Success is a constant work in progress. Whether you’re rewriting strategy plans at midnight, or waking up at 6am to set goals, or creating a dream board on your Sunday morning, success takes work and thought. As we all strive to reach our ideal level of success, it’s easy to lose sight of the small details that can really attribute to our growth without us realizing.
Here are five things to remember as you work hard every day to be successful, to serve as a little pick me up wherever you are in your journey.
1. Success is a long, rocky road – don’t forget that
The path to becoming successful isn’t an easy one, and it’s definitely not a smooth ride. Ups and downs are part of the process, and it’s what makes you learn and grow. Failures are a huge part of becoming successful, because without them, you’d be naive and aloof. Don’t expect instant gratification in anything that you do – remember, good things come with time and hard work. Every set back opens up a new door.
2. Know your weaknesses and embrace them
Being successful doesn’t mean you have to be all things to all people. Knowing and admitting your weaknesses will only help you reach your goal faster. I know a CEO who fired herself as CEO to let someone run her company, because she knew managing others wasn’t her strong point. How incredible is that? She did what she knew she had to do to watch her company succeed, and that meant that while she gave up the biggest title, she could still reap all the benefits of being the founder and spokeswoman to an extremely successful start-up. That brings us to the next point…
3. Do one thing well and own it
Spreading your business or yourself too thin will only result in a watered down version of whatever you’re trying to do. Think of the gym that offers smoothies, yoga, massages, chiropractor, Pilates, spinning, etc. Seriously, do you even know of a super popular gym that offers EVERYTHING? The gyms that kill it are the ones who know their strength and niche and go after it with everything they have. Building a strong brand, whether personal or company starts with having a strong identity. Don’t over complicate things – stick to one thing you love, know, and feel passionate about and go after it.
4. Never stop learning
Just because you have a fancy degree or years of experience, it doesn’t mean you’re done learning. Be furiously curious. Ask questions. Read different points of view. Get to know things you have no idea about. The hunger for knowledge is what separates successful people from the rest of the pack. It not only makes you smarter, it makes you humble and well rounded. Plus, it can really benefit your networking skills by giving you a wide range of topics to connect with others about.
5. Connect with those around you
One of the things everyone struggles with lately is human connection. One of my favorite books is Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi because it talks about how important relationships are to success and teaches you how to hone your people skills. When we’re hyper focused, it’s easy to get tunnel vision and lose sight of those around you. One conversation with one person can totally change your life. It’s important to make time to connect with others every single day. Becoming successful is about more than just putting in the work. Work is definitely important, but so is personal growth and investing in the world around you.
