5 Real Life Tips for Success

While we are all busy in our own ways, we all also have the same amount of time to work with each and every day. Some people have more responsibilities than others, but it is still amazing to see how some people are able to get more out of their days than others.

How does this happen when we are all so busy? Many times, the problem lies in our inability to be as productive as we want to or need to be. It can be difficult to figure out how to be successful and how to make the most of the time that you have. I talked with Richard Lorenzen, the CEO of New York public relations firm Fifth Avenue Brands, and asked him for his tips to success. Here are some "real life" tips for success that Richard shared that productive and effective people use to get the most out of their time and their lives.

1) Prioritize

Make sure that you prioritize the activities or projects you need to take on for the day. Determine how important each task is and which things need to get done first. This is one of the best ways to increase your effectiveness and promote growth, not only in your personal life but your professional life as well. If you look at each event based on how it can impact the growth or profitability of your organization, then you can start getting more out of your day. Prioritizing your schedule is a great way to make sure your daily activities will help you work towards your long term goals.

2) The Great Ones Sweat the Small Stuff

Most people have heard the phrase ‘don’t sweat the small stuff.’ However, if you talk to truly successful people, you will find that they do in fact sweat the small stuff. In fact many individuals pay a great deal of attention to the small things. Remember that your smallest habits impact your future each and every day. Most successes and failures in life are actually the result of small errors in judgment over time, not large mistakes. All of your daily actions, even the smallest ones, can become a habit that over time help take you towards (or away from) your goals.

3) Know the Difference Between Being Efficient and Effective

There is a difference between being efficient and effective. They are both important, but you need to know the difference between how you can be effective with your actions and get the most out of the actions you do complete and how you can be efficient with your time and get the most out of the time that you put in. The great management expert Peter F. Drucker once said

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.”

Focusing on doing things that make you effective in a manner that is efficient is one of the best ways to find success.

4) Flood Your Mind with Positive Input

Positive thinking can go a long way for those who are looking to be more successful. Remember to fill your mind with positive and educational input as often as you can. Listen to positive and insprational materials, especially in the mornings, to help get you in a more positive and productive mindset. If there are topics you want to learn about, read at least five books on that topic so that you are truly flooding your mind with positive information on that topic. Make sure that you are also protecting your mind from negative influences so that the positive ones can have more of an impact.

5) Focus on Solving the Big Problems

In life, you will find that people are often rewarded for the size of the problems that they can solve. The bigger the problem you are able to solve, the further you can advance. Keep this in mind, when it comes to tackling issues and problems in your personal and professional life, and you will see the impact it can have on your success.

Those are Richard Lorenzen's five real life tips for success. My number 1 tip for success? Just be likeable. Be authentic, transparent, and kind to everyone you encounter.

Now it's your turn. What's your number one tip for success? Please leave it in the Comments section below, and let's form the world's largest "real life" guide to success, right here on LinkedIn!

Richard Lorenzen is the CEO of New York public relations firm Fifth Avenue Brands. He speaks on branding, media and business development, and has appeared on Fox News, Forbes, CBS, ABC, Inc. Magazine and over 100 other media outlets nationwide. He sits on the Young Entrepreneur Council, an invite-only organization comprising the top entrepreneurs in the world under 40 years of age.

Dave Kerpen is the founder and CEO of Likeable Local. He is also the cofounder and Chairman of Likeable Media, and the New York Times bestselling author of Likeable Social Media and Likeable Business, and the recent Likeable Leadership. To read more from Dave on LinkedIn, please click the FOLLOW button above or below.

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Photo credit: David Johnson