can be against saying yes to the same old stuff. The basic message could be: “Everyone knows saying yes to everything is bad for you, so you don’t need more information about the dangers of saying yes to the same old stuff. What you need to do is Just Say NO!”

Always remember that the enemy of the best is not the bad, it’s the good. Most people who want to travel the road to success don’t fall prey to saying yes to bad things, they fall prey to saying yes to a bunch of good things that keep them from focusing on what is best.

Be careful what you say yes to because every “yes” means a “no” to something else. Learn to say yes only to what matters most!

U-Turn #3: Turn Away from Hanging Out with the Same Old People

Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” If your closest relationships are with people who have the same old negative, complaining, excused-filled attitudes that most people have, it’s definitely time for a u-turn.

In order to travel the road to success, you have to find road-trip companions who are going in the same extraordinary direction you want to travel. In fact, you want to pay any price to stay in the presence of  these extraordinary people. And by extraordinary I mean people who are optimistic, strive for excellence, don’t make excuses, don’t complain, and exhibit integrity. In other words, people who love life and want to make a difference.

If you feel like you’re headed in the wrong direction on your road to success, I hope these three u-turns will help you head back in the right direction.

Questions: What thoughts or insights do you have about these three u-turns? Also, are there any other helpful u-turns you’ve taken on your road to success?