To sum up the 10 keys to success in life will be like putting a quart into a pint pot. Success is not an absolute entity. Rather I would say that success is a journey. It is ever-evolving and progressive. Like a perpetual voyage, once a destination is reached, we embark on another journey towards a better and more accomplished life.
How you define success in life can be different from my definition. but this is perfectly fine. In fact, this is what makes all of us globally acceptable for our own individuality.
How do you define success in life?
For me, true success in life is peace of mind, a clear conscience, and the basic amenities of life. But for you, it might mean a dream job or success in your own business setup. A student preparing for an entrance exam may feel clearing the exam as the ultimate success. Still another person may feel successful by achieving a perfect physical appearance.
But a few questions arise in our minds before we can embark on the road to success. How can I achieve success? And why success is important in life lastly how can I look successful even without putting in great toil?
Following is a list of 10 keys to success in life. These are tried and tested recipes to achieve success so follow them without a doubt!
1-Be present in the present!
People often fail to make peace with their past. To live a successful life, stop misspending your energies on things that have gone by. Turn the wheel of time forward to grow and excel rather than backward to cultivate remorse. This time is ‘gold’ and instrumental in deciding how much success you will garner in your coming days. Because when you have your eye on the future and you automatically feel driven and fearless. And this, my dear, is the key to success in life
Often times we unnecessarily hang on to our past mistakes or bitter experiences. This cultivates a negative attitude and intimidating nature in us.
Don’t you agree? If the will to take up a challenge dissipates in you, how will you be successful in life in any way? Learn to let go of the past. Always keep in mind that taking risks is a sure way to achieve success and defeat the demon of fear.
What Is the Formula for Success?
Faith can literally move mountains when life becomes uncertain. When we are unaware of the direction we need to steer in. In such circumstances, we often require to take a leap of faith if we want to rise to the occasion. The leap of faith that will decide the direction of our future endeavors and success.
But aren’t we too vulnerable to take this jump? The jump that we feel will land us in a boundless chasm? Yes, we are! Because we are humans and we lack the ability to look into the future of our efforts. But time has proved that those who keep staring at the abyss are unable to break the shackles of doubt. And this doubt holds them back from achieving the glory they deserve. Look at the top entrepreneurs of the world Jack Ma, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates. Do you think they would have reached the pinnacle of glory if they had not had faith and taken the leap? Never! We all would love to reach the height they have attained. Or comparatively lesser heights will also suffice.
But first, we need to take the risk that we have been putting off till tomorrow. We have to put away our apprehensions of failure or loss. And only faith can be our savior in this regard. It can prove to be the missing small steps to success in life. Faith is the power that will enable us to see past closed doors, lost opportunities, and setbacks. How can anyone say it better than the master artist of the Renaissance period-Michelangelo?
The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.
2- Embracing failure is one of the many keys to success in life
There are instances in everyone’s life when we exert all our focus ON a task but still fall short. Unfortunately. Failure is a demon that always comes uninvited. It momentarily plunges you into despair and scrubs all the happiness from you.
But wait! All is not lost. Have you heard the saying “your last mistake is your best teacher”? What you need is to not dwell on your failure but learn and adapt. Detach this failure from your identity and embrace it. Your success begins right there and then. Just
Analyze your shortcomings,
Extract the lessons from it and
Move on.
Don’t allow it to be a stigma that is going to slow down the pace of success for you. Now minus the mistakes from your previous plan, exert again and you will definitely go farther.
3- Balance between contentment and ambition
The ultimate key to success lies in striking a balance between contentment and ambition. Ambition makes sure that you keep climbing the ladder of success. Contentment dissipates competition from the heart and their balance keeps the fire alive inside you. THE fire that keeps you awake in pursuit of success in life. But the same fire provides you with the warmth of peaceful sleep.
The surface of stagnant water provides an apt example in this regard. Have you observed how it attracts all kinds of dirt, moss, and flies?
The same is true for you and me. We are a constantly evolving specie. Your definition of success 2 years ago may not be applicable right now. You have to constantly judge your goals and your progress towards them. Once your destination is reached, it is time to set new standards and strive for them.
In all probability, some actions may even require you to step out of your comfort zone. Try this feat once! And then see what the world has to offer you.
4-The magic of meditation
Are you familiar with the engulfing feeling of calm after a meditation session?
The magic of meditation is that it actively programs your thoughts to get a clear vision of your aspirations. Hence it is a vital key to living a successful life. All you need is 10 to 15 conscious calm minutes to orient yourself towards your goal. It even filters the negative emotions which may hamper your journey towards success. We are all familiar with the fancy hormones cortisol, endorphins, melatonin, and whatnot. These are released as a result of meditation. Their effect is a decrease in stress levels which is the killer of a positive personality. The same hormones regulate mood, social behavior, appetite, and sleep cycle. Meditation is among the most important of the 10 keys to success in life.
So next time you feel down, spread out that mat and let the magic begin.
5-Eyes on the prize are key to success in life
When struggling to achieve a goal it is possible to lose sight of the target. The most important key to success in life/ keys to success in life is to keep your eye on the prize at ALL TIMES.
Whatever short-term goal you have set, remind yourself of it and do it often. With your aim at the bull’s eye, you are sure to stay focused and avoid any distraction
But we human beings are flawed by nature it is possible to lose our way. This happens when we have been struggling to be successful in our careers etc for a long time. At such a plateau remind yourself of the prized destination that you have aspired for. Cultivate motivation to continue through all possible channels. See the larger picture or even imagine what it will be like to reach the summit. What the world will look like, how proud your loved ones will be, and lastly how contented you will be.
This will provide you with a push to transpose your stamina and enthusiasm more effectively.
6- Procrastinate -never!!
Procrastinating procrastination is the key to success in life. No matter what age bracket you belong to, what aspirations you hold on to, or well organized you are. Do not worry if you have struggled with time management on day to day basis. It is but natural.
Because oftentimes we all are guilty of putting things off till tomorrow. But if you defeat this one habit, you are almost halfway through to success.
Look back and try to find one key reason for each time you failed at something. You will definitely find procrastination as the prime suspect in most scenarios.
Here are a few tips to avoid procrastination:
- Think of future rewards if you get your work done in a hotfoot.
- Keep in view the catastrophe that procrastination can bring to your life.
- Finally the most effective way;
Next time you do not feel up to a task say this loud “Procrastination is cancerous to my productivity”. Repeat several times. If this helps you get buckled up, don’t forget to thank me.
Time blocking technique to avoid procrastination:
Time blocking can be quite a useful strategy to avoid procrastination and achieve success in life. It means to dedicate a set amount of time to each task according to its length and importance and try to reach your deadline. This will help you prioritize your work, improve your time effectiveness, and make you feel elated about achieving a target. Once your time is well managed, it helps you reach achieve short-term goals and complete targets before deadlines. After all the work you can easily set aside time for your leisure activities. When your work is done and you have time for yourself, your stress levels will automatically go down. Here- you have unlocked my key to success in life.
7. Overall wellbeing is important to be successful in life
Looking after your health and well-being is crucial to escalate efficiency and achieve lasting success. Research backs the claims that successful people are more organized and health-conscious.
When you are in good health, you are in good spirits. And what do good spirits do? They accelerate you to success.
They don’t say a healthy body has a healthy mind for nothing. It is the essence of the experience of many wise men. The relationship between a healthy body and success is a reciprocal one. A healthy person, tapping his full potential, is expected to get ahead of his unhealthy counterpart. With physical health comes tranquillity and focus, precise planning, and timely execution. These all are sure the ingredients of success in life.
Take a break
I have witnessed people working like machines, exerting themselves into strenuous 8 to 10 hours of continuous grind or even up to 12 hours without any rest. This can be counterproductive to well-being and success in the long run. Because after a certain limit, your mind stops working with the same efficiency. Taking some time off can relax and recharge your brain. All you have to do is switch off your personal gadgets and go for a walk or do some yoga. Taking a vacation is also helpful in unwinding a person. “Rest is best for the next test” is a kind of tongue twister but its truth cannot be denied.
Hoard positive energy for well being
Success in simple words is all about Adopting an optimistic mindset and building a positive perspective. As both these attitudes can prove helpful in our overall well-being. Since our bodies work on the principle of resonance, it is imperative to hoard positive energy from all possible sources. Be it the people who surround you, eating healthy food, or adopting a constructive habit. These constructive practices will improve mental as well as physical well-being.
8-Gratitude is essential
Gratitude is not just thanking your lord for all the blessings either verbally or through actions, gratitude is more than words and gestures. Gratitude is a feeling which turns materialism into contentment, denial into acceptance. It turns vulnerabilities, and insecurities into strength, doubt into belief, and everything bad into good.
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey
Gratitude is a quality of being thankful and it is undeniably one of the key rules to get success in one’s life. From the psychological perspective, gratitude creates more positivity and happiness in life because you tend to be more appreciative of nature and its blessings. It is one of the most important among the 10 keys to success in life.
9. Be assertive
Success comes to those with a sound attitude and assertive nature. Sometimes while we are struggling to be successful, not going with the winds or saying ‘no’ can be tough. The belief that pleasing our coworkers all the time will help in success is not valid. Cordial relationships are a must for success but this should not be done at the cost of integrity or peace of mind. Compromising these elements can be counterproductive to your growth and success.
In such circumstances remember the story of the man and his donkey.
No matter how well the man treated his donkey, there was someone or the other displeased with the treatment. Ironically, in the end, the man was left empty-handed whereas the world moved about its business.
Being assertive you expect your boundaries to be respected and reciprocate the same attitude to all those around you. This positivity helps you succeed.
10. To be successful, help others succeed
Remember that classmate who always shared his notes? You will never forget his gesture and his kind-hearted attitude. It’s not necessary that we help only those below us, sometimes those above us might also need our help. Like, as helping your boss struggling with a deadline. This kind gesture will reflect positively on your professional and personal profile. And who knows you might get an early promotion☺
Jokes apart, When you help others succeed, the results might not be instantaneous but they will surely surface someday. As the quote goes “Karma moves in two directions. If we act virtuously, the seed we plant will result in happiness”. Love returns the love.
Conclusion: 10 Keys to Success in Life
It is undeniably true that luck is a contributing factor to success. But its share is only a tiny fraction of many other factors. If the 10 keys to success in life discussed above can be materialized, then great laurels can certainly be achieved. Because success is struggling every day to be a better version of yourself. To avail yourself, of the countless opportunities around you, to grow, learn, forgive, and ultimately succeed. You just need to tap your potential and inculcate these steps in your journey to success. Then sit back and see God’s hand in everything. You will soon realize like Churchill that the more you work hard and concentrate on these small factors, the more luck will be on your side. These 10 keys to success in life will help you achieve your long-awaited dreams.
