When people talk about ways of earning success they often bring up things like how you need to: “jump at the opportunity”, have solid “business plans” and remember that it’s all “risk versus reward”. 

That’s all well and good, however, there is more to finding success. It’s not easy, no matter what scam artists say, but I believe the road to success can be made much smoother. 

It’s important to remember that success is never guaranteed; at-least not in the way we picture in our minds. What we can do is make sure our chances of success keep going up; not down.

Today I’ve got a few mental notes to share with you regarding our pursuit of success. Despite the belief that success is only in material gain, I believe success starts with the mind, and yes, I’m about to tell you why. 

1. Failure is an Opportunity to Learn

When people hear “failure” they automatically assume everything is over and that it’s the end of the story. I like to believe failure is an opportunity for new stories to start. Many business ideas fail all the time. 

The positive side to failure is that you would have gained experience, knowing what worked and what didn’t work. This knowledge allows you to pursue your goals with a clearer picture. 

This is similar to how authors write novels. The first draft of their manuscript is never their best, so they re-write their draft until its perfect. Think of it the same way when you’re an entrepreneur. Your first business idea is rarely ever your best, you test it, and when it doesn’t do well, you take what worked last time and put it in a new idea.

2. Success is not about being “The Best”

Someone can be a surgeon, a lawyer or a detective; a really good one in fact. BUT, that doesn’t make them the best. See, to be “the best” at something means you are unchallenged, and that no one could ever outdo you in your field. And that simply isn’t true. We can all be really good at something, better than everyone around us, but we don’t know about other people across the world who may be better but pursuing other projects instead.

I don’t believe success is about being “the best”. That goal is a little short-sighted and I believe it affects our potential. 

I believe success is living up to your potential. Doing what you do and being proud of it. Not comparing yourself to others, achieving your dreams in whichever way doesn’t come at the cost of hurting others.

Your success is not defined by the outside world, love. It’s defined by you.

3. You don’t ignore your progress

I get it, it’s sometimes easy to drown ourselves in the big picture. 

Big ideas, big changes, big returns.

But what if I said “no” to all of that. I disagree. Big change does not mean great change. Not all the time.

If your business is progressing slowly, take note of that. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Sometimes we undermine our own achievements by waiting for that BIG win. We end up fatigued or discouraged because we feel like we’re not doing enough.

Instead of looking for those big wins only. We should remember to note down all the little victories, they matter just as much. 

After-all, small progress is better than no progress.

It’s important to remember that success is never guaranteed; at-least not in the way we picture in our minds. What we can do is make sure our chances of success keep going up; not down.

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