Why Success is a Choice: Go to “The Next Level”

Does everyone dream of becoming successful? No. Does everyone who wants to be successful, become successful? No.

So, what does it take to achieve success?

1. YOU need to want it
2. YOU need to choose success
3. YOU need to understand and live ‘dedication’ and ‘commitment’

The above seem to be three simple commonsense statements; but, what do they really entail? Many self-help and self-development books tell us that we need to improve ourselves if we are to change our lives. True. But, considering the myriad of motivation books and countless numbers of trainers and coaches out there, which of them is delivering something we could not have figured out by ourselves had we set our minds to it?

“Why Success is a Choice” is not a self-development slogan! Rather, it is based on real experiences, real failures and real success stories and should simply serve as a reminder to all of us to take ownership of our success.

Have you ever had the following experience? Someone is bragging about her/his success and you were left admitting (maybe only to yourself) that you are not successful? We have all been there. But, after much soul searching, what did you do about it? Did you try to figure out why the other person is perceived as being successful? Sometimes people only say they are successful simply to appear to be more successful. Success is attractive and when other people believe them, it may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. The listener will become more successful.

Just have a look at all of the social media profiles of fitness coaches, celebrities or lifestyle advisors. We are not buying into the uniqueness of their programs or products. No, what is so seductive is the lifestyle, wealth, the health they show us in pictures, photos and videos. We are buying into their own interpretation of what success is; and, we believe that materialistic success – combined with thousands of likes and friends – is what success is and we measure our own achievements against theirs. In times of Snapchat, people are looking for immediate success and instant gratification. But, there is no such thing as overnight success, something we do have to understand. Stop! Let’s take a step back and escape such an external-controlled definition of success. Let’s find out what you consider to be success and how you pursue that thing we all call “success”.

Understanding ‘Work Ethic’ Today

Plato had already recognized many centuries ago that “the first and the best victory is to conquer self.” You build success by first working on yourself. Not only the bits and pieces you like to change – but the whole package! Using terms like ‘work ethic’ or ‘hard work’ these days almost sounds old – almost fossil-fashioned. What older generations accepted readily-maybe even without question – many people have to struggle to understand and internalize today. We do not have to revisit what success is: success is subjective and relative. But, we need to zoom in to investigate and find a modern and ‘snap’ or ‘insta’ version of ‘work ethic’ that will result in success.

Today, we are so often blinded by people achieving quick success that we do not realize the hard work, focus, practice, persistence and self-discipline they have invested. These five principles are at the core of any journey towards success, prosperity or popularity. Only those who are consciously and knowledgeably applying these principles when attempting to develop their strengths will be able to conquer themselves in Plato’s sense.

Accomplish ‘hard work’. Working long hours is admirable but it is not work in its purest form. If we consult Merriam-Webster’s full definition of ‘work’, we learn that ‘work’ is an “activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something”. Exerting strength is the keyword here. It is an activity that requires you to put considerable effort into achieving something. Simultaneously, it also refers to an attitude, skill or knowledge that you enhance with energy to excel.

Be focussed and organize your life. Organizing our work or our daily activities is at times quite challenging, especially for young or new entrepreneurs. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the complexities of tasks or goals. Time management, setting priorities and organizing the business in a structured and efficient way will help new entrepreneurs to focus on the important things. Focus not only on the big things: start with little steps.

Practice and show results. The third principle is ‘practice’. Try to deliver results every day. Practice everyday to improve your communication skills, for example. Talk to your team or to your client. Do not say, I will do it. Just do it – today, now. You are working on a business plan, deliver, present part of it today. Imagine that deadline is looming, suddenly, at the end of today. What can you show? Do not procrastinate, and don’t postpone tasks to future dates. Do them now. You can do other things tomorrow.

Persistence through failure. It is easy to say we are committed to our respective plans and ideas. However, only when we experience opposition or hurdles are we able to demonstrate and express endurance and stamina. We have all heard the saying “mistakes will make us stronger”. True, but only if we learn from them. How can we develop persistence? It is not necessarily taught in business schools. Only in real life can we develop it. Therefore, it is very important that we expose ourselves to new, challenging and difficult situations. We need to train ourselves to deal with the worst scenarios. Once we have overcome problems, we gain self-confidence, self-awareness and self-esteem.

Self-discipline to accomplish goals. The fifth principle, self-discipline, refers to being in control of yourself. Don’t get too emotional when making business decisions: show dignity and respect to others. Look at yourself in a mirror. If you were your boss, what advice, judgment or critique would you give yourself? Sometimes we have to put ourselves under even more pressure to perform better. Test yourself daily.