Did you know that as little as 8% of people achieve their goals?
Everyone wants to find success in life, but what is success in life? Time and time again, people find that success for them is very different compared to the person next to them. However, there are a few key principles that seem to remain true across time and across people.
It’s not just about making money or achieving our goals. It’s about building tools along the way that shape who we are and how we react to future challenges.
Let’s discuss 8 tips to be successful in life.
1. Don’t Measure Your Own Success in Life Against That of Others
As we’ve said, success is a very different thing depending on who you are. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to measure whether or not you’re successful based on how others have turned out.
It’s important to factor luck into the equation. Too many people look at businessmen and celebrities and attribute their success to effort. They never take into consideration that there is a certain element of luck–not everyone can be Leonardo DiCaprio!
All of this is to say that you need to measure success according to yourself. It would be unrealistic for you to consider yourself unsuccessful in basketball if you aren’t tall enough to slam dunk. Recognizing your limits isn’t a sign of weakness–it’s a sign of maturity.
Don’t take this to mean that you should give up since luck is fleeting. Rather, be pragmatic and realistic in your goals. You’ll feel far less shame if you’re shooting for things you can actually achieve.
Recognize that you can be happy without being famous. It’s unfortunate that so many people look for fame and acclaim. These are transient things that don’t really matter at the end of the day.
2. Avoid Burnout
For ages, hard work has been one of the primary characteristics of a successful person. However, in recent times we’re beginning to see why this oft-romanticized ideal is… well, romanticized.
Working hard is important, of that there is no doubt. But overwork yourself, and you introduce burnout into the equation.
Burnout is a form of mental exhaustion after working at full capacity for long periods of time. It occurs most often in those who work years without a vacation. It leads to reduced performance and reduced motivation as well.
A speaker on mental toughness would advise that you know your limits. Take regular breaks, and don’t be afraid to step away from your goals from time to time to protect your mental health.
However, don’t step away for too long. It’s easy for a “break” to go on for hours, days, or months. The longer you step away, the harder it is to get back at it.
3. Don’t Put Too Much Stock in Self-Help Media
One of the biggest aisles in the bookstore is dedicated to one thing and one thing only: self-help books. Demand for self-help literature has been high for decades and doesn’t seem to be losing steam anytime soon. The reason is obvious: people want to learn how to be successful from the greats.
However, like number one, success is a personal thing. What got Steve Jobs up in the morning won’t necessarily get you up in the morning. In other words, don’t rely too much on self-help books to find the methods that are right for you.
The best advice we can give is to find what works and ignore what doesn’t. Not everyone can sleep 4 hours and work out first thing in the morning. If you’re a night owl who prefers to hit the gym on the weekends, then do that!
This can be difficult, given that self-help gurus and life coaches can be so persuasive. But understand that they have something to sell, and they’ll stoop to any level they can to sell it.
4. Stop Looking at Failures as Disaster
We hear this bit of wisdom often enough, but too few people put it into practice.
Failure is inevitable, period. Just take a look at Elon Musk. The multi-billionaire purchased Twitter, and within weeks he ran the company into the ground.
Failures aren’t just inevitable; they’re necessary. Dealing successfully with difficult changes in your life involves learning how to do things right. In many cases, you can’t do something right until you’ve done it wrong.
Most importantly, don’t feel bad for repeat failures. You will make the same mistakes more than once, and you may make them a thousand times. What matters is that you never give up in the face of so much failure.
Be proud of your failures! These should be badges of honor, not moments of shame. Many failures can and should be proof that you made it this far, and that you won’t give up any time soon.
5. Eliminate Negative Self-Talk
Whenever you do something wrong, you might fall into the temptation to talk down to yourself. This might seem normal, even. But psychologists the world over agree that this can only do damage to your mental health.
Part of finding success in life is being your own best friend. A good friend wouldn’t tear you down when you failed. So why would you tear yourself down in the same situation?
Build yourself up when you fail. Be realistic, sure, but don’t treat a hiccup like the end of the world. Acknowledge that you did some things wrong, but that you’re more than capable of doing them right the next time around.
This will take time to develop. You may realize that you have an automatic reaction to failure. Training your brain to be positive in these difficult moments will make all the difference.
6. Avoid Distractions
Think of a time that you allowed a distraction to take over your life. Perhaps you had a goal, but then a new TV show came out, or you got addicted to a game on your phone. All it took was a slight deviation from the course before the distraction consumed you.
Distractions are dangerous things for goal-setters. And the worst part is that we often don’t recognize when a distraction has hooked us. We might look at something as just a bit of fun on the side.
That’s why it’s important to identify when we are procrastinating and when we’ve put goals on pause for good reason. Any time something gets in the way of your goal, ask yourself a question. Is this procrastination, or is this really something I can’t postpone?
It’s one thing if you have to take your child to their piano recital. But it’s another entirely going to an old friend’s party when you haven’t talked in years.
You may quickly discover that your brain is constantly creating reasons to avoid work. These reasons may seem convincing, and you may buy them wholeheartedly. But this is just your brain trying to get you to be lazy.
7. Consistency Is Key
All successful people have one thing in common: they’re consistent.
Writers write on a regular basis. Athletes go to practice every day. Celebrities attend countless auditions.
Some would say that you need to work on your dream every day. Others would say you need more balance. But no matter the situation, consistency is key.
You cannot get good at something or find success if you don’t put in the hours. Practice makes perfect, and without time and experience, you won’t see significant progress.
Following the last point, you may have regular temptations to go off-script. Distractions and overall laziness will keep you from the goals you really desire. Don’t let them!
8. Reward Yourself for Progress
After a long day, week, or month of working hard, give yourself a break. You’ve earned it! This can come in the form of a night out to a movie or just sleeping in.
Of course, make sure this reward doesn’t interfere with your goals. Going out to eat when you’re on a diet might not be the smartest idea.
Often times the smallest rewards are the sweetest. For example, you might give yourself a longer break after a busy day. You might buy yourself a pastry or a coffee.
That said, don’t fall into a rut of rewarding yourself too much! Your body is greedy, and it wants as much satisfaction as it can get. Don’t reward it with too much enjoyment.
Use these rewards to drive yourself towards future goals. The anticipation of a reward, even a small one, could be the motivation that you need to get yourself there.
Go Out and Be Successful
Success in life doesn’t follow a strict formula that works for everyone. However, there are some key tips to keep in mind as you aim for success. Who knows, the above tips might be just what you need to find the success you were always looking for!
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