We admire and envy the lifestyle of successful people. And many think it was easy for them without knowing the process they went through - the learning, the hard work, the sleepless nights, and the sacrifices they made to achieve the success they have today.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
I've heard this question asked many times. I always respond "The most successful person". However, I don't know how successful I'll turn out to be. Success looks different to everyone. It's not about money or power, though both can help. But there's something more important...
Successful people see opportunities everywhere. Opportunities to make an impact, relationships with others, and new ideas to bring to fruition. While most people see a problem, they fail to see the opportunity. A successful person sees the solution to every problem. They opportunity everywhere. They realize that there's something greater than themselves waiting for them around the corner.
Success is a process
Success does not happen overnight. You don't wake up one day and you're successful. Success takes work, dedication, and effort. You don't become successful overnight. You take baby steps every day and you build on it.
If you want to succeed in life, you must do something everyday to make yourself better than yesterday. You need to improve every day. Don't stop working hard. If you want to accomplish anything in life, you must put in an unceasing effort towards excellence.
What does it take to achieve great things?
We all want to make a difference and improve our lives. Unfortunately we often get stuck in ruts and don't see where to go next. Many of us struggle with confidence and believe that achieving greatness requires a certain level of perfectionism. As a result, we put off starting anything new until it is absolutely perfect. But sometimes we need to start somewhere, and once you get going, momentum starts to build.
Once you have started, success comes quicker and easier as you gain experience and knowledge from your journey.
Success is never final
How often have you heard someone say something along the lines of 'success is never final'? This saying has become famous because of its simplicity. It's true though. Success is never final. Even after success you might find yourself facing failure. In my opinion, success is never final until you give up! What does that mean for you? If you've been working towards a goal or achieving a milestone then you should know that even after achieving these goals, you must still continue going forward. The reason being, if you stop now, then you'll probably fail at something else. Therefore, you simply can't afford to rest on your laurels. You must keep pushing forward. And the only way to achieve this feat is through persistence and perseverance.
Persistence and perseverance are two qualities that I believe every successful person should possess
How do you measure success?
Often times, we judge our success by external measures such as our salary, the number of friends we have or even our social media likes. But would those things really matter in the long run?
The purpose of life is to live, not just exist. And living means having meaningful relationships with other people, loving God and enjoying Him forever.
Success is not measured by what you have achieved or the amount of time spent at the office. Instead, the true measure of success comes from whether or not you lived a good, happy and useful life. If you did, then you've succeeded in life.
Final thoughts
Successful people don’t wake up one morning and decide they want to be successful. They go out every day and become successful. There is no overnight success because most people who claim to be successful are living a lie. The real ones are working harder than everyone else. That’s why they are where they are today. When you really want something bad enough, you will get it. If you want to change, then go ahead and change now. Start learning from these people and start being successful.
Success comes in small steps, but if you give it time it will come. Like anything, it takes time to achieve a goal. You won’t reach success overnight, but if you put in the right amount of effort, it will eventually happen. And once you have reached the top, stay there. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Let them speak and act negatively towards you if you want, but remember that those who talk down only rise up.
You should never underestimate your ability to succeed or fail. In other words, you shouldn’t wait until tomorrow to begin. You can always begin today. You might be surprised at how much you can accomplish. You just need to believe in yourself and take action.