Over the summer, my plans did a 180, and I found myself flying to Toronto and spending two months being as free as a bird, with no responsibilities at all. I ended up using those two months as a time to figure out the important aspects of my life. I worked on my blog/website, and starting writing about success, motivation, failure, and self-improvement. I studied the way entrepreneurs built their mini empires and how they used socializing as a tool, and talked to many of them about their business to see how I can build upon my own success. Through all my readings, research, and writings, I chose four tips that you can think about this school year if you want to be successful, however that may look for you!
1) Greatness and success are secondary to learning and experience.
I heard the phrase “it takes ten years to become an overnight success” too many times, but these are words to live by. Despite the title of this article being “Read This If You Want to Be Successful,” shift your focus away from chasing “success” as an end-product and focus on learning everything you can about your field, and the journey it takes to get there.
2) Find your niche!
I’m someone who has too many interests and wants to try many different things. It’s like saying “can I be a Lion Tamer, a Musician, an Artist, a Dog Trainer, a Nutritionist, AND a Kinesiologist?” Success comes in different shapes and sizes, but finding something you’re extremely passionate about and something that you want to devote yourself to every day will gear you in the right direction.
3) What’s your version of success?
One TED talk that really influenced me this summer was Alain de Botton’s “A kinder, gentler philosophy of success.” Specifically, his line about how to be successful – we need to admit that we’re missing out on things, too. We can’t be successful at EVERYTHING, but what we can do, is make sure that our idea of success is our own, and not someone else’s.
4) Make difficult choices, and take risks.
Get rid of that safety net and immerse yourself in the world of risk. What’s most important is that whatever you may choose, you must be 100% behind the option you picked.