An Effective Success Strategy For All Occasions

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by Jayaram V

Why some people succeed in their tasks, but some fail? What makes the difference between success and failure? Some people succeed in the beginning of their career. Then, they gradually fail and fade away. Success means achieving the set goal or objective. No one succeeds forever or succeeds in every task. If you manage to succeed in most endeavors, you can count yourself as a successful person. It is difficult to say whether success can be gauzed simply on the basis of monetary success or the wealth one accumulates. One has to see whether it complements other aspects of life and leads to happiness and fulfillment.

Many factors play an important role in the successful completion of a task or achievement of goals. It is true with regard to both long-term and short-term goals and simple and complex tasks. However, more important than all is the role of luck in the life of an individual. Luck means chance or favorable circumstances. People may have different opinions about it, but no one can deny its importance. For example, those who are born in rich or politically powerful families have better opportunities and facilitating factors to succeed in their lives than those who are born in poverty or socially unprivileged classes. This does not mean individuals cannot rise above their conditions and succeed. However, they need exceptional abilities, and luck or chance to do it.

I am repeatedly emphasizing the importance of chance because life is unpredictable, and so are people. We cannot be certain about our future or how our actions will produce results. However, we can estimate probabilities and possibilities of reaching a goal or completing a task, considering the threats and opportunities or favorable and unfavorable factors, and with intelligent effort and careful planning we can increase our chances of success. We can also anticipate contingencies and problem areas and proactively prepare in advance to tackle them. This strategy may not always guarantee success, but it will certainly improve our chances of succeeding in any endeavor.

Therefore, before you begin any task, ask yourself what your chances of succeeding are and what you need to do to improve your odds of succeeding. Prepare well to deal with problem areas, contingencies and adverse circumstances. Anticipate opposition, problems, negativity, objections, resistance and areas where you may lack skills or expertise. Prepare well in advance.

By this approach, you are bound to improve your chances of succeeding. If by chance you do not succeed, find out what went wrong, where you can improve, and how you can do it differently. Keep hope in the outcome and faith in your methods. Although chance plays an important role, effort always matters, and your effort is effective in proportion to the time and attention you pay to the tasks and to your goals.

For example, what will you do if you want to climb a difficult Himalayan mountain? You will anticipate all the needs, problems and requirements to improve your odds of climbing it. You will spend time to improve your strength and stamina, consult a doctor to know whether you can physically accomplish it and check the weather conditions so that you can plan your task in the right season and in right conditions. Further, you may research the route, consult or talk to people who have already done it. You will find local guides who can help you prepare for the climb, and if necessary accompany you. You may even join a group or a professional team which is planning to climb the same mountain around the time you want to climb. The purpose of such actions is mainly to improve the odds of reaching the summit.

Each task is different and requires a specific approach, planning and effort. However, there are certain general factors which can greatly improve your chances of success in life or minimize the chances of failure and setbacks. The important ones are listed below.

1. Cultivating the success or the growth mindset: People who believe that they can improve themselves or their circumstances have better chances of achieving success than those who think otherwise. Know that you have the potential to translate your thoughts into reality, and you can change yourself with careful preparation and effort according to the demands of each situation.

2. Finding right opportunities: Opportunities do not always come. Finding right opportunities is even more difficult. If you want to improve your chances of success or achieve your goals, you must be attentive enough to recognize right opportunities when they arise or create them wherever possible. For that, you need clear vision, readiness and discernment.

3. Making right choices: Every decision that you make concerning your goals, tasks, relationships, priorities, career, etc., defines and determines the course and the quality of your life. Therefore, gather right information, think rationally and keep your emotions and impulses under control when you make decisions.

4. Building strong resolve: With resolve you can move mountains, face problems and deal with adverse situations, without losing focus, hope and faith. Therefore, do not undertake any task if you are not serious about it and do not have the resolve to engage in it. However, once you make the decision, stick to it until it is completed.

5. Being adaptable to situations: We do not have complete control over our lives or our circumstances. Many extraneous factors interfere with our plans, goals and actions. Therefore, you must build enough flexibility into your plans and programs and your thinking to find your way. Know when to push ahead and when to slow down and reevaluate your chances of success.

6. Paying attention to details: Concentration is one of the most important factors in successfully completing any task. Once you begin a task, your mind must be completely focused upon it. Those who are easily distracted find it hard to complete any task or achieve success. Sometimes, a wandering mind is useful to think creatively, but when you are engaged in a task, you must focus.

7. Building trust in relationships: Success requires the help and cooperation of several people. Successful people know the value of relationships and build trustworthy relationships. They keep their promises and help others when needed, and thereby build good will. They also respect others even if they disagree and avoid double talk, deception and backbiting.

8. Having faith and confidence: Faith is the sustaining power in reaching any goal or completing any task. You must have faith in yourself, in your methods and decisions, in the people you work with, in the goals you choose, and in your ability to overcome problems. When faith is lacking, one suffers from indecision, confusion, fear and anxiety. Therefore, make decisions according to your convictions.

9. Developing knowledge and expertise: Everyone is endowed with some exceptional talent or ability. It is your natural wealth or resource which you can effectively transform into other forms of wealth. Therefore, know where you have natural ease and develop expertise and talent in it. It may be an artistic ability, creative thinking, a particular vocation, political or the business acumen or some such quality that sets you apart. Find it and build it.

10. Keeping an open mind: You do not have all the answers. Your methods may not always work. Even if you succeeded in reaching many goals and completing many tasks, you may still make mistakes and suffer from setbacks. Therefore, keep an open mind and pay attention to alternative opinions and inputs from others. Look for the assumptions that are hidden in your decisions, conclusions and opinions and think through them.

Conclusion

To achieve success, you need to possess certain intrinsic qualities. At the same time, you must have the intelligence to adapt to your circumstances or change them to improve your chances of success. You cannot solely depend upon one at the expense of the other. When you are effective in both, you will have greater chances of reaching your goals or completing your tasks.

You cannot always achieve success, but you can always strive to improve the odds of winning anything, reaching any goal or completing any task. If the odds are not going to improve by any means, you must stop wasting your time and energy on such tasks and look for alternatives. Before you begin any task or pursue any goal, evaluate your chances of success and how you can improve the odds. This is the most practical and intelligent way to prepare for any task or goal amidst the uncertainties of life.