One thing I’ve learned about success is that there are many elements of success. What this means to me is that success and what makes us successful is purely subjective. Some value having a lot of money, while others believe success stems from strategic use of money and middle-class earnings. Others forgo money entirely and focus on how much products or services have helped people or have positively impacted them.
Even researching this piece I’ve found several articles that talk about various factors that’ll bring you success.
With that said, the list that I’ve put together is a combination of my own thoughts and opinions as well as what I found. By no means is it conclusive as there are so many ways people can find success and happiness.
With this in mind, here are some important elements of success that I believe are important for overall happiness.
A Strong Belief In Self
Self esteem plays such a critical role in our lives that this is my first element of success. Particularly in the fact we need to strongly believe in ourselves and what we are setting out to do.
Over the span of our journey, we will face all kinds of challenges that’ll shake our self-esteem. Common occurrences are times where our skills or our own self are placed into question. These are the most common pitfalls and we can certainly see why in many cases.
Often people who are too narrow-minded will say things like “I’d never be able to do that,” or “ I don’t think I have the skills to do that.”
This is a result of small thinking but also self-doubt. If this is in you, you will have to deal with it or you’ll run into many mental barriers.
Setting The Right Type Of Goals
Of course, this is going to be brought up if you’ve read any of my work. Goals play a massive role, however, you have to set goals properly. It’s not a matter of setting goals and working towards them.
As I found out the hard way, they can lack direction and can be a huge waste of time in some cases.
So why are you recommending them then?
As I said, there is a proper way to be setting goals and having them help you grow. I’ve come to learn this after spending a year setting goals and failing miserably every time.
So how do you set proper goals?
Here are my thoughts on that:
- First, you want to have goals set up in a system. Instead of setting a simple goal with a vision, you want to integrate it into the bigger picture of your life. With this in mind, my suggestion is to be setting goals that are deeply connected to you.
- Second, you’ll need a form of motivation to help you get through achieving a goal. Even if we are excited about the goal we set, those emotions are short-lived and we’re going to need more motivation. The thing is motivation through motivational videos or seminars are also short-lived.
My suggestion is finding something called intrinsic motivation. This is the motivation that stems from making progress towards a vision. Connect that to your goals and always remind yourself of that. For example, I’ve grown over the idea of making a certain amount of money. Instead, I’ve trained myself to envision what wealth means to me. Being debt-free, being able to afford to live. It’s reminding myself of that where I find a reason to continue working with my clients and to think of new money-making opportunities.
- Third, create a reminder system. People say to write out your goals and I agree with that. But how you present goals can vary. In some cases, it can be a written text outlining who you want to become. Or maybe it could be a vision board or a series of to-do lists.
Whatever the case is, I feel that presentation – and proper presentation at that – will be needed to serve as a reminder of your objectives.
Elements Of Success: Budgeting & Money Mindset
Whoever says money isn’t important is a liar. While there are certain points in our lives where money doesn’t become as important, the thing is, we’re not all Jeff Bezos. Or multi-billionaires for that matter.
For a good portion of the population, having budgeting skills and some savvy in finance and accounting will help us in so many ways.
The biggest reason I stand behind that is the fact many of us are financially illiterate. Most of us don’t know how to use credit cards properly let alone what a typical savings plan should look like.
There is even a small percentage of people in the US who don’t have a bank account.
Don’t be like those people and take some time putting together a budget. Not only that but I’d also suggest learning about some basic account (specifically in forming the various statements), and other personal finance skills. There are various books and courses available on the subject.
Staying On Top Of Your Industry
Depending on what industry you’re in, make sure that you stay on top of it. While there is a lot of information that comes out every day, the key here is to not know everything. Instead, devote a small portion of time to reading various pieces of content.
Some ideas that come to mind are:
- Follow blogs or official sites that share the latest in your industry.
- Look to podcasts in your industry as well.
- Occasionally buy a best seller book in your industry. It may be repetitive, but it can provide other nuggets of information.
The point of embracing this one of the elements of success is to be informed about where the industry is going. It’ll help you to prepare for what sort of skills do you need to consider and to stay ahead of the curve.
All of this matters because as I mentioned before, industries change and grow. Blockbuster got demolished because they didn’t embrace video streaming software. Sears, JC Penney, and many other stores have folded because they lacked online shopping methods.
The thing is there were clear signs that that was what was happening. So stay relevant and brush up on what’s happening in your industry.
Determination
Another element of success I resonate with is determination. It’s the will to endure and to get through the tough times. This is important because there will be times where you’ll face challenges in life. While methods and steps are simple in theory, there are many other obstacles that emerge.
All of this reminds me of a particular quote that goes like this:
“Success comes from moving from problem to problem with no lack of enthusiasm.”
How that enthusiasm stays afloat is through determination. To find determination here are some suggestions:
- Have a never give up attitude.
- Train yourself to see your failures as lessons to grow from.
- Remind yourself that success will come so long as you are willing to adapt, learn and grow.
Getting Support
While a lot of these things are solo efforts, the reality is no one has become a success by themselves. There will always be one person that’s there to cheer you on and to help you grow in some way.
With this in mind, it’s important to surround yourself with people who can keep you motivated and can help you along the way. Thankfully forming this group is a lot easier thanks to the internet. It’s easier in this case to form mastermind groups or a small group of people.
Elements Of Success: Leadership Skills
There is a wide variety of qualities that form a leader of course. However, every successful person in the world is viewed as a leader in some way. Achievement stems from people who make decisions and take action to do that. As a result, we highlight the specific skills of leaders.
A good start in good leadership skills are the ones outlined in this infographic.
Elements Of Success: Staying Humble
Humility is another element of success that I value and believe it’s important for overall happiness. Mainly because this skill is a good reminder for the progress that you’ve made. It’s not about downplaying your achievements, but rather ensuring that your achievements don’t get to your head.
I say this because often times success gets to our heads. When we achieve something, we believe that the problem is solved and that we never have to deal with it again. The reality is that problems – even old problems – can emerge at any time.
Staying humble or having humility serves as a reminder of how much progress we’ve made and to not forget those small beginnings. Humility also allows us to bring gratitude to our lives as well. I find this especially important because we often fail to realize how much we value something until it’s gone.
Gratitude paired with humility is a great system. In a sense, it’s a way to celebrate ourselves and to lift ourselves up.
Master The Elements Of Success
The elements of success are powerful tools that push us forward in all manners of life. They are cornerstone skills that I believe are essential if you want to have any kind of progression or growth.
And though these skills are easy on paper, these take years to master and even still that might not be enough. Remember to keep up these skills, even if you believe they have been properly addressed.
To your growth!
Eric S Burdon