Success is the condition or state of attaining a set number of objectives. It can be thought of as the opposite of failure. The standards for success can be relative to an individual's perception or belief system and are influenced by context. I define success then as the ability to produce goods or services to the prices paid for them, survive competition, achieve and sustain growth, and have the resources to yield profits.
The standards of success differ from those of unsuccessful people. Some people are not successful because they did not strive hard, but rather than their efforts, luck turned against them and they were unable to attain their goals. Others are not successful because their luck ran out but because they wanted to be. I define successful individuals as those who have the desire, skill, determination, will, motivation, and self-discipline to achieve their objectives. In this book, I will examine and describe these three attributes and how you can become successful.
Desire: Desire is the driving force that causes you to act. Without it, you will never succeed. Successful people have one thing in common - the desire. They want what they want, when they want it. Successful people develop different strategies in order to tap this desire, some use physical attractiveness or money to gain success, while others use different strategies such as innovative thinking, branding, and selling.
Skill: The second key ingredient for success is skill. Successful people acquire different strategies and implement them in different ways, to achieve the purpose of their goals. They also have to learn different strategies in order to overcome obstacles, and they are constantly learning. Successful people are not afraid to take calculated risks, since they know that smart risks may find them the success they were looking for. The fear factor is important in determining your success potential.
Luck: Some people may consider luck as a negative influence, but chances are it is actually a positive one. Some people may find it hard to focus on the right things when there is too much happening around them, while other people may find the right wall to stand on. Luck can make your success or failure possible, but then again, it can also make things happen without your ability to control them. In the end, it all boils down to your own capabilities.
Preparation: Successful people prepare themselves for success by analyzing the past and setting short-term and long-term goals. They have a clear idea of what they want and how to get there. They also take time to research success stories and to consult with successful people.
Hard Work: Successful people may find it difficult to walk on their own. This does not mean they lack initiative. It simply means they need to work on building up their confidence. Confidence is one of the 10 keys to success. When you lack confidence, you tend to take things for granted which makes achieving success more difficult.
One of the reasons why many people fail to reach their goals is because they lack the drive to succeed. Lack of self-confidence prevents many people from taking action towards reaching their success. But remember, if you are determined enough and if you really want success, you have every tool necessary for success at your fingertips. You just need to know the proper way to use them.
Motivation is essential in defining success. Without motivation, a person is nothing more than a follower. When it comes to motivation, you have to be careful not to mistake that with arrogance. It is okay to seek help but do not mistake that for arrogance because it will actually help you become more successful in your endeavor.
Self-confidence: Successful people are confident. No one can stop you from being successful if you do not believe in yourself. You can become even more successful if you are confident. Once you believe in yourself, you will be more inclined to take action and become even better able to succeed at what you set out to do in the first place.
These are just a few of the habits that successful people develop. Many times, these habits take some time to develop. You need to start off slowly and then develop your habits. If you try to accomplish too much right away, you could end up quitting before you ever get started. It is very important to get started off slow and only to advance as your goals progress.
