What does success look like? The way in which we each measure ‘success’ can be completely different — for some this may be winning a deal, completing your exams, finally buying that house you’ve always wanted or maybe even overcoming a fear of heights!
Whatever success means to you, the tasks and steps necessary to achieve it can sometimes be daunting. Being open and honest with people and telling them what your goals are can also feel silly, that they might judge you or deem your goal unachievable. The key here is to not let them stand in your way (which is so much easier to write down here than it is to practise): be confident and go for it. Don’t let anyone stop you getting where you want to. In fact, use their negativity to help push you forward, and prove them wrong.
Whichever way we look at this — and I’m sorry to be getting a little sentimental now — ‘every great journey starts with a single step’. It doesn’t matter if you want to send a man to the moon, pass your driving test, become a respected figure within your chosen field, run a marathon or finally complete that book you always meant to write, each journey had to start somewhere. Taking that first step can sometimes be the hardest part, but once you’ve taken it, you’re finally on your way. And making a plan and breaking down each step in reaching your goal can help to make it seem less daunting. Plan out each step, set a date to achieve that step and then suddenly the one big overall task doesn’t seem as scary. It’s also worth noting that the dates, steps and each key point throughout the whole process will change — don’t worry, this is all part of life; things are always changing.
Another way to look at the question is to consider the link between your success and your happiness. Are the most successful (whichever way you measure this) people in the world the happiest? Is happiness what they prioritise? Realistically, only you can determine how happy or successful you are. Buddhists would probably argue (or maybe they wouldn’t — they’re Buddhists) that they are some of the most contented people in the world, with almost no money but instead with success measured in other ways, a lot of which is involved with helping and caring for others.
Finally, try the following: keep an open mind, shoot for the stars, don’t hold yourself back and get out of your comfort zone! Oh, and get started today… don’t put it off until tomorrow.
