7 Things To Remember On Your Path To Success

By Ayodeji Awosika

The journey to success is often long and arduous. There will be stretches where you’re your making real progress, analogous to a basketball player who can’t miss during a game. There will also be moments riddled with self-doubt, where you contemplate throwing in the towel after life has pummeled you for consecutive rounds. It has been said by many that the journey itself is more meaningful than the reward at the end. The mile markers on the highway to an excellent life are numerous, and it is easy to lose sight of what’s important and let frustrations blur the vision you created for yourself in the first place. Here are some practical things to remember while traveling on your path towards your destiny:

1. Remember that Patience is a Virtue: This is something I have to remind myself of quite often. It is great to have an ambitious mindset and want to do as much as you can each day to further your progress. At the same time, however, you must realize that it may take you quite a while before you reach your desired destination. Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither were iconic companies like Apple, Facebook, and resident king of all things delicious, Chipotle. It may take you months, years, or even decades to ascend the ladder of success, and even when you think you’ve made it, more rungs may present themselves. Patience is the ability to remain positive even when things aren’t going quite as you’ve planned. Without patience, you run the risk of burning out and never achieving anything. Slow and steady wins the race.

2. Remember that Success Takes Work: According to Newton’s third law of thermodynamics – every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I truly believe that you get what you give in this life. Building something worthwhile is going to take a maximum amount of effort. Elon musk claims that entrepreneurs should work 80-100 hours per week in order to achieve their goals. Many of us can barely cope with spending 40 hours per week working. This is what separates the 1 percent of the population from everybody else. They just want it more badly than most of us do.

3. Remember that Other People May not Share Your Vision: I’m sure if you asked some of the most successful people in the world if their peers believed in their vision during the early days of their careers, the answer would probably be no. People will tell you that you can’t live out your dreams because they have a hard time dealing with the fact that they’ve given up on theirs. The naysayers will grow in proportion to your growth during your pursuit. If you truly believe in what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of you. As humans we can be very perceptive as to how others see us, and it can be tough to deal with criticism, but its part of the gig. The only way to avoid the fostering of negative opinions from others is to be average. If you want to stand above the crowd, it is imperative that you embrace being different.

4. Remember that Everybody Has to Walk His or Her own path: This ties in to the above statement. It’s easy to begin to look down on others when you believe that you are learning more about what it takes to be successful. When you are obtaining new information rapidly, you may have the tendency to share your vision with others in the hopes that they will “see the light” and change for the better. It seems like you are trying to help, but at the end of the day people are going to do what they want to do. Let others live how they want to live. Be a great example to others, and if they come around, great, if not, don’t sweat it. It’s not your job to fix other peoples problems.

5. Remember that your Family and Friends are Important: It’s easy to get wrapped up in a project, and it may take extended hours to turn your visions into reality. While focus is necessary for bringing a project to fruition, too much of it can cause you to put up blinders to other important areas of your life. What fun is having success with no one to share it with? Schedule time to spend with your family or significant other, no matter how busy you are. Manage your time more efficiently so that you are able to work as well as play.

6. Remember to Stay Healthy: Finding time to exercise is vital in my opinion. The healthier you are, the more equipped your body will be to handle the long hours needed for your projects. If you’re tired, go to sleep. I’ve learned to take power naps throughout the day to re charge my brain as well as my body. I believe that if you are overly tired you aren’t that effective anyways. It is also equally important you keep your mind healthy as well. I feel that the mind is often neglected. I like to use meditation to help me deal with stress and I believe that it is very useful. Go for a walk. Find some time to clear your mind.

7. Remember Why You’re Doing What You’re Doing in the first place: Whenever you are feeling frustrated, tired, and are on the verge of giving up, remember why you started doing whatever it is that you’re doing in the first place. Are you seeking financial freedom? Do you want to spend your days free to do what you love? Whatever the reason may be, use it to continue to motivate you. Oftentimes many of us get caught up in the day-to-day aspects of working towards achievement, and we may lose sight of the reasons why we do what we do. Never forget what set you out on the path you’ve chosen.