Success In America Today

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Better Success In America Today (NAPSA)—Whether you are considering education to revamp your career or pursuing your own path to success, a few facts and tips can help you on the way. 1.Success is personal. A Strayer University study found that 90 percent of Americans believe success is more about happiness than poweror possessions. A rewarding job or strong family network both mean more to Americans today than fame andfortune. Success Coach Tip #1: Success requires positive thinking. Strayer University Success Coach Yuriko Almonte suggests using positive affirmations: “It is important to internalize self-confident thoughts to combat self-doubting ones. Focus on positive experiences you’ve had in the past, rather than unsuccessful ones.” 2.Success is achieved with help from others. A support system is key to reaching goals. According to the study, more than half of Americans who consider themselves successful say they have a strong family network. Success Coach Tip #2: Support networks should be more than just family and friends. Success Coach Kathy Rollins notes that she also sought guidance from professors and administrators when pursuing her degree. If going back to school, join or form a study group with like-minded peers. 3. Discipline and work ethic are at least as important as intelligence. Seven in 10 Americans surveyed rank success qualities of discipline and work ethic over ambition or intelligence. Success Coach Tip #3: Time management is an important life skill, which you can refine. Almonte suggests monitoring activities to understand schedule patterns and tweak as needed. “Track everything, including time spent at work, school andsocializing.” 4.Higher education plays a key role in success. Americans Success is a complex, rewarding journey, and with the right help you can completeit. value higher education. Of adults surveyed, those with a college degree were significantly more likely than those without one to consider themselves a successful person and report accomplishing most of their goals. Success Coach Tip #4: It’s never too late to return to school; the key is focusing on long-term benefits. Rollins says, “Focus on the bigger picture—when returning to school, putting in hard work early on will pay off in the long run.” 5.Success is a journey. Whether you’re working toward a degree or a big job promotion, there’s no set social standard for achieving your goal. The Strayer University’s study found that less than half of Americans consider being thought a success by others important. Success Coach Tip #5: No matter where you are in your success journey, motivating incen- tives can help. “An important principle about an incentive is that you don’t get what is promised until you perform the behavior,” Almonte explains. Whether you’re studyingfor a test or working on a major project, a motivator is always necessary. Learn More For further facts on The Success Project study, go to www. strayer.edu.