Let’s face it, every person on this planet wants to find happiness and live a long, successful life. Of course it’s up to us and only us how much time, work, and dedication we put into achieving our goals, but there are steps we can take in order to secure our future. In this post, I’m going to share what I believe are the 7 keys to success.
Pick + choose friends wisely
Growing up, I remember always hearing adults say: “you are who you hang out with.” Granted, I didn’t fully grasp the saying until my later teen years, but I digress. You are who you hang out with is basically saying that you need to pick and choose your friends wisely if you want to live your own life to the fullest. It’s important that the closest people to you have similar interests, goals, or can at least understand what your own goals are.
For example, one of my best friends is currently in nursing school; so any outsider would naturally assume that an aspiring blogger and author would have nothing in common with an aspiring nurse. However, I can talk to my best friend openly and freely about my career, and she really grasps it and understands it. Although we have two totally different career paths, I feel like her and I are on the same level mentally. (Which, let’s be honest, is huge because a lot of people still have difficulty understanding this digital age world and are still trapped in the idea that you’ll get nowhere in life without a college degree.) I limit my time with people who are at a different stage of their life than me, or I’ve cut them out of my life completely.
Life is too short to waste on people who will inadvertently bring you down. If you’re serious about forging the most flawless life for yourself possible, pick and choose your friends wisely. Don’t be afraid to be selfish. True friends are the ones who understand you and want to see you grow.
No room for negativity
Another of my favorite quotes is: “strong people don’t put others down, they lift them up.” When you’re focused on success, there is absolutely no room for negativity in your life. Energy and vibrations are very real, and allowing bad energy into your life is only going to hinder your progress. Once you get rid of the negativity, you’ll find you’re able to breathe again, and your mind will be filled with happy, positive thoughts of success.
Find smart people + pick their brain
One of the things I truly love most about life is learning. Surround yourself with smart, successful people (ideally who are smarter and more successful than you), and pick their brain! Even if you’re an expert on something, there’s always more you can learn. Open yourself up to learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions—knowledge sharing is power.
Rome wasn’t built in a day
In an era dominated by instant gratification, it’s important to keep in mind that “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Like the old saying states, almost nothing happens overnight. What you see on social media isn’t necessarily a reflection of success. Almost every successful person has worked for many many years honing their craft and busting their ass.
Make a game plan
Being able to dive into things is great, however, after you’ve gone head-first into what you want to do, it’s important you know where to go from there. You need to make sure you lay out how you’re going to get from point A to point B. This is especially hard for people with creative minds because we naturally tend to think and try to move from point A to point Z; bypassing all the gaps in between. We know where we want to start, and we know where we want to end up.
In my experience, I’ve found sitting down and saying to myself: “okay, I know where I want to go, but how am I going to get there?” has helped immensely. From there, I’ll make sure I write out a game plan and stick to it.
Do your research—then dive in
I’ve come to realize there are two types of people in this world: ones who dive into something new without any hesitation or knowledge whatsoever, and the ones who spend their time thoroughly researching before they make their move. Personally, I’m more of the latter. However, both qualities are vital in our success! So many people don’t hesitate before they jump into something big, and they find themselves essentially drowning with all the unknowns, unsure of where they’re supposed to go. On the flip side, some people may do all the research they possibly can, and still hold off because they’re unsure of themselves or what’s to come.
Before you make a big move, take your time and do your research thoroughly. Then, once you feel like you know all you can know—dive right into it, don’t even think about it. When infants are learning to swim, they’re thrown right into the water by themselves. Swim instructors do this because their instincts will take over and they’ll begin swimming on their own. Think about diving into something with some knowledge in your back pocket like that: you may not know everything, but you’ll know enough to keep on swimming and not let yourself drown.
One day at a time
While it’s vital to have a game plan, it’s just as vital to remember to take everything one day at a time. It’s important to stay focused on your end goal, but don’t forget that you need to take steps in order to get there.
When things start feeling overwhelming, take a deep breath, and remind yourself to stay focused on the day, on one task at a time. Don’t get caught up in what the future may hold, or even what might happen the following day; take it day by day, never letting your eyes off the prize.
