We could probably have an interesting discussion on the definition of success. The one I favor was authored by Earl Nightingale, more than fifty years ago: “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.”
I really like that definition because it takes money out of the equation, unless it’s your specific ideal. It says the stay-at-home Mom is a success if she’s staying home because she wants to. It says that a teacher, or a carpenter, or a Starbucks barista is a success if they’re doing what they want to do, instead of what they have to do.
Regardless of the field in which one is successful, there are criteria or keys for success that apply to every endeavor. Here are five of those keys:
Success Seeds
1. Persistence
A common definition of persistence would be to stick with something until it’s finished. While I certainly support this important success principle, I think it’s important to make sure we’re persisting at being productive, innovative and creative. Continuing to persist doing unproductive work or striving to maintain the status quo doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Success and achievement require the virtue of persistence to counter the vice of mediocrity.
2. Use Wisdom to Your Advantage
Acquiring knowledge in and of itself won’t do much for you. The knowledge you gain and the information you accumulate must be applied in order for it to be effective. It’s not what you know that matters, it’s what you do with what you know that really counts.
3. Learn From Your Mistakes
This too is an aspect of wisdom. We all make mistakes; that’s not the issue. The question is, what’s the lesson to be learned from a mistake? The successful people learn from their mistakes, don’t repeat them and share the lessons learned with those they care about.
4. Self-Discipline
Without exception, the most successful people in life are self-disciplined. The late Jim Rohn once said: “Failure is the result of a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. Success, on the other hand, is the result of a few simple disciplines practiced every day.”
It would be worth your time to identify a few self- disciplines which, when practiced, would make significant contributions to your health, to your relationships and to your career. Don’t make a laundry list; it will only take a few to change everything.
5. A “Can Do” Attitude
Success experts like Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale, Brian Tracy and many others agree that a positive, “can do” attitude is one of the keys to real accomplishment. Remember the old line: whether you believe you can, or you can’t, you’re right. Successful men and women believe in themselves and in their ability to accomplish what they set out to do.
Tags: accomplish, business, discipline, improvement, knowledge, managers, mistake, organize, performance, persistence, self-discipline, success, successful, wisdom
