The word ‘success’ is probably one of the most popular search terms on Google today, that is of course, if Amazon search terms are anything to go by.
And how many books are released promising success in one form or another?
Take it from us, we have read a few, and there are a lot of them!

It seems each and every one of us wants to experience success on some level or another.
And that’s why we wanted to discuss success today, because we think that knowing what success means for you, is what real success is all about.

All too often, many of us focus far too heavily on an outcome or imagined end point, and say; “I want that.”

It’s great to have goals and a vision, but is that just a small part of a much wider approach when it comes to achieving success?
We think it is.

Success is often defined for us. It is projected upon us by society, and our well meaning family and friends.
Therefore, it’s recommended or impressed upon us by somebody else, their opinions, their beliefs and their values.
That often isn’t about what we want. It isn’t usually our personal idea of success.

Now if we happen to share those same beliefs and values of course, then we can go with the program.
But what if we don’t?
Well, we just might be starting out on an empty meaningless journey with a very hollow destination… and that’s assuming we go the distance that is.

How many times have we heard;
“I think you would be a great…”
“You should go ahead and do…”
“That job pays well and has good prospects – just do that.”

So, with the above in mind, what we need to do is to get clear, or clearer, on what success we want, and why we want it.
It doesn’t mean we don’t listen to the good advice of others, it simply means that we must understand what success means for us.

As with any approach in life, we start at the beginning. We focus on our needs, our wants, our aspirations and our motivations.
We also need to be cognisant of our own personal beliefs and values as we start building the foundations to support our journey towards what success means for us.
We want to make sure we go the distance.

To really hit this message home, let’s use a fitness analogy here with two very different people with different approaches.

Jane spontaneously joins a gym after being told by a friend that she would benefit from a membership after she casually mentioned she wanted to get fit and lose some weight.
She joins a gym the very next day, buys the gear, buys the supplements, gets a personal trainer, then proceeds to start working out.

After just 3 weeks she decides she doesn’t really like gyms, and she certainly doesn’t like training, or fitting it in to her daily routine.

Joanne on the other hand, took some time to determine what course of action would be best for her to improve her fitness.
She talked to some people, made some enquiries, and focused on what she would be prepared to do, and what she would enjoy doing, based on what her needs, wants, and aspirations were.
Joanne knew that whatever she chose to do, she would need to be happy doing it.

After 2 months of research, talking with various professionals, and attending various fitness classes, she decided that a workout routine during her lunch break at a gym close to work, would work really well for her, and help her to achieve the goals she had delineated well before making a final decision.

Jane, on the other hand, had an idea about what success might look like, and took on somebody elses recommendation.
Joanne took some time to work out the best course of action based on her needs, wants, and aspirations.

When we set out to succeed, or when we set out on a journey towards success, it is crucial we do the groundwork first and we connect the dots in meaningful ways that make sense for us.

When we do this, we give ourselves a higher probability of success in whatever we choose to pursue in our lives.

The key take away here?

Take the time to understand what real success means to you, develop the right mindset, and find the right people to help you get there.

It will be time, and money, well spent.