How do YOU define success? In your view it might be the wealthiest person you know, those with the educational qualifications, or even your mentors. Every individual has their own way of characterizing who is successful: it may be the personality or their professional feat.
I believe success is YOU and ME, and success is a journey. Many times in our lives we are often tempted to look on others as being successful without actually looking inward to count our wins too. Most of us have been through very hostile hurdles in our lives before we got to where we are now, and one of the very common definitions of success is the accomplishment of a predetermined goal; so if we have set out goals in our lives to overcome obstacles that show up on our way, and we were able to overcome them, I believe that such a win in itself proves that we are a success!
True success is when we achieve or even surpass our own expectations and continually strive for overall development, irrespective of the odds facing us. Just like Lombardi said: if you have the will, you surely will make a difference and be successful.
One thing we fail to bear in mind is that being successful is a daily process. It’s a mission, it will not end till we lay in our graves; even with that, the legacy we leave behind never dies -- we can talk of Steve Jobs, Henry Ford amongst others.
Usually, society streams us into the conventional thinking to ensure that we are be exactly like some other individual, forgetting the eternal fact that everyone was wired with a unique DNA. Yes, some people might be able to achieve to some extent what someone has done, but it cannot be through the exact channel they went or time they spent. However, if they had thought of doing things in their own unique way or added on to what they gathered from them, they surely would have exceeded whoever they tried to be like. This is the main reason why many businesses are failing today.
For example, out of maybe three (3) companies who started doing the same business, only one is likely to survive; why? Because that surviving company did something unique; it may be because of another product added, good customer relations that led to customer loyalty, employee commitment and determination to achieve company-goals amongst other factors.
The failed companies are likely to have failed simply because although they ventured into the same business idea, they did not make or offer any unique variation to that business but rather stuck to the generic idea -- and as competition stiffened, they found that their strength to sustain the business depleted rapidly. My point is simply this: we don't have to copy exactly what someone has done; we can add on to it or do it differently. In life when you are unique and make a positive impact, you can never be ignored; rather you will be in high demand and tremendously acknowledged.
The main brain behind Apple Inc (Steve Jobs) said in one of his quotes concerning being different: “Here’s to the crazy ones; the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round-pegs in the square-holes and the ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius because, the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do”.
Success is not the money you have saved or invested, rather it is just the by-product of good work; it is not your profile, nor even your medals and certificates of achievement which you have flamboyantly exhibited -- it goes beyond that, it’s all about happiness and satisfaction. The main product of good business-work is satisfaction, whether it’s you or the customer.
Whether you are an individual or an organisation, we all have set goals we want to achieve in future. It may be short-term or long-term goals, and we may think until we have achieved all these goals then are we unsuccessful. But this is not entirely true. We have to bear in mind that success comes through effective time management, proper and organised planning, discipline and passion.
The targets you set for a day becomes your success after having achieved them; the same applies to weeks, months and even years. All you have to do is have a plan and set your focus on the expected end of the plan while you work toward it. Working hard and smart will only pay off. If by any chance some become successful without going through this grueling process, I can guarantee you that the success is usually short-lived.
Our passions and goals must be self-set. People may tell you that you can’t do something, but that does not mean you have to let their opinion become your reality. We must make up our minds not to make real the negative opinions people have about us. If we spend time responding and reacting to everyone else, we will lose our sense of direction in life. Our positive results are the outcome of our positive daily actions, do the things that will make you feel proud. Start walking the talk. Make your strategic plan and do things that matter.
It must be emphasised that self-satisfaction from being successful can be achieved only if the means used are morally and socially ethical. In his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey (1999) said: ''If I try to use human strategies and tactics of how to get other people to do what I want; to work better, to be more motivated, to like me and each other, while my character is fundamentally flawed, marked by duplicity and insincerity, then in the long-run I cannot be successful.”
How then do you measure success? “The foundation of success is not a set of achievements or a combination of external factors; it is a mindset. Success is an attitude that comes from a framework of powerful beliefs and empowering thoughts. Because what you think and believe about your life largely determines how you feel (your attitude), what actions you take (your behaviour) and what you achieve (the end result.), the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.'' -- Walt Disney Company. Our beliefs also contribute to our being successful, and therefore what we believe either weakens or strengthens us.
A large part of your life is spent at the workplace and the only way you can be truly satisfied and successful is to do what you believe is great work, by loving what you do. As with all matters of the heart, you will know when you find what you love doing most; so keep searching and don't settle for what doesn’t make you happy.
We are fully responsible for our life’s successes. It’s easy to blame someone else for our challenges that hinder us from reaching our end result, but it doesn’t resolve anything. Sure, at first it might seem reasonable to expect our problems to be solved by those who helped create them -- but we must stop and think about it as well, because we don’t want to give the people who created those problems for us any additional control over our future. This means we must always be positive-minded, no matter the obstacles that come our way. Perhaps life has given you a burden you don’t deserve. Instead of seeing this as an excuse to give up, see it as an opportunity to take charge and give it all you’ve got.
Remember not to look elsewhere for success, because YOU are the real success. You don’t need a new year to make a resolution for a change; all you need is today.
By Mercy Tetteh
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