How to be a success isn’t complicated or a secret. It’s pretty simple: You make things happen. But there’s much more to it if you genuinely want to succeed.
How to Be a Success
Many books and posts recommend how to be a success. For me, they’re often too self-serving. When someone asks me how to be successful, I answer with tips that work for me. They may also work for you. Briefly, they center on believing in yourself and using your strengths.
Who are These Successful People?
When thinking about success, it’s natural to wonder who these successful people are and what they have in common. I love Jim Lovell’s quote here because it’s easy to understand.
“There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what happened. To be successful, you need to be a person who makes things happen.” – Jim Lovell.
So, what about you? Are you a doer, a watcher, or a wonderer? The answer may lie at the heart of whether or not you find yourself successful in life.
How to Be a Success Means Sometimes You Wait
Granted, sometimes you must wait and watch to become motivated to act. After all, what interests you often involves stepping outside your comfort zone and taking a few risks. However, nothing worthwhile ever occurred without a little discomfort. For one thing, it’s anxiety-provoking to think about taking on a challenge, something you’ve never done before. Maybe you should watch and wait for a while.
- But don’t wait too long. If you wait until the proverbial time is right, you may still be waiting months and years.
- At that point, instead of being successful, you’ll be one of those people who scratch their heads in dismay and wonder what happened.
- Learn to accept feeling uncomfortable. It’s good for change.
Making things happen sounds too easy. It isn’t. Furthermore, it involves long periods of practice, building skills, and acquiring knowledge. It generally takes longer than anticipated and requires more work than you intended.
But success is worth it if the goal is one that you truly desire. You really can have it all.
Are You Ready to Make Things Happen?
Ask yourself these questions to see if you can make things happen. Whether your goal is personal or career, your answers will guide you to success.
- Is this goal something I want?
- How much effort and intent will I put into achieving it?
- What will I do if distractions get in my way?
- Besides, do I have a plan to follow, or will I wing it?
- What about resources? Do I need to line them up, or are they readily available?
- How will I handle criticism, failure, and rejection? Also, am I strong enough to get past this? Can I recommit?
- Am I willing to learn from my mistakes?
- What about revising my plan along the way? Have I incorporated that into my strategy?
- Have I factored measurements into my plan to know when it’s successful?
How to Be a Success: The Caveman Scenario
I’d like to illustrate this with the following scenario: Early cavemen enjoyed sitting around the fire with their companions, partners, and offspring. Telling tales of hunting exploits got everyone going and lasted well into the night. But some little ones fell asleep, missing out on the stories.
The caveman started etching shapes into the earth with a stick, but the images were quickly obliterated as everyone dispersed. The same stick, used to poke and prod the fire, was blackened at the tip. He looked at his sooty fingers and gazed at the empty cave wall. Then, he thought about scratching his pictures there.
From Sketch to Story
First, it was just a rudimentary sketch. Then, the images grew in size, complexity, and number. Before long, they told a complete story. Now, the little ones and everyone in the caveman’s group could enjoy the tale. He was designated as the official keeper of the tales, and his stature grew among the clan.
Did the Cavemen Show How to Be a Success?
Was this a success? Did the caveman make things happen? From a desire to share his tales with his children, he figured out how to do that and made it happen. It was an absolute success.
If the caveman could do it, imagine what you can do. What challenges do you want to master?
