Decide to Succeed

I believe that being successful starts with a conscious decision.  Yes, sometimes there are those that get lucky, and by no virtue of their own, become wealthy or famous (not that being wealthy and/or famous defines success, but that’s another topic entirely).  My point is, whatever you want to achieve, you will be successful if you decide that you are going to achieve it.  Obviously some follow-through is required on your part, but if you have decided to commit to achieving that goal, you won’t stop until you have.  In that case, obstacles are mere annoyances that require merely a little bit of creativity to get around.  They aren’t impassable, they are just unfortunate. But they won’t stop you for long if you have already decided that you are going to reach your goal, regardless of what it takes.

None of this complaining or whining about what skills you don’t have, or what talents someone else does have.  You’ve heard the phrase “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”?  That is a true statement. If you believe that, you will be successful.  This can apply to pretty much anything.  Example: The LRA Disarmament Act was signed into law because countless people didn’t give up.  Even though it was a long shot, there was a will to make a difference. And so they made a way.  Another example: Career.  If you want to reach a certain level in a company, or make a certain dollar figure each year, simply wishing for it won’t be enough.  But if you get it in your mind that you are going to reach that goal, you are going to plan out every detail and study whatever you need to until you make that happen.  Thomas Edison decided to invent a light bulb, so he started working on it.  After 10,000 tries, he succeeded.  But really, he had already succeeded when he started because he already decided he would.  It was just a matter of time before others recognized his success.  Yet another example: Relationships. If your attitude is “We’ll see if we can do it” then I already have my doubts.  But if you are saying “Ain’t no mountain high enough… to keep me from getting to you”, then I am confident in the success of your relationship.  What’s the difference?  Deciding that you want it to work.  Because once you’ve decided that, you will make it work.

To quote a saying I heard once, “the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”  So don’t wait around and wish for things to happen on their own; you will never be successful that way.  Get a goal in mind, and decide that you are going to attain it.  You’ll figure out the details along the way, but that is what success is all about.  Making the decision to be successful is paramount to actually being successful.