Success does not come cheap and is not a destination; it is an entire process and a journey. It is not enough just to want to be successful; one must thrive to learn the art and to be patient enough to let things unfold in their due time before reaching their goal.
Following the proverb where there is a will, there is a way takes a person farther down the road to success than anything else. It weeds out all the negative thinking that destroys dreams and lays down a simple yet powerful principle in the life of a person. It keeps them determined and persistent throughout.
It has to be clarified that success does not come without a cost. The cost cannot be pinpointed. It could mean different things to different people with different goals. One’s determination to reach their dreams will also define the cost they have to pay. But to achieve success, one should never compromise the contrasting pleasures of life. There should be a balance between the two. Otherwise, everything can fall apart in a blink of an eye after success is achieved.
As this journey can be a long and tedious one, only the people of ambition will be able to display perseverance. It defines the purpose of one’s life and the destination as well. Ambition, therefore, also plays a vital role in being successful.
It is not enough to imagine getting somewhere high and powerful rather a vivid image complete with the emotions that one will feel by getting to that point must be relished. The key factor is to have a clear image of the destination. This thinking will create a motivation which will keep one going even during hard times.
After the destination is set, a plan is needed. It might be a thorough one or just an outline whose details will be filled in later according to the situation. Small steps must be created so that by achieving each goal the motivation to move forward increases.
Although hard work is seen as the number one reason for success, resilience and perseverance mark the difference between a mere dreamer and a truly ambitious and successful person. Mindset is perhaps the most important requirement for a successful life. Winners have a growth mindset while the average person has a fixed mindset.
Moreover, a winner will always believe in his/herself because it is easy to weave a dream but to turn it into a reality it must be felt and visualized at all times.
Mindset helps to keep a person on track, to keep them going even on rainy days and let them enjoy their work rather than get irritated and frustrated. Successful people realize that where the right mindset can guarantee success a wrong one can equally be responsible for a failure.
As with all things, humans come with different natural talents, skills, and abilities. One must discover these and then polish them to achieve greatness. It is a waste of time for a fish to learn how to walk; it is simply not made for it.
One has to believe in oneself before anyone else can. Many people have never acted on a brilliant idea because someone threw cold water on their idea. Great people have always stayed true to themselves and believed in their abilities when no one else did.
High achievers have been labeled as delusional and advised to be more practical. But the truth is all great entrepreneurs have been maniacal with their beliefs, seen them through and made history. They have never let social norms, peer pressure be an obstacle in achieving their great dream.
Sometimes, aggressive decisions, crazy ideas, and high self-esteem lead to failures. The important thing to know at this point is that failure is not the opposite of success rather it is an important part of success.
Failures are a learning curve and of high importance towards success. Only a ‘failure’ is capable of bringing out the inner reserve of strength, just as heat brings out the precious metal from the ore. A man or woman who succeeds effortlessly never gets too far. It is only the ‘defeat’ that brings out the best of the qualities in oneself. It is the challenge that makes a person give his or her ultimate and brings out the reserves that would never have been tapped had success came to them cheaply.
Failures teach lessons far better than any teacher. They prepare the dreamers to realize their dreams and to achieve great things. They make them stronger, better and help them steer in the right direction.
Failing is sometimes necessary to truly enjoy success. It is a stepping stone and not a pit. Thomas Edison failed around 10,000 times before he became successful. Abraham Lincoln failed repeatedly at business and then in politics but went on to become the president.
It is not about failing, it is about how failure is viewed. Mindset plays an important role here. Failure is inevitable; it goes hand in hand with success. Being judged for it, being embarrassed, getting hurt is okay. What is not okay is to stay down.
When something undesirable occurs, it is important to bounce back up with a good spirit. To admit failure, then to analyze what went wrong and to make improvements in the plan is the ultimate key to success. Failure can leave a person sad, demotivated and numb. It is okay to feel these emotions as long as they don’t weigh so heavily that he or she is unable to proceed.
The fall is hard almost every time but the most important thing is to jump straight back. The plans will need to be tweaked and improvised, the pathway will shift somewhat, but the destination will always remain achievable. A big wall, in fact, many such walls, maybe standing in the road to success the only way forward is to break them down. The perfect candidate will correct his or her mindset, learn the art of perseverance and patience and successfully reach his or her goals.
Would you like to read more about this topic? This book might interest you: Psychology of Success.