The path to success never was straightforward.
How do we become successful?
Success is different for everyone and cannot be measured universally.
Each and every person has their own measurement of success that is relatable to the goals they have in place. That’s why being successful differs so much from person to person.
“A person with a new idea is a crank till the idea succeeds” – Mark Twain.
Getting there is ultimately the hard part.
Defining your goal, overcoming obstacles ahead of you, sticking to your plan, and taking ownership of your failures are all how you can achieve success.
Below we’ve simplified the road to success by laying out three steps that will help you achieve your goals.
Step one – Define your goal or purpose
“Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.” – Napoleon Hill.
Your definiteness of purpose is the goals you set out at the start of your journey. It’s the end result of what you’re aiming to achieve and is ultimately what you’re constantly working towards.
It’s so important to accurately define what your definiteness of purpose is as it will allow you to firstly, have a set goal to aim at in life, and secondly, measure your progress against where you currently are.
How do you define this definiteness of purpose?
Well, it’s a tough one.
There are a couple of things you need to set out. Firstly, you need to think about what it is you want to achieve, it has to be something personal and intrinsic to you, something that you’re driven towards.
You’ll also need to make it very clear and specific. Having convoluted or clouded goals means you’ll struggle to see what it is that you want to achieve. Pick something specific and clear, like buying a house for your family or running a marathon.
Similarly, you also want to make it measurable. Make it clear and simple, but ensure that you can track your progress towards it. For example, if your definiteness of purpose is to become a lawyer, you can measure your progress through the steps it takes to get there. You may pass law school and be one step closer to achieving your goal, with the next stage on your list being passing your Bar exams.
But don’t make it too abstract. Although people tell you to chase your dreams, and you absolutely should, sometimes you need to be a realist and engage in what’s actually possible.
On the flip side though, if you have an ambitious goal and a desire to get somewhere, you should stop at nothing to get to that goal and don’t listen to anyone who tells you anything different along the way.
Lastly, seek out something that is in line with your other goals. You can have many goals, like your family life, your career, and your health, but remember to keep them all in harmony. If you sacrifice one for the other, you could start to lose sight of your goals.
Remember, it’s not all just about dollar signs, it’s what’s behind that. Sure money is a fantastic thing, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a vehicle to help get you to where you need to be.
Step two – Have a plan in place
The one foot in front of the other plan is a great way to get the ball rolling.
But sometimes life requires you to have a little more appreciation of actually where to put your foot. Sure it’s great to keep plodding along, but knowing where you’re walking and how many steps it takes to get there will help you align yourself with your definiteness of purpose.
“Success depends on previous preparation. Without such preparation, there is sure to be failure” – Confucius.
We always need to be prepared, have a plan in place, and know what might lie ahead so we can jump over any hurdles that we may come across on our journey to our definiteness of purpose.
It’s like preparing for a marathon. Those that spend time working out a training plan and sticking to it, will always beat those, and run faster times than those that show up on the day, expecting a jog in the park.
Plus its also wise to have a plan B or a way to get around some of the setbacks life throws at you. The most successful people are those who are resilient and are capable of adapting their plans, and not letting the setbacks get in the way of them achieving their goals.
Our top tips are:
- Don’t be afraid of setbacks;
- Keep plodding along;
- Know where to step; and
- Be prepared for any unforeseen hurdles along the way.
Step three – Take ownership
This step is slightly more continuous than the others and is something that you need to be doing throughout your journey.
Stop shifting the blame for things that are your fault.
Take ownership when things are rightly your fault. This will only help you grow as a person and develop better skills to help you be more productive and work better.
Don’t creep into a victim mentality.
It’s this entitled, victim mindset that prevents us from taking ownership, not seeing opportunities for growth, and not taking the next step to achieve our definiteness of purpose.
The more you moan and complain, the less you will learn.
And put it this way the world cares less about your goals than you do, so learn from your mistakes, acknowledge your accountability, and strive to overcome these mistakes.
Alignment
Once you have these points in alignment, with a defined and clear goal, a well-structured plan in place, and are constantly taking ownership for your mistakes, you’ll start to make progress in achieving your goals and becoming successful.
It’s a pretty foolproof plan, one which will take you all the way to success and one which is proven not to fail.
Have faith, believe in your goals, take the knockbacks, and achieve success.
