Top 10 Misconceptions about Success
#1
Success is Complicated
“Simple can be harder than complex:
You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s
worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
You can make success as complicated
as you want, but it doesn’t have to be that way. As Jobs says, making success
simple isn’t necessarily easy, but it is very powerful.
Take Google for example: their home page is one
of the simplest on the web and that simplicity has allowed it to become the
most popular site in the world.
“There is no point at which you can
say, “Well, I’m successful now. I might as well take a nap.”
Carrie Fisher
It’s tempting to think about success
as some far-off point where you’ve accomplished everything we’ve ever wanted:
“I’ll be successful when I have my dream job, make a million dollars a year,
and spend all my time traveling the world with my soul mate.”
This type of thinking is flawed
because the accomplishment of worthy goals only leads to the possibility of
accomplishing more worthy goals. A successful person doesn’t stop once they
achieve something; they’re inspired to achieve something even greater. Success
is an ongoing path. As Ben Sweetland said, “Success is a journey, not a
destination.”
#3
Success is the Key to Happiness
“Success is not the key to
happiness. Happiness is the key to success.”
Herman Cain
If you’re unhappy, don’t blame it on
a lack of success. Happiness is all about perspective. If you’ve got a cheerful
outlook, it doesn’t matter if you’re a success or failure.
#4
Failure is an Indicator that You Won’t Succeed
“The hardest part about being an
entrepreneur is that you’ll fail ten times for every success.”
Everybody fails. In fact, successful
people fail more than failures because they take bigger chances. If you want
proof, then check out the four biggest mistakes from the world’s four biggest
entrepreneurs.
Failures are necessary on the path
of success. Just learn from them and move on.
#5
Success Comes at the Expense of Others
Some people think that the only way
you can move up in business is by stepping on people to get there.
The truth is actually the opposite:
a business is successful because it provides value for people. As I’ve written
about before, the more you give, the more you get.
#6
Moderate Success is Easier to Get than “Only in Your Wildest Dreams” Success
“Ninety-nine percent of people
believe they can’t do great things, so they aim for mediocrity.”
Tim Ferriss
Many of us are taught from an early
age to have practical goals. We shouldn’t try to be a rock star, supermodel, or
astronaut because the chances of success are so slim.
But it’s time to challenge those
self-imposed restraints. As Ben Nemtin, from “The Buried Life”, pointed out: “The level of
competition is highest for realistic goals because most people don’t set high
enough goals for themselves.”
Don’t be afraid to go for your
wildest dream. It may take more effort, but you’ll also be more energized.
#7
You Need to Wait Until the Time is Right
“Nothing will ever be attempted if
all possible objections must first be overcome.”
Samuel Johnson
There’s no such thing as the
“perfect time” to act. There will always be a problem. But successful people
don’t let that deter them.
#8
Success has to be Traditional
“The fastest way to succeed is to
look as if you’re playing by somebody else’s rules, while quietly playing by
your own.”
Michael Konda
Don’t get caught up with how other
people define success. Traditional success includes a six-figure income, a
happy family, and a house with a white picket fence. But your success doesn’t
have to include any of these things.
#9
Success is Easy
“Striving for success without hard
work is like trying to harvest where you haven’t planted.”
David Bly
When people become very successful
very quickly it almost looks like it just fell into their lap. But it only
looks easy to us because we can’t see the whole picture. Success is earned. As
the old saying goes, “The only place you’ll find success before work is in the
dictionary.”
#10
Success = Money
“A business that makes nothing but
money is a poor kind of business.”
Henry Ford
This is a tired point, but it’s
true: money is not that important. Personally, I would rather make a modest
living doing something that matters than get rich trading stocks on Wall
Street.
Steve Jobs was one of
the richest people in the world, but he once said “being the richest man in the
cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done
something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”
Top 10 Principles of Success
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