Just a couple of decades ago, people had a totally different definition of success. Looking back the development that has been achieved is commendable. High-speed internet connections, instant transactions, wireless communication, expansion of markets to the global level - have come like a sudden storm and have kept on improving ever since.
Due to all these opportunities, it has seemingly become way easier to achieve success in almost anything; but then again, nature played it fair and these platforms are accessible to everyone. In such a competitive scenario, achieving success is a comparatively easier yet trickier challenge.
Here are a few qualities I believe if adopted can help you achieve and retain success :
1. Believe in yourself even when no one does
Being your biggest support system and your biggest fan is going to do wonders. Even the Wright brothers were laughed upon when they shared their idea of building a machine that would work against the laws of gravity and fly in the sky. And quite frankly even I'd think they were insane back then.
Here's the thing, everyone is going to judge and comment on you without knowing your side. You have to decide NOW whether you want to underestimate yourself based on what others think of you or you want to take a shot at putting your thoughts into action and discovering your true potential.
"If you don't believe you are the best, you will never achieve all that you are capable of." - Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Be willing to give it your all
Consistency and hard work are two words that can change anyone's life. If you believe strongly in your ideas, you should be willing to give it your all; to keep working towards your goal even through your darkest and most vulnerable days. It's okay to do your best and still fail at it. It's not the end of the world and you can always try again as long as you are willing to do what it takes.
"We don't have to be smarter than the rest. We have to be more disciplined than the rest." - Warren Buffet
3. Be patient
You have to learn to be patient. The road to success often tests your patience time and again. You can be as agile and alert as a tiger but still have to wait patiently till your opportunity arrives.
Patience - I believe - is a superpower not many possess and often may take a lifetime to master. And if you do, congratulations my dear, you are one step ahead than the rest.
"No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can't produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant." - Warren Buffet
4. Don't waste time on unnecessary things
Often enough we realize that we've spent the entire day scrolling through social media, binge-watching Netflix, worrying, and overthinking about things that exist only in our imagination when we were supposed to be doing our assignments. The main scientific reason this happens is because our body releases "Dopamine - the happy hormone" while performing such activities due to which the brain wants more of it.
Whereas, going to the gym or sitting to study doesn't release dopamine as instantly and hence we find these tasks harder to perform. A key to deal with this is to keep track of how much time you spend in a day doing unproductive stuff and adding time limits to each of them.
"If it's not going to matter in 5 years, don't spend more than 5 minutes worrying about it" - Anonymous
5. Don't give in to addictions
A single addiction can affect your entire lifestyle and ruin your chances of success. Substance abuse and/or digital addictions can only give temporary pleasures but mess up with your body and mind in the long term. Learn the hard way to shift your focus from these distractions to things that really matter. Do what it takes to get rid of addictions even if it is to resort to medical help.
"A bad habit comes as a slave but stays as a master" - Anonymous
6. Be grateful for what you already have
Expressing gratitude for the smallest things will make you more accepting and naturally push you to give your best. Know that we are lucky to see another day and there are millions of people who crave for our 'privileged' lifestyles that we take for granted. The ongoing situations in the world are the best example.
Who had ever thought that stepping outdoors was a grace? But here we are wishing for all of this to end so that we can once again step out freely.
"Gratitude will shift you to a higher frequency and you will attract much better things" - Rhonda Bryne
7. Learn to attract what you want
There is an age-old secret that all legends knew and practiced - believe that you have achieved what you want and you will definitely attract it towards yourself. Be it your dream job or the perfect physique or your high school crush, you can train your mind to attract your goals.
As the law of attraction states,
"What you think starts a vibration that influences how you feel, impacts what you attract and creates your reality"
8. Redefine Success in terms of what makes you happy
Success is subjective, don't fall into society's norms of what might be the greatest lie of mankind. The truth is a hundred people might look at success in a hundred different ways. Introspect and decide on your definition of success because, at the end of the day, your personal fulfillment matters more than what the world thinks and approves.
"Success without fulfillment is Failure" - Anthony Robbins
Last but not least, as each journey is different, I still hope that at some point in your life these keys motivate you to keep going and ultimately achieve your goals.
