The 18 keys come from international trainer Dr. Jeannette Vos, coauthor of The Learning Revolution (Learning Web, 2005). The explanations are mine. An accelerated learning expert, Dr. Vos presents the list to audiences around the world in workshops designed to improve individual and group performance. See what comes up when you think about these keys in relation to your own life.

1. Ownership . This is about owning your feelings, thoughts and actions, not cars and houses. When you are angry, hurt or jealous, it means acknowledging and dealing with the feelings. If you make a mess of a project, it means owning the chaos. If you give half-baked instructions to an employee and she does a poor job, it means taking responsibility for your failure to provide adequate direction and supervision.

2. Flexibility. Stretching and bending can be as painful to the mind as they are to the midsection. Flexibility allows you to adapt to differing circumstances and recover more quickly from misfortune. Flexible people make good problem solvers. They look for innovative solutions and consider a range of possibilities before deciding. They also make good conversationalists. Even when the topic is controversial, they listen, weigh alternative points of view, and seldom resort to shouting or ideological power struggles. And resiliency is one of the biggest factors in predicting who survives childhood misfortune and who carries the scars for life.

3. Choice . We always have this power, even when we deny it with statements like, "He gave me no choice." In addition to choosing your career and lifestyle, you get to choose your response in every single situation, every day of your life. Will you go along with the group or proclaim your own view? Accept responsibility or try to wiggle out of it? Feel good or feel miserable? Put butter on your roll or eat it plain? Turn on the TV or read a book?

4. Balance . After work and sleep, most of us have 72 and 80 hours a week to divide between all the other things we need and want to do. Achieving balance means figuring out what those elements are and allotting a satisfying portion of the remaining hours to each one. They don't have to be equal, and no one but you gets to decide the proportions. If symmetry continually eludes you, consider downsizing your life.

5. Play . Watch children play—ones who haven't been spoiled by television. They use their imaginations. Childlike play includes fantasy, movement, imagery, laughter and excitement. Whether you sail, cycle or ski, delight in movies, malls, or just sitting around with friends, occasionally pretend to be eight years old and see what happens.

6. Failure Equals Feedback . Every time you make a mistake, disappoint someone, or fall short of a goal, examine your performance for information that will help you to self-correct and perform better the next time. Learning from failure turns negatives to positives.

7. Integrity . Pull yourself together! That’s a familiar appeal, but have you ever heard it as “Pull your SELF together?” Integrity is a product of internal consistency, the lovely resolution of all those psychological contradictions and fragmented parts. When your words match your actions, and your actions are consistent with your values, when you deliver exactly what you promise and are scrupulously honest about your motivations—that’s integrity.

8. This is it! Live in the present moment. Give 100 percent attention and energy to the task at hand and the people you are with. When you feel your mind wandering or start to daydream, remind yourself, "This is it!"

9. Support/Interdependence . Every person has abilities and disabilities, skills and deficiencies, unique ways of learning and relating to the world. Through mutual support and interdependence, we utilize each other's strengths to create success. Respond when others need and want your support—and reach out for support when you need it.

10. Persistence . Successful people persevere obstinately in pursuit of their goals. Their ability to persist despite hardships and setbacks is a critical factor in their success. Not often reported, however, are the small corrections they make along the way. To be effective, persistence must be tempered with feedback, flexibility and good judgment.

11. Action . Just do it! A fairly easy command to follow if you're the spontaneous, adventurous type, or if you have high bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. You're already a doer. Other types are more likely to postpone action to indulge in dreaming, information gathering, introspection, uncertainty, planning or procrastination. Some of these tactics are warranted and productive, but the fact remains, action is required to get things done.

12. Win-win. Though win-lose outcomes are the rule in athletic contests, no such rule governs our actions in personal or professional conflict situations. The most effective solutions are usually those that allow all parties to benefit in some way. When making changes, take the feelings and concerns of all affected people into consideration. If you have a conflict with someone, try to find a mutually satisfying solution.

13. Self-esteem. It doesn't matter what happened to you in childhood, as an adult your self-esteem has one architect—you. The weight of every decision you make eventually comes back to buttress or burden your self-image. Develop a personal code and live by it. Learn something from every mistake and then forgive yourself. Monitor your self-talk. For every negative thought you catch yourself having about you, think five positive thoughts. Give yourself credit for accomplishments large and small. Seek to achieve your personal best and avoid comparing yourself to others.

14. Speak with good purpose. And I would add—act with good purpose. Be aware of your motivation when you communicate. Giving criticism and negative feedback is often necessary, but pay attention to your reason for doing so. Are your negative comments given in the pursuit of excellence? Is your critical feedback meant to produce a positive result? If your primary purpose is to look good, get even, or embarrass the other person, go back to the drawing board.

15. Focus . This is the ability to concentrate all of your attention and energy on the matter at hand—your purpose, goal, project, or problem. When truly focused, you perceive things clearly and distinctly. Focus also means zeroing in on the important issues, distinguishing the essence of an issue from less significant details. If your ability to focus is characterized by short bursts of concentration, try to extend those periods a little at a time. Remember, "This is it!"

16. Passion . When you pursue your goals passionately, the heat generated by your zeal can melt down even stubborn obstacles in your path. Devote yourself enthusiastically to a cause or ideal and promote it with tireless diligence. Turn up the heat.

17. Commitment . We talk a lot about commitment (or the lack of it) in relationships. It's about staying power, and it works with goals, too. To be successful, develop an intimate relationship with each and every goal and become emotionally and intellectually bound to its realization. Such commitment can stay your course through the high seas of setbacks, conflicts and self-doubt.

18. Vision . Albert Einstein said, "Imagination is greater than knowledge." The ability to imagine your goals clearly, to see them in vivid detail may be as important as having the means to achieve them. A compelling vision not only provides a blueprint to follow, it creates excitement and anticipation, which fuel action. Visionary leaders literally invent the future. You can invent your own future by taking the time to clarify vague hopes and paint features on the faceless shadows of your dreams.

About the Author

Dianne Schilling is a San Diego-based writer, editor and instructional designer who specializes in the development of educational publications and customized training programs for business and industry. She is a founding partner in womensmedia.com. Send e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .