Accepting that the definition of success is the completion or achievement of a goal, one may ask how this applies to being "successful in life." It goes without saying that every individual is unique, and that one person's success might easily be another person's idea of failure. Regardless, there are things we can all do in order to be successful in our lives.
One of the first steps to being successful is to dream big. Achieving a life goal that you purposefully placed well within your limitations is not going to be a goal which brings about any true value in your life. The saying "Shoot for the moon" is an overused one. I much prefer "Make no small plans, for they have no magic to stir men's souls."
When once you have determined what your dreams and goals are, it becomes a matter of creating a regiment to accomplish them. We were all preached this at the beginning of high school: it all comes down to balance. In order to be successful, you need to balance and effectively manage every aspect of your life. For us, this currently means managing our time between school, athletics, and our social life. However, as we grow older and our lives become more and more complicated, there will be more things to juggle. These can be things like work and various relationships.
Diligence is a necessity for ensuring that the steps toward achieving your goal are met. There is a reason that “sloth” is a deadly sin. Being lackadaisical is never going to result in your success. If you find yourself with a lack of motivation, perhaps it may be best to set out after a new goal.
This brings me to my last point. In order to be successful, you must have the ability to adapt. Being able to adapt includes being able to switch goals as well as develop new solutions to persistent problems. Some of these steps may go without saying, and I’m sure that we have all heard them before but I hope that putting them altogether in one place helps someone out.
Brilliant! I wholeheartedly agree that planning and balance are essential to becoming a successful person. It is no secret as to why the Boy Scouts of America's Motto is, "Be prepared". Lack of preparedness can lead to devastating consequences and can hinder success. Your use of Catholic doctrine illustrates the severity that a lack of preparedness, or 'sloth', can have can on ones pursuit of goals and dreams.
ReplyDeleteIt is possible that this topic is a little overdone but, in some cases definitions of success can vary. Success can be happiness, wealth, or friendship. These definitions require alternate paths than the ones outlines above. I may just be me, but I think that there is not one single recipe for success. The path to success can be come in many forms. Thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree. I believe that there are people who have no dreams who are "successful". There are people who are content with where they are on the totem pole and seek no advancement. These people are not lazy, they are happy. I believe that those people are some of the most successful on the planet.
ReplyDeleteI guess what you're arguing is that success is in the eye of the beholder then? I guess we have to also differentiate between success and happiness, then!
DeleteI agree that balance and diligence are very important to success. There is no way to achieve your goals that you set for yourself if you cannot follow through with them and keep a stable life while doing so. Sometimes people put too much on achieving a certain goal that their whole life is thrown off balance and then they cannot have a healthy life with healthy relationships anymore without hard work. Balance is definitely important. As well as knowing when your goal is too farfetched.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting idea, Carmen. I would definitely have to agree with you on your point that it is possible for some people to become overly focused on their goals and become oblivious to the fact that their are sacrificing other parts of their life. I think we as students can relate to this idea on many levels because at times we have to prioritize certain things over others in order to keep a balance like you mentioned.
DeleteNice post Dylan! I really agree with what you're saying about the traits needed to be successful. Someone who cannot adapt to a new environment or situation will simply drown due to their inability to diversify. Being able to change and evolve as time changes is a simple necessity for one's survival. I disagree with Josh's statement. While there may be successful" people who had had no dreams, their "success" is only relative. Can you back up your claim with specific examples? I'm interested in seeing a handful of these individuals that had had no dreams, yet acquired success. I believe that they are a "rare specimen", and despite the media's efforts to portray the personal lives of many celebrities, we don't hear much about people who live the life that you've described.
ReplyDeleteI think that another big part of success is doing what you have to do, even when you don't want to do. There will be tons of times when laziness threatens to prevent you from getting things done, but truly successful people are able to put these short term desires aside in favor of long term success.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Nick, I agree with David. Perhaps the meaning of success is far too vague to put a rigid definition to it. Of course, Josh is correct in this sense. We often associate success with wealth, but there is absolutely no reason why those not making as much money are not limited in their success by this. Maybe success should be measured as a matter of reaching full potential? Or is it about happiness?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. The picture really ties together the whole article. As a response to Dylan's latest question, I believe that success should be measured as both because some people's goal of happiness is reaching their full potential
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