Everyone dreams to be successful at least at some point in their lives. But how many of us actually got off the couch and start living the dream, or at least took that first tiny step?
A successful man becomes what he is today for various reasons. You’ll need to understand yourself and define that reason. Be it for the obvious reasons such as the glittering gold and fame, or any other personal reasons. First, you need to understand the why and the how will follow.
Everyone has that drive in themselves for something they want badly enough. By understanding why, you’ll understand what makes you tick and what doesn’t. By understanding the fundamentals of your ticking clock, you’ll find the needed fuel in your long journey towards success.
My personal favorite would be Chris Gardner ever since I watched “The pursuit of happyness”. He is a driven man, for reasons sprouted from desperation, love for his family, and providing the best for his family. The ‘nitro’ for his drive then come from the unwavering love and trust from his son.
Now that you’ve understood the why, let’s move on to the how. How does a inspired person becomes successful? It is now a matter of finding the right path, which doesn’t necessarily be the beaten or least beaten path. This path could be aligned with your personal interest closely.
After you’ve determined the path from Point A to Final Destination, you need to determine the pre-requisites and then plot the possible routes. Take a pen and paper and list down all the factors.
For example, if you inspire to be a journalist on TV. You’ll need a strong command in a language, either your native tongue or the universal language – English. You’ll also need to have the flair in writing skills. Finally and most importantly, you can’t be camera-shy.
With all that in mind or on paper now, you’ll need to tackle each pre-requisite one at a time. Now, you could sign up for additional courses to brush up the language issue. You could also sign up with AC and have a go at the writing stage. Who knows, you might get popular even before you hit the TV. Lastly, anything that goes on the TV screen has undoubtedly been rehearsed umpteen times before. Get yourself a mirror, write a simple script, read it before the mirror while changing your tones and facial expressions to see the different effects. The key is rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse. For that, you could also get your friends to be your audience.
Next, you’ll need the people skills. In a connected world, nobody is left outside the grid. But it is the people skills that will help you scale that grid. You’re the recruiting interviewer for the day, a loner stereotype kind of guy steps in together with a all-smile friendly guy. Your choice is obvious, at least on the first impression column.
It is important to be warm and friendly, to have the people skills, to be the people’s kind of guy. Because once you’re connected in the grid, doors won’t stop opening for you.
Lastly, though you may have figured out the path and the deciding factors, a pinch of luck still plays an important part in reality. But with serious hard work and consistency, the average Joe can shine brightly at the top. Now to leave you guys with something to think about: “The secret of success is constancy to purpose – Benjamin Disraeli”
