“Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” — Arnold H. Glasow
Most people talk about success so much that they rarely have any time to practice it.
They try to develop strategies, learn all about it, try to prepare and plan all outcomes, to analyze how others succeeded, etc.
And eventually they start worrying about what might happen, remind themselves of their past failures and put too much effort into thinking how not to let that happen again.
And in the end, they fear success, they think it’s too hard, too far away. It starts to look impossible.
And many don’t even try.
Which is the biggest defeat one can experience.
And the truth is that everyone who succeeded had a specific goal in mind, dedicated all his time and energy, worked hard, and made that a habit.
And soon success came.
But there are some other things successful people tend to do that get them closer to reaching their goals. And making any of them a part of your daily life will definitely bring you some progress.
Here are 8 principles of success:
1. 100% responsibility.
The average person blames others (parents, friends, teachers, partner, colleagues) for what doesn’t work for him. He judges, compares himself to others. And he never moves on with his life.
Successful people, on the other hand, take full responsibility for their actions, admit mistakes, aren’t afraid to face the consequences. And it helps them become more fearless. Strengthens their mindset. Prepares them for the challenges on the way to success.
2. Ask for what you want.
You may have figured out what you want the most, but now you need to go and get it. Or at least ask for it.
You may never get a promotion, if you don’t tell your boss that you think you’re ready for it. And your soul mate may walk away if you don’t talk to her/him and confess your feelings.
If you want to be a writer, write and share your works, ask for help, make your friends read your work, send it to publishers, etc.
No one else will do it for you.
3. Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.
Perseverance means trying again, and again.
You’ll often hear ‘no’. Accept that. It’s almost never as bad as you think. It doesn’t mean that you’ve failed, or that your work isn’t good enough.
It’s just that there’s too much competition out there, influential people are busy, others aren’t looking for new employees, or else.
You may just not be the right person for what you’re trying to do. Which means that your work will be much more appreciated somewhere else and that place is still waiting for you.
J.K. Rowling was rejected by many publishers, before someone actually had faith in her book and decided to give it a try. And now that you see what happened, the other ones can only regret saying ‘no’. So it’s almost never personal.
4. Express gratitude on a regular basis.
Every day you should thank for all you’ve got. For the people that love you, the things you have the chance to do, the time you’re given, the opportunities around you, the things you’re good at, the belongings you have, the home you live in, etc.
That will make you much more contented with your life. You’ll be more peaceful, happier and will appreciate what you have.
Then it will become much more.
5. Don’t rely on luck.
Luck may exist. But analyzing whether it does is time-consuming.
Instead, make your own luck.
Notice opportunities and take them. Show up. Be confident. Be persistent. People will soon notice that. And they will want you to work for them, some will want to be in your company, others – to learn from you.
6. Be always on the grow.
Never miss a chance to learn something new – read books, listen to podcasts, follow your mentors on their journey to success, go to seminars, and never miss a chance to improve your skills by practicing what you do best.
7. Keep yourself motivated.
You won’t change your mind about what you want to achieve, but it’s quite possible that you lose motivation. And without a burning desire, there’s no progress.
So empower yourself daily by spending time with like-minded people and sharing ideas with them, by becoming more confident, visualizing your success and enjoying the whole process.
8. Take action.
That’s the key step towards your dreams.
Nothing will ever happen if you don’t take any action. And more importantly, if you don’t repeat that every day. Success is a result of hard work that is done every single day.
Only by practicing can you get better and eventually master the things you do, see what doesn’t work and stop doing it, become confident in your abilities, generate ideas, be focused and get more done, make hard work a habit, start believing in yourself, see progress and thus have the motivation to keep going.
Go ahead! Success is waiting for you.
I think taking daily action is key. But what about you? Which of these principles do you think matters the most?
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Lidiya K is a blogger and writer in the fields of self-improvement, life hacking, human potential and minimalism. She’s the creator of Let’s Reach Success – a personal development blog.