Ah Success, what everyone strives for, but is also different for everyone. Success can be measured in endless ways: money, friends, family, owning a home, owning 7 cars, etc. So if there are so many varieties of success, how can I have the audacity to title this piece ‘Achieving Success’? Surely It is a different path for each person. Well, rather than look at the steps people must take, I find it better to look at some of the qualities you need to be willing to reach your goal. Otherwise, I wouldn’t need to write any more of this article and this would be a waste of everyone’s time.
The early years
Studies show that success will often stem from a young age. Now if you didn’t have the childhood that I am about to describe, don’t worry it doesn’t mean you aren’t or won’t ever be successful. It just might be a bit harder. Some people develop a strong work ethic pretty early on, those who are encouraged to have goals and ambition whilst still a toddler are more likely to go the extra mile later in life. It is nurture of nature at the beginning.
The later years
So for those of us that didn’t get the successful nurture treatment at a young age, there is still hope. Resilience and acceptance of failure are not something that is easy to teach a child. They are truths, sometimes hard truths that we must learn through our own faults and choices in life. The key is to not view failure as something negative or a step backward. But a step to the side to overcome an obstacle. Acceptances of ones failures is a key part of more forward and achieving success.
Belief
This is something that can really make or break you. It is also something that will probably waver from time to time. If you believe that you can succeed, however, you are more likely to do so. Those who can stay on top of this and believe they can more often than believe they can’t, will work harder to reach success. A common conflict of belief is fear. Fear of failure, fear that not everything will run smoothly, fear of even trying. Accept the chance of failure, but believe you will overcome it.
The Triangle of achieving success
Sandler uses a success triangle to look at how 3 key aspects all coincide with each other to help achieve success. I prefer to call it the triangle of success just because it sounds a little more dramatic. The 3 points of the triangle are Behaviour, Attitude, and Technique. It is a great method to evaluate where you are and which area needs a little more work.
Behaviour encompasses the tasks and activities that must be done to reach success. This is daily, weekly, monthly, etc. It is the act of doing what must be done to reach your goal.
Attitude is the mindset of which you act out the tasks. Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Do you engage with what must be done in a positive light, or at this point are you doing it because you feel you have to? If it is the latter, then you have probably lost sight of where you are heading.
Technique looks at the skills you have. What can you do that many others can’t? What separates you from the crowd? Knowing what makes you special can help you reach the top. I’m not saying you will become the CEO of a big company because you can juggle knives, but who knows.
People who succeed must work on both technical and psychological aspects of the world and the workplace. You can complete all your tasks, but if you lack desire and gumption then there is little point to it. Likewise, if you have all the will in the world but little to no skill then you will never be able to rise above others. There are many obstacles to overcome, but with the right mindset and skillset success is truly possible.
