Critical Success Factors

What are the critical success factors?

These are the tools that are vital to achieve success.

If you really want to succeed in life then you should learn how. Think about that for a while. Do you know what is needed? What tools are required? What are the critical success factors?

When a good carpenter wants to build a piece of furniture he knows what tools he will need and what materials. You would not expect him to just buy some wood and wait for some sort of furniture to magically appear, that is ridiculous.

When it comes to life, most people want to succeed but they never learn how. They wait for success to suddenly happen, that is equally ridiculous. Succeeding at anything takes planning, action and the right tools.

Success Can be Learned

I never learned how to bake a cake. I am fairly sure that it takes flour, eggs maybe some milk and it goes in the oven. If I never bother to find out what the proper ingredients are, in what proportions, how long to bake it and at what temperature, how do you think my cake will turn out? I suppose if I tried long enough with different variations then something edible might emerge, what a waste of time and effort. It would be easier to learn properly in the first place.

Most of us have received some advice on how to succeed. When I was young the only thing I was told was to get a job and work hard. That might make a successful worker, an employee. How about the saying, 'you can't bake a cake without breaking a few eggs'. It is true, but if that is all you knew, then you would be breaking lots of eggs and still no cake.

All of that sounds silly, nobody would try to bake a cake just by cracking eggs. They would know there was more to it and if they really wanted to cook they would learn how. You will find that people will learn all kinds of different skills but when it comes to being successful, living a good life, they never actively learn.

I know that if I ever wanted to be a good cook, or carpenter, then I would have to read books, find a teacher, get the tools and so on. It would be a long process and the learning never really ends. There are always better methods.

The Right Tools

Getting back to the tools needed to succeed, the critical success factors. What are they? In the following pages I have laid out some of the tools you will need. It is probably not a complete list, just some basic requirements. Just like the carpenter has his basic saw, hammer, drill and tape measure, these are tools he must have. There will be other specialized equipment to do a better job but he can get by with these. As this site grows I will be adding more.

How to set goals:- If you don't know where you are going, how can you get there? This is the primary tool needed to succeed. Every successful person knew exactly what they wanted. Goal setting is more than just deciding what you want. Read this very valuable page.

Unlock the Passion:- Passion is the driving force that keeps you going. When you have heard a hundred rejections, passion will give you the persistence to overcome the obstacles. This page will help you discover what your real passion is and how to turn it on.

What is Communication:- Communication is the single most powerful tool in life. It is amazing how many people do not know how to communicate. This is a far more complex subject than most people realize. Do not skip this page.

Intelligence :- How intelligent do you need to be to succeed. Can you increase your intelligence?

Personal Power:- It is difficult to go anywhere when you feel powerless. This is another area that people generally do not understand. Check it out.

What is Leadership:- Other people will help you to succeed, if you are a good leader.

Dress for Success:- Most people realize that you must dress for success. How do you do that? There is more to this than wearing the latest fashion.

Money Tips:- Strangely, this does not really belong in critical success factors. Most people equate success with money, which is why I have included it here along with Financial Freedom and Managing Money. Success often brings money but it is not a necessary tool to achieve success. Also refer to the Meaning of Success.

You will notice that I have NOT included luck in the critical success factors. Luck is not a tool, it is a fickle whim of fate and should not be included in your plans.

There was a very interesting Canadian program CBCs' Dragons Den season 5 finale. It showed the paths taken by four self made millionaires. I highly recommend watching it if you can find it on the net. I do not remember the exact wording but one of them said "When people say I am lucky, I say yes, and the harder I work the luckier I get." That really sums up luck for me.

When you have read the above highlighted links you will have an idea of what the critical success factors are. Remember they are tools, you still have to use them. Check on the other tabs in the left hand column to see how to use them in your life.

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