Success does not happen by chance. Sure, there are stories of the accidental millionaire, but what those stories neglect to mention is that the person who achieved great heights accidentally did so while pursuing success in another area.
Setting the stage for success means taking the steps necessary to allow success to come. It might mean saying "no" to a piece of cake at an office party in order to finally fit into those skinny jeans. It could mean going to bed early when others are out enjoying themselves in order to be alert for a big test or a major presentation. Or it might mean being consistent in child-rearing techniques so that a child has an opportunity to succeed in school. Whatever it is, it's personal and it's the result of effort.
Success Defined
Merriam Webster defines success as "an outcome or result; the degree or measure of succeeding; favorable or desired outcome; also, the attainment of wealth, or eminence; one that succeeds." But success is something more personal. It was the pioneer in speaking and personal development Dale Carnegie, who said, "The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore." (2)
Success is not guaranteed. Pursuing it is a risk. Being willing to try, to reach for something that is just beyond, to attempt what others deem impossible – that is the precursor to success. Success is a journey that begins the moment that action is taken.
Setting Goals for Success
Most of the books say that the first step to attaining success is setting goals. To read these books, one might think that goals magically cause success to come. But the reality is that anything you focus upon has a greater chance of occurring. Achieving goals set in any or all of the major areas of life comes from focus.
These books encourage readers to clearly define goals, make a plan for achieving them, and work hard at these plans. It is important to remember the need to step back and look at the progress (or lack of it), to make necessary changes and to remain focused on the goal.
Brian Tracy once said, "If what you are doing is not moving you towards your goals, then it's moving you away from your goals." (2) Tracy asserts that those who have clearly defined, written goals, accomplish more than people who never put their goals to paper. Following Tracy's theory, it's essential to make a plan and stick to it; that is success.
Micro and Macro Successes
Success stories highlight macro successes: an athlete who overcame the loss of a limb and went on to win a gold medal, a man who climbed a mountain during a snowstorm to save the life of another, an impoverished person who rose to a high level position. But it is truly the micro successes that allow for those glory moments. The athlete who overcame the loss of the limb to win a gold couldn't have done so without getting out of bed and heading to the gym every day. The man who climbed a mountain during a snowstorm had to have trained heavily and studied the elements in order to accomplish that feat.
Reginald Ball, founder of iSekurity and former United States Secret Service Agent states that it is the micro successes that lead to the macro. "Diligent pursuit of a goal creates success. iSekurity is built on the single goal of helping people to protect their identity."
Disciplined Success
Truly, it's the little successes that empower people to set the stage for the big moments. Discipline in the pursuit of goals is what sets the stage for success. And the good news is that once the activity becomes a habit; it is no longer a struggle.
Jim Ryun, an incredible American athlete, is quoted as saying, "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." (2)
If a writer sits down to write every day, he will have written hundreds, if not thousands of pages by the end of the year. The discipline of writing, even just a few words a day, is what sets the stage for a writer to become prolific and successful.
Peter Vidmar attributed his success at the Olympic Games to one thing: discipline. He said, "There's only two things I had to do to win the Olympic gold: Train when I wanted to, and train when I didn't." (2)
Having Faith in the Pursuit of Success
The great American psychologist William James attributes failure to a severe lack of faith in oneself. "There is but one cause of human failure. And that is man's lack of faith in his true self." (2)
Having faith in one self and in the process are the biggest contributors to happiness and success. Believing that one deserves to succeed is just as important as believing that one has the ability to succeed.
Success may seem to be an elusive principle for those who dream of it, but do not do the work to pursue it. But for those brave souls who endeavor to throw caution to the wind, cast pride aside and reach for the golden ring moment after moment, success comes. It comes gradually as a result of countless smaller steps until finally the shining prize is won.
Learn to set the stage for success and enjoy the spoils that come to the victorious.
Sources
1 Merriam-Webster Online, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/success, August 21, 2009, Online
2 BrainyQuote.com, August 21, 2009, Online
Anthony Vultaggio - Anthony Vultaggio leads the New Thought Revolution Mondays at 8 PM Pacific on KLAA 830AM Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and ...
