Last updated on April 25th, 2025 at 10:55 am
What is authentic success, and how is it achieved and maintained?
- This Simple Guide to Authentic Success will unveil all the useful answers to your burning questions about success.
The first step on the road to success is to know yourself (who you are genuinely). What is your plan? Where would you like your journey to take you? Are you ready for the trials, hurdles, storms and fears which may come to discourage you or tempt you away from your dreams? And when your journey becomes all calm and smooth-sailing; will you know what to do with that? Of course, you will breathe a sigh of relief, but how will you continue because the journey is about continuity – in any situation. Be it stormy or calm. This Simple Guide to Authentic Success will unveil some of the answers you seek
Define Yourself:
Do you see yourself as an accomplishment fiend going after every waking dream? Or are you a demure bystander waiting for ‘the dream’ to fall into your lap? Are you perhaps the ‘ínbetweener’ finding balance between major go-getter and steady cautious dreamer?
However you define yourself, you will agree that there is the coveted ‘S’ word on your mind. Success. You want to succeed at your endeavors, or at your waiting game.
This is worth remembering: Going after all your big dreams at once or playing the waiting game are unlikely to reap any positive results. But finding and creating balance just might.
Define Your Aspirations:
As dreamers we are guided to take risks and do everything before we die. But the truth of the matter is that caution is necessary when pursuing your success story. Why? Because we can become desperate enough to fall into unforeseen traps. There are myriad success stories out there. However, the greatest story never told is how those success stories came into being. We seldom hear about the struggles, pain, fear and even suffering that were part of ‘the dream’.
Define your dreams, what they mean to you, and be clear about what you want to achieve. Although the journey might present surprises along the way, it helps to have a personal ‘road map’ to guide you.
Explore the traps:
The inferior complex trap:
“I want to show them what I’m made of”. And then you go ahead and do anything to prove them wrong or gain their approval or attention.
Success is not about other people and their opinions of you. It is strictly about you. So don’t try to “show them” anything. You are not less than them. You are you, and there is nothing small about you. Just do, and let your success story write itself.
It will be quick and easy trap:
Beware of this very alluring trap. Your friends and/or family will egg you on and praise your talent and skills. And they will make achieving your goals sound like a walk in the park. They love you and want nothing but the best for you, however; they are not always right.
Not many dreams are quick and easy to achieve. The last thing you want is to find yourself struggling alone once the praise songs have died down. Don’t be afraid of baby steps. Small steps will one day become great strides.
The richer than Bill Gates trap:
This is the trap that alters your purpose from passion and service to money. When starting out, your purpose should be your passion, then it can become service which you render to others. Finally it will turn into money which you receive from passion turned into service. Be driven but don’t let your desire to earn overshadow the requirement to learn.
Think of money as a reward for your dreams, perseverance and hard work. When respected, this process actually does work. I am certain that if you sat down to a conversation with Mr. Gates, he will tell you that he followed the passion + service=money process.
The I want to be famous trap:
Hands up those of us who have fallen into this trap? Yes, there are many who have handed their dreams over to the need for fame without gaining a single iota of success. Nonetheless, there are those who have been – dare I say it – lucky to have found success in the form of being famous. Why is it that some people are lucky and some are not so fortunate? A very tough question indeed.
Locate Your Inner Beast:
Fame is a generic description for anyone who is very well known in certain aptitudes – whether it be the movie industry, literary world, reality shows, and even the cartoon industry. (Yup, Mickey Mouse is famous). There are people who are famous as a result of talent, tenacity and hard work. I call those individuals celebrities. Then there are those who are famous for being ‘famous’. Which one are aiming to be? A celebrity or ‘just famous’?
- If you are after ‘just fame’ in whatever form; it seems that much is possible within this realm.
- But if you want true celebrity, then you have to locate your inner beast, dig in your heels and work until the entire world knows your name.
Exude passion, be fierce, and boldly showcase your talent and skills. It is not going to be easy. Some people might not ‘get you’, but be prepared. There is a struggle involved, and not everyone wins the coveted prize of celebrity. But if you come out a winner, I am sure it will all be worth it.
Always Be Ready For Your Greatest Achievement:
Wake up ready to do your best and be your best. Do not sell yourself short. It is a daily commitment – a vow you need to renew every morning. There is absolutely nothing scary about it; for until you present yourself to the world outside, it is only you who hears the vow and knows about it.
How are you selling yourself to peers, colleagues, friends, etc.?
Think nothing of bringing your own power to every situation and relationship. Confidence in ‘regular’ doses is magnetic and attracts good things and people to come your way. If you are constantly swimming in doubt about your capabilities, you block out the possibilities.
Think capable, and possible will surely happen.
What level of life are you seeking to achieve?
In your quest for success, take a word of caution: Be careful about what you subscribe to. Most importantly: Be aware of what you may be recruited into. There are many recipes for success, each with its own promise of wealth and various forms of prominence. But don’t be easily fooled. Another person’s success story or experience at gaining success will never be exactly similar to your own story.
Best advice you can get in this instance? Work at your level and avoid comparing yourself to others.
Discovering the Formula For Success:
Is there a formula for success?
There are many answers to this question.
The other question is: Which answers are practical? Without a scientific response to this question, I would hazard a guess that there are a few simple starter answers – the ones you could use at the onset of your desire to succeed:
1. Get the tools that can place you right front and center of your goals:
You want to fully understand your goals and possess the skill set required to accomplish them.
2. Get the tools that can remove you from the things that impede your progress:
You want to be able to get away from the nay-sayers and anything that stands in the way of you moving forward to a position of success.
3. Aim as high as you can:
Do not be afraid of disappointment. Disappointment is that thing which occurs when our expectations are greater than our reality. However; it is not always possible to accurately measure when our expectations exceed our reality. So, if you accept the reality that things don’t always go as planned and that every hurdle bears within itself a lesson, you will be fine.
4. Tie your dreams to goals:
It is not about conquering the world and climbing Mount Everest in a day. If your goal needs to be less taxing, then so be it. But be sure to have goals, or multiple sub-goals scheduled for the day, week, and month, whatever. It is your journey. You know you and how far you can stretch your capabilities. The only secret is to be realistic. (Sub-goals are stepping stones or minor achievements which lead to bigger or even great achievements).
5. Question the journey if you need to:
It is okay to stop and ask questions. If you feel that you are not on the correct path, ask yourself these 5 questions: a) Am I doing what I love? b) Am I genuinely happy? c) What is the great sacrifice in order to achieve my goals? d) Will my dreams lead to the desired outcome? e) Will I learn and grow? If the all-round answer is yes (honestly), then you’re probably on the way to fulfilling your dreams.
5. Be tenacious:
You have what it takes to fulfill your dreams. So, do not take “no” for an answer. If you truly believe that you can succeed, then success is out there. If someone says no to you, move on swiftly. Avoid spending too much time and energy on negative feedback. Take the lesson and run. It’s your dream and you have the right to bear witness to your success.
Authenticate Your Intentions and Goals:
We all know that internet search engines are the go-to way of authenticating people and products. We even Google prospective love interests. Much of what we do these days requires an online presence. So, before you commence selling your product or plying whatever you have to offer; consider your authentication options (what will make you and your product believable). Humming at a singing competition is of no use to you. You have to be about singing, and no other options and ideas.
Authenticate Your Success:
The same rule applies for any other trades. If your goal is a successful footwear business, then be about shoes and other footwear. Do not drift into talking about neck scarves when your intention is to sell shoes. Authenticate your intentions throughout your product. It is quite okay to have more than one dream (who knows what tricks the mind can play…), but be structured and organized. Do not crisscross and confuse your intentions and goals. It will make it harder for you to achieve a successful outcome. Additionally, the trust factor will take a lot longer to kick in while your chosen market attempts to figure you out.
The great secret to successful authentication? Keep it simple, prioritize goals, and stick to your product’s truth.
Seeking continuity:
What is success?
Success is the sum of all you have done and experienced on the path to achieving your dreams and aspirations. In one word, it is “Achievement”, but to the achiever it spells out the struggle, pain, fear and disillusionment which comes with fighting to reach one’s goals. Once goals are achieved, it speaks of exhilaration and the feeling of being triumphant. That is when success is all about calm and smooth-sailing.
Then what occurs at this stage?
It is time to seek continuity. Every goal must have a sequel, like a brilliant movie that keeps on delivering edge of your seat entertainment. But this is possible with real life. In life we must carry on. We must take our successes to the next level or maintain them and keep them current. We have to stay focused and not ‘drop the ball’.
Achieving a goal does not have to spell the end of it. Excitement levels must stay up, and the dream must continue to flourish. ■ TMLM
Thank you. I am thrilled that you enjoyed this article.
© This article’s feature image by Dave Savides
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