10 Keys to Success 1 is our first article in our success series. Success mean a lot of things to a lot of people. To some, it is about money and to others, its about what they posses. To many others, it may be developing useful skills, getting a job, getting good grades, making progress in any area of their lives and much more.
The bottom line is that “Everyone wants success”. Most times, our minds are filled with thoughts of success. We think, we read, we look at the successful in different areas of life and we long to achieve success too in our personal lives.
The truth is that success isn’t achieved by merely voicing it out, neither by reading about it nor by thinking about it. It takes a lot more to achieve success. Some people don’t like the results life is giving them. They want better results, but this starts with a person becoming a new being, because the results he is presently churning out is his. Success in any area of our lives starts with self discovery.
Earl Nightingale had a great definition of success which I love. He said that
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”
This means that if you know where you are presently, you know where you are going and you are progressively moving towards that direction then you are already successful. Anyone that has a goal and moving courageously towards it, is already a success. Like I earlier mentioned, some people feel that success is all about making money but it’s far from that.
They think that when they make money, they become successful, but success is a process. You have to be successful first to earn a lot of money. Success is a way of life. It is the process of thinking, setting goals, making plans on how to achieve your visions and doing everything progressively daily towards the achievement of your goals or worthy ideal.
10 Keys to Success 1?
In this post, I would like to mention my first 5 keys to achieving success and getting positive results:
1. Self Discovery
Like we said earlier, success is a process and this process starts with knowing who you are. Ask yourself, what are you here for? What where you created to achieve on earth? What is your gift? What are your dreams? What is your passion? What is your mission? What do you love doing even without the main interest of a pay? What is your definite purpose? A quote from Destiny’s Odyssey says:
“Discovering who you are today is the first step to being who you will be tomorrow.”
You really need to ask yourself deep and personal questions, meditate, read, discover the gift lurking inside of you. For you to set out on the journey of success, you need to know what you are really set out for, what you really want to do with your life.
Self discovery itself is a journey and it is the first journey you have to embark on towards achieving success. We conclude this with a quote from Marianne Williamson:
“It takes courage….to endure the sharp pains of self-discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives.”
2. Goal Setting
Once you have discovered whom you are and have known your definite purpose which translates to your goals, then set those goals by writing them down clearly on a paper. A goal is never a goal until it is vividly written down on paper. It was Mark Victor Hansen that said:
“By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands—your own.”
You have to make a list of everything you set out to achieve. Secondly, you need to state how you intend to achieve these goals. Formulate action steps towards your goals. and lastly set a deadline for achieving them.
As you have your goals spelt out on paper, have a vision of you having achieved your goals. Develop the gift and power of visualization. Have a picture in your mind of you when you have achieved your goal or definite purpose. Visualize on what the successful end of your pursuit would look like.
As you strive to be successful, bear in mind that all successful people are goal oriented. You need to develop a clear sense of direction towards your goals and it’s accomplishment. You have to be passionate about your goals and it’s expected accomplishment. We conclude with a quote below from Norman Vincent Peale, and he said:
“All successful people have a goal. No one can get anywhere unless he knows where he wants to go and what he wants to be or do. “
3. Skill-Set
You really need to ask yourself, what skills do I need to empower myself with in the process of achieving my goals? What level do I need to get to with my skills to be in the top 10% of my field?
Learn about your goals, so you know the details about it, what you need to do, what you need to learn, and what changes you need to make in your life, so that you can accomplish them. Frankly speaking, you need to become a new person to achieve your goals. This simply means that you need to have a new attitude, make changes to your life to enable you achieve your goals. Abigail Adams said that:
“Learning is not attained by chance. It must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.”
Ask yourself, what books do I need to read? Dedicate yourself to life long learning. Read in your field everyday. Take every course you possibly can, both online and physical classes. You have to be open to attending training’s, seminars and workshops in relationship to the skills your goal requires. You have to be open to new ideas. Josh Waitzkin said:
“The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity. Usually, growth comes at the expense of previous comfort or safety.”
Have mentors and associates that are performing at their peak or are already successful in your area of specialization and learn from them. Register with professional bodies and associations within your skill area and be active there. You need to horn your skills. Let’s conclude with this quote from Michelle Obama:
“The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”
4. Persistence & Commitment
There is no success in life without persistence and commitment towards the accomplishment of your goals. You have to put your whole life and being into achieving your definite purpose in life for as long as it takes knowing that nothing good in life comes easy but the end will surely be worth it. Martin Luther King said:
“If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, by any means, keep moving forward”
Motivate yourself. Be your own cheerleader. Decide that no matter the tribulations and obstacles on your road to success, you must succeed. That no matter the time it takes, no matter how long you build, you must surely get there. Use affirmative words and declarations to motivate yourself to perform optimally daily.
Persistence and Commitment are like brother. Where there is persistence, commitment is near by, and where there is commitment, persistence is right beside. Calvin Coolidge said:
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
Think of all you desire to accomplish. Many people do not achieve success because they gave up too soon. Most people do not finish what they started due to lack of persistence. There was a story from “Think and Grow Rich – by Napoleon Hill.” that goes thus:
R. U Derby who happened to discovery gold ore in a field, pulled all resources together and started mining but gave up 3ft to gold when the vein of gold ore disappeared. Another junk man bought the field, analyzed it with the help of a specialist and was told that the gold was 3feet below where Derby and his men stopped and gave up. He found gold exactly 3ft below and made riches through that. Lack of persistence caused Derby to loose out just 3ft from gold!
5. Discipline & Focus
You have to be disciplined and focused enough to concentrate on your goals till they are accomplished without relenting. Hail Selassie said:
“Once you have commitment, you need the discipline and hard work to get you there.”
Successful people do the work regardless of whether they feel like it or not. They are disciplined to wake up early to work on their goals and dreams. Are you disciplined and focused enough to do all that is necessary towards achieving your goal? Jim Rohn said:
“If you lack discipline and focus, you will never get anything done. Success requires discipline and focus to work on a goal or project until you succeed.”
You can’t play a fast one on your goals. You can’t jump ship from one goal to the other unless you haven’t really discovered your definite purpose. Jump ship or switching from one project to the next, shows a lack of discipline and focus. It depicts a life without a clear cut direction or purpose. Most folks are guilty of either of this. Jim Rohn quoted:
“Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure.”
You need to be resolute to stick to achieving your goals even in tough times, even in tribulations, even at crossroads, you can’t pull through if you’re not disciplined and focused. You have to grow a thick skin, you have to be tough, Jim Rohn quoted thus:
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
There is nothing like overnight success. Success needs planning and a commitment to remain disciplined till you succeed.
For example if your goal is to lose some pound of flesh, you will need to go to the gym to exercise daily for at least 3 months to see glaring results of losing weight. You cannot achieve that by exercising today and then wait till the next few days to repeat same exercise or even struggle to make up for the lost days. You have to be disciplined enough to consistently exercise for 30 minutes to an hour daily to achieve your expected result in 3 months.
We conclude with a quote from Jose Eduardo Dos Santos. He said:
“There is no magic wand that can resolve our problem. The solution rests with our work and discipline.”
You can continue by reading the second part of this article, 10 keys to success 2
