The world has no shortage of diverse cultures, individuals and indeed, benchmarks for success.
Everyone seems to be constantly chasing one goal or the other regardless of what part of the world they live in yet one of the biggest things that travelling across the world always highlight is how similar we all are.
We’re all different but fundamentally the same and this fundamental similarity is very obvious when it comes to the issue of success.
No matter what your goals are or where you are in the world, these truths about being successful are sometimes so so easily forgotten (in which case, it’s always nice to be reminded) or never even thought of but should be at the forefront of your mind.
1.) Success is relative. Your benchmark for success is different from someone else and will probably change quite a few times. Try to make a note of what your benchmark is (write it down if you must) so you can give yourself the kudos you deserve when you achieve it.
2.) It’s sometimes hard to recognise that you’re successful when you do become success. Even though your motivation for success seems very apparent, when you achieve it and are ultimately “successful”, it’s so easy to get lost in the journey to success that you forget to stop and take stock of what you’ve actually achieve. Try to pause from time to time and give yourself a pat on the back for what you’ve achieved.
3.) You should celebrate yourself. No one will if you don’t. 🙂 Even though society values modesty and most people who celebrate their success might seem like show offs, it’s important to be able to celebrate yourself (the way you probably would your friends or family) for achieving the goals you set out to.
4.) It’s not always easy to recognise when you’re on the fast track to success. This is kinda similar to point number 2 but it’s so easy to look at some people who have achieved amazing things in a fairly short period of time and not realise that you’re doing exactly the same thing too. Especially so when all it seems like you’re doing is putting in all the hard-work with seemingly very little pay off. You’re actually a lot closer to your goals than you realise.
5.) There’s just no substitute for hard work. Yes, sometimes luck can contribute to success but regardless of what anyone tells you, no successful person is ‘just lucky’. Luck can provide you with a good start or put you in the right place to start your journey to success but hard work is what will see you to success. Luck is like a matchstick, yes it can start a fire but you’ll need so much more to keep that fire going.
6.) A lot of the times, people won’t see the hardwork you put into achieving your goals and will probably diminish it, not because they’re being unkind but because they just don’t know how much time and effort it’s taken you to get to where you are. They will most likely focus on the nicer side of things and not give you the credit you deserve for your hardwork. Never let that get to you. If you feel like, you can share your backstory with them to give them an insight but you should never feel like you have to. If people just think you’re lucky, it’s probably because you’ve worked so hard and done a fantastic job at working so seamlessly that don’t get what it truly takes to have gotten you where you are.
7.) You will probably have several iterations and have to try multiple times before you finally become successful. At each iteration, it’s important to gather up all the lessons you’ve learnt and use it to become better at the next iteration.
8.) Stick. It. Out. Seriously, if you truly believe that something is what you should be doing, then just hold out for it. Lloyd was watching a TED Talk recently about successful people and there was a message in it that said something along the lines of “It’s not always the most talented people in every field that end up being the most successful in their fields. It’s usually the people who have perseverance, an ability to think outside of the box (and of course some talent) that are able to become successful at whatever field they’re in.
9.) You need to immerse yourself in your field. You can’t be a successful Formula 1 racer by never having stepped foot into a car. Even ‘outsiders’ have some involvement in the fields they are looking to be successful in, they just have a different approach/viewpoint from everyone else. You really need to surround yourself with something relevant to your field (which should be fairly easy to do if you have a genuine interest in the field).
10.) I always say this and I will say it again. Don’t ever let anyone tell you ‘No’. Yes, the people can say the words ‘No’, there’s no controlling that but what you can control however is how you feel and the message you take from that ‘No’. Rejections will never define who you are unless you let them do so. Oddly enough, I was randomly listening to a show on the BBC talking about auditions they have for now successful people like Enid Blyton (the writer) and The Rolling Stones to mention but a few where the people who ran the studio just didn’t think these famously successful individuals had anything decent to offer the public and so had written them off. They went on to prove them wrong of course so it’s important to remember that people never have and never will define you.
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” – Stephen King
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