Once again about motivation. Where does the path to success begin?

Everyone dreams of being successful, but for most people this dream seems unattainable. We often tend to blame circumstances, social injustice, lack of career prospects or necessary connections. This misconception prevents most people from achieving success in life. But once a person decides on his goals and concentrates on achieving them, no obstacles can prevent him from becoming successful. In this article we will analyze in detail what success is and what steps on the path to success are the most important. Let's begin.

What is success?

Everyone perceives success in their own way. For some, this is a dream job with active career advancement, for others it is the implementation of their own projects, for others it is a successful personal life. And everyone has their own ambitions: some dream of dizzying success and worldwide fame, while others would like to modestly and serenely sail on a yacht in the Mediterranean Sea.

If we discard the “resource” approach and do not measure happiness in monetary terms, a successful life lies in doing what you love and not limiting yourself in realizing your capabilities . Today we live in a world where everyone can achieve success in life, regardless of the condition of their parents and their initial social status. So what prevents most people from taking advantage of this opportunity?

Problems from which no one is immune

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External motivation only works over a short distance. We remember the attitude from childhood: if you study well or enter a university on a budget, you will earn good money and, as a result, live well. But for teenagers this is not motivation. They have a whole life ahead of them; over such a long period of time, standards will change more than once: the same rules for admission or hiring.

It is much more useful to offer schoolchildren an interesting reward that they will receive after studying a particular topic, or a non-standard form of work in the lesson. But the most important thing is to sincerely believe in the student’s abilities, be able to support him, and give him kind words. We know from ourselves how pleasant such an attitude is from a person in a leadership position.

“Internal motivation is largely influenced by factors such as the mood in the family, the child’s current well-being, attitude towards work and school.”

Ekaterina Gennadievna Sosnina, primary school teacher at GBOU School No. 1208 named after. Hero of the Soviet Union M.S. Shumilov", graduate student of the laboratory of primary education of ISRO RAO, Moscow

What hinders student interest:

• feeling of unattainability of learning goals;
• the bar for results expectations is too high;
• excessive external control and overprotection;
• student detachment;
• misunderstanding of the function and criteria for marking;
• comparison with peers (often not in favor of the child).

What can help:

• awareness of one’s own success (this is where parents and teachers will come to the rescue);
• learning situations that evoke positive emotions, which will further help replace negative experiences with positive ones;
• self-control - teach children to set a goal and confidently achieve it;
• student’s personal activity;
• unusual and creative tasks in the lessons that will help the student master the subject in a fun way (it is also acceptable to create problematic situations when the teacher deliberately makes a mistake, maintaining equanimity until the children point it out, explaining what’s what).

Qualities of a successful person

A person who has managed to find his calling and achieve his goals, engage in interesting work and enjoy all areas of life can be called successful. Such people independently determine their goals and look for ways to achieve them. Many people think that the everyday life of successful people is interesting and carefree. But life often throws them difficulties and troubles, they just know how to quickly cope with tasks of any complexity.

Every person can achieve success in life by developing a number of qualities characteristic of successful people. These include:

1. Self-confidence
   .
   Any business should be started with confidence in a positive result. This gives you strength and helps you work towards achieving your goals, even when there is a long road ahead.
2. Hard work
   .
   As a rule, all successful people work hard, even becoming billionaires. It is important not only to achieve success, but also to maintain the achieved result with constant work and development.
3. Persistence
   .
   Successful people do not give up after several unsuccessful attempts and always try again and again. A great example is Thomas Edison, who failed 10,000 times before making the major scientific discovery of his life.
4. Optimism
   .
   It is difficult to get down to business if you are not confident in the possibility of achieving your goal. However, if you cast aside all doubts and gain confidence in your abilities, the likelihood of achieving success will increase many times over.
5. Persistence . Successful people do not tend to lose emotional balance in difficult situations. For them, any failure or difficulty is just an obstacle that must be overcome with dignity.

The most successful people have all of these qualities, but you can achieve success in life if you have at least a few of them. Test yourself - how many of the listed qualities could you attribute to yourself? This will give you an understanding of what still needs to be worked on. Now let's move on to the main part of the article.

Victory starts with failure

Any successful activity begins with the successful launch of an idea. When starting to carry out any business, you need to immediately set a goal and indicate the end result. Naturally, brilliant ideas are the preserve of a select few, and therefore, before you begin to implement your plan, you need to thoroughly prepare. Preparation means courses, trainings or development of a theoretical knowledge base on the relevant topic. After the preparations are completed, a specific action plan will be outlined; in most cases, it still requires additional adjustments, but the main path will be outlined.

But this is just the beginning. Before taking action, it is necessary, to the extent possible, to identify risks and consider ways to mitigate them.

To do this, you can use knowledge about the experiences of other people (no matter whether it is positive or negative). The main thing is to understand that there will be situations that are not provided for in the plan.

And that's okay. Defeat is natural, and the path to success in life begins with it.

The path to success: 7 main steps

Although the concept of success is individual for everyone, there are several universal factors that have already helped millions of people achieve success. The most convenient instructions are step-by-step, so we’ll break them down into 7 main steps:

Set goals

It is difficult to move towards the main goal in life if you do not decide where it is. A successful person always has clearly defined goals - for today, for a week, for a month, for the coming years and for life. Only by clearly articulating the conditions necessary to achieve the goal can you develop a plan that will allow you to achieve success in life.

Think not about problems, but about ways to solve them

Successful people do not tend to be discouraged; they consider failures as valuable experience. Every person faces problems and the difference is only in perception. People who are aware of responsibility for their own lives do not dwell on failures , but look for ways to quickly eliminate the consequences. Learn to act rationally in any situation - this will allow you not to waste time on unnecessary worries.

Do what you love

People who make money doing what they love are considered to be the happiest. What stops you from doing the same? Make a list of activities that bring you pleasure and think about how you can benefit from them. You may find an unexpected source of income. Drawing and creating animation, creating a website, recording videos with recipes for your favorite dishes - all this can bring money and pleasure at the same time.

Learn Positive Thinking

Negative emotions are the most dangerous thief of energy and time. This is why so much attention is paid to techniques that allow you to switch to positive thinking. Try keeping a “success journal” and writing down a few positive events each day. This powerful technique quickly corrects “negatives” by reminding them that many things happen in life, and good things happen every day. There is a detailed article on how to properly keep such a diary.

Live for today

Do you dream of opening a business, doing charity work, creating a cool Internet service, or writing a bestseller? It may take several years to realize such a dream, so many people plan to “start on Monday.” People delay because they are waiting for the right moment. Nothing prevents them from devoting at least a few hours a week . But weeks, months and years pass, and they do nothing. Just remember that the best time is now.

Don't dwell on failures

Unpleasant events happen to every person. But one perceives them as a reminder that the world is not ideal, and you need to be strong. Another decides that the world is unfair to him personally, and falls into depression. It is impossible to build a life in such a way that failures do not happen at all, but everyone can manage their own perception. Take such situations as useful experiences that make you stronger and wiser.

Improve yourself

To succeed in life, you need to constantly improve. Dreaming about well-being without making volitional efforts to improve yourself is tantamount to dreaming about losing weight without changing your lifestyle. All successful people work on themselves : they engage in self-education, sports, and look for ways to effectively manage their time. They do not engage in useless activities like computer games or carefree communication on social networks. Time is the most precious resource in life, and it is unacceptable to waste it on things that have no real value.

Eisenhower matrix principle

The Eisenhower principle, as its name implies, was proposed by the American general and US President Dwight Eisenhower.

Then Eisenhower recommended dividing tasks into 2 categories:

• Important or unimportant
• Urgent or non-urgent

To make it all look a little clearer, he recommended - as shown in the image below - using a coordinate system for these categories according to which tasks would be distributed.

The bottom right square is actually nothing more than garbage. These tasks may not be completed. They are neither urgent nor important.

The lower upper square represents unimportant but urgent tasks. These tasks should be delegated.

Tasks that are not urgent but important (bottom left) must be entered into the calendar and later completed step by step.

Remaining tasks in the upper left corner: urgent and important. They must be implemented immediately!. Of course, it would be pointless to develop such a coordinate system for every day

The purpose of this is to internalize this principle so that you can apply it intuitively

Of course, it would be pointless to develop such a coordinate system for every day. The purpose of this is to internalize this principle so that you can apply it intuitively.

Principles of a successful personality

The foundation for achieving success is the internal qualities of the individual. Entire books have been written about these qualities, but if we highlight the main thing, then the following are the principles of a successful personality:

1. Self-sufficiency
   . A successful person determines his own life priorities and goals himself, not paying attention to the opinions of others and not needing approval.
2. The ability to forgive
   . Resentment is a destructive feeling that consumes emotional energy. If you are offended by a loved one, forgive me; if you are offended by a stranger, just forget about his existence. This will free you from the heavy moral burden that interferes with self-realization.
3. The ability to conserve strength
   . Hard work is a good trait, but you don’t need to waste all your energy, otherwise what you love may become unpleasant.
4. Lack of perfectionism
   . This tendency can be useful, but for most it prevents them from achieving success in life. Perfectionism forces you to spend an inordinate amount of time on every little detail, improving the quality of the result only slightly. Don't strive for perfection, just do it well.
5. Ability to be distracted and switch
   . Life consists of several areas, and you need to give yourself completely to each. While working, do not think about everyday worries, and when spending time with loved ones, do not think about work.
6. The ability to say “No!”
   . Most people do not know how to refuse when they are called to a meeting, asked for something, or offered an unprofitable deal. Successful people always act rationally; they cannot be persuaded to do something they don’t want to do.
7. Goodwill
   . A successful person is friendly to others, encourages and rejoices when they have achieved significant achievements in life. He is polite, does not brag about his achievements, and knows how to listen to his interlocutor without interrupting. Pay attention to how your friends behave, and you will understand that the listed traits are characteristic of successful people. Losers, on the other hand, are usually negatively disposed towards others, envious and prone to gloating.

What thoughts hinder growth?

There is a factor that significantly slows down development - incorrect thinking. Having overcome it, you can safely reach a new level. The main “mantras” that slow down the path of a successful person:

• "I can't do this." This false judgment has destroyed many talents. You should always try, no matter what doubts “eat” you. If something doesn’t work out the first time, don’t despair, collect information, analyze errors, learn and try again. From the second, third or fourth time you will definitely be able to achieve your goal.
• “I’m tired of everything, I don’t need anything.” A complete absence of positive thoughts is a road to nowhere. Sincerely wishing and rushing forward is one of the main keys to overcoming yourself and achieving success.
• "I must". Even if you have to limit yourself, make some sacrifices, then you do it of your own free will, for yourself, and not otherwise. Nobody can force you.
• “No change, no progress.” It’s not true, life does not stand still, everything is in motion, you just have to open your eyes wider. You must try to change it according to your own desires.

Psychologist Daria Milai

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Health is the foundation of success

Physical and mental health are an important factor in helping you achieve success in life. Make sure your body is healthy and your mind is clear of unnecessary worries, and your business will go much better. In your pursuit of business success, don't forget to spend time maintaining and improving your health. First of all, take care of such factors as:

1. Sleep and rest
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   Always get enough sleep, sleep at least 7 hours a day.
2. Proper nutrition. You should eat 3 times a day, consuming wholesome and healthy foods.
3. Sports
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   Physical activity should be present daily. This could be a jog or an hour-long walk around the evening city.
4. Rejection of bad habits
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   Smoking and alcohol occupy the first two positions in the list of factors that worsen health and shorten the lives of people around the world.

If you know that certain actions, habits or foods make you feel better, take advantage of it. The better you feel, the more productive you will be.

Task No. 1 – increase motivation

Photo: School photo created by pressfoto – www.freepik.com

The usual method of managing children's involvement through assessments, unfortunately, does not work. But there is also no single standard that would allow us to launch a motivation mechanism. Still, there are some useful tips formulated by experts:

• Build a lesson based on the student’s previous experience (some subjects inspire him and encourage him to be active, while others, on the contrary, cause indifference or rejection). If your child is falling behind, additional work may be needed.
• Understand that not all items have the same practical value. At the beginning of the lesson, ask the children what the value of the topic you will be discussing today is, carefully study the answers received. Children will immediately begin to respond.
• Try to establish contact with your students - for example, invite them to implement a project, and then discuss the results together.
• Remember to involve the whole class in the learning process. Students who interact with each other will find it easier to master new material.
• Learn to negotiate. At the beginning of the school year, you discuss with the class which project or result can be graded as an excellent grade, and which will entail an F, or may not have one at all.

How to achieve financial success

An equally important component of success in the modern world is financial well-being. Take care to preserve and increase your capital, work on increasing the number of sources of income. The main habits associated with financial well-being can be summarized as follows:

1. Keep records of income and expenses
   . You can use special software or simply write everything down in a table on paper.
2. Get rid of loans and debts
   . Unpaid debts are fraught not only with interest charges, but also with moral pressure.
3. Live within your means
   . If your income has increased, you don’t have to live “in grand style.” Spend your money wisely.
4. Avoid unnecessary expenses
   . If you are not sure whether you need to make an expensive purchase, the answer is clear - no!
5. Increase your income
   . Do something every day that will allow you to increase your income in the future.
6. Look for additional sources of income
   . If you read interviews with successful celebrities, you will find that most of them achieved success by creating several alternative sources of income.
7. Don't lend
   . You can break this rule only if difficult circumstances arise in the life of a loved one. But give the money without stipulating the terms and conditions of return at all, because he may not have such an opportunity for a very long time. Read an interesting article on the topic: is it worth lending?
8. Change your habits
   . Many habits steal money unnoticed. For example, an afternoon cup of coffee may seem like a small expense, but by giving it up you can save a couple of thousand a month.
9. Don't be jealous - take an example
   . Envying someone else's luck, you are only wasting time. Better think if you can do something similar.
10. Move towards your goal systematically
    . Impatience is one of the main problems that prevent us from achieving success in life. Be patient and work without expecting immediate results.
11. Always put it off
    . You've probably heard the advice many times to save 10% of your income. This is a common truth that cannot be ignored, even if the income is very small. The feeling that “something is accumulating somewhere” creates a powerful incentive to work.
12. Increase financial literacy
    . Even if you are not an economist by education or profession, knowledge of the basics of economics will not be superfluous. Search and study literature on both personal and global finance.

Individual performance curve

How to learn to achieve your professional success? It's simple, every person has hours of peak activity and relaxation. Having properly studied your body and the biorhythms in it, you can do much more. These processes are displayed very well on the labor productivity curve. It is divided into three types:

• the average person;
• owls;
• larks.

Decide what type you are and you will succeed.

The curve of an ordinary person

This indicator is suitable for the majority of people. Their concentration of attention reaches a peak in the first quarter of the day (7.30 - 11.30), then decreases and increases again at the end of the day (18.00 - 21.00). In the evening hours, the charge of vivacity that was in the morning is not observed. Therefore, everything important should be planned for the morning.

"Owls" activity

Do you go to bed late at night, and waking up early is a terrible torment? Perhaps you are a night owl. For such people, the productivity schedule is shifted a couple of hours ahead compared to those described above. How then to become successful in life, if you belong to this type, there is no secret, just put maximum emphasis on working during lunch and evening hours.

Features of "Larks"

By 9 pm you are already off your feet, but in the morning you were full of strength and vigor? – You are definitely a morning person. Your peak activity schedule is shifted back one hour. That is, in order to use your potential most efficiently and effectively, you need to:

• start activities early in the morning;
• spend time before colleagues arrive on an important part of the work, which is best done in complete silence;
• Carry out monotonous activities in the afternoon.

Monitor yourself and develop the most optimal work discipline schedule.

Practical part

Friends, as you already understand, one of the most important principles of success is the ability to set goals and achieve them. And the main thing is that this can be learned. If you want to learn how to set goals correctly and achieve them as quickly as possible, I recommend the “Goal Setting” course from Vikium.

This course will teach you:

• Achieve your goals
• Don't waste energy
• Realize your plans
• Reach new heights in development
• Make your dreams come true

What does the course consist of:

• 6 lessons
• Practical exercises and recommendations
• Video materials
• Graphic diagrams and tasks

Remember, friends: the most valuable investment is an investment in yourself!

To-do list

Things don't always go according to plan - don't be disappointed, you should stay inspired all day. Lack of motivation is faced daily by specialists in all fields: leading top managers, professional athletes. Often, following a developed scheme turns out to be difficult and boring. But motivation is the main driver of progress. It is worth understanding how and what kind of people support the desire to move forward and achieve success in life. You need to set yourself up wisely, convincing yourself that the result will bring benefits. Ask yourself: why do I need this and what will I get?

Find the correct answers: If I do this, I will go on vacation with my family, buy a car, buy an apartment, or become slim.

What do people want?

The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology published the results of a study from the University of Wyoming (USA). Research director and author Benjamin Wilkowski, Laboratory of Emotion and Cognition.

A series of seven studies were conducted, including surveys of hundreds of people about their commitment to achieving life goals. The researchers came up with four basic concepts that characterize the main human goals: fame, inclusion, avoiding negativity and following traditions.

The researchers gave the new classification of goals the acronym PINT: prominence, inclusiveness, negativity prevention, tradition.

Fame - covers goals ranging from power and making money to excellence and fame. Most strongly, this concept reflects the desire for social status - an attempt to earn the admiration and respect of others.

Inclusiveness is advocating for an open-minded attitude toward all people and opinions.

Avoidance of negativity is the desire to prevent any negative consequences of one’s actions - conflicts, disagreements, social isolation.

Following traditions involves maintaining the original institutions of one's culture, including religion, family, nation and other group values.

But over the course of life, the original goals significantly change their meaning. And as a person grows up, most of the goals of the first half of life lose meaning, but more significant tasks appear. How many stages of life are there and what important aspects are present in each stage? Read the next section.

Conclusion

Everyone dreams of becoming a successful, rich and respected person, but only a few complete the difficult path. The first failures force most aspiring entrepreneurs to give up their dreams and remain among the mercenaries working for a salary. The World Wide Web provides opportunities that did not exist literally 20 years ago: increased professionalism, exposure to interesting ideas. Seminars, specialized courses and video lessons allow you to understand the nuances of almost all known specialties and professions. It is enough to study the prepared material, outline a business plan and you can start your project.

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Author of the article Victoria Pchelinova Freelancer, creative and business

Books

Here I have briefly described the basic principles of successful people. You can highlight discipline, willpower, positive thinking and the ability to rise after another fall. But sometimes theses alone are not enough. Therefore, accept the list of powerful motivating books in which successful people share their experiences, worries, bumps and achievements.

1. Angela Duckworth “Grit. The Power of Passion and Persistence” is a great resource for starting from scratch.
2. Benjamin Graham “The Intelligent Investor” – help in achieving financial well-being.
3. Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad Poor Dad" is a guide to teaching your children how to manage money so that it works for you.
4. William Danko “My Neighbor is a Millionaire” - the authors of the book translate our small habits into money and show who we could become if we realized it in time.
5. Anthony Robbins “Awaken the Giant Within” is a motivating book for controlling yourself, your health, your children, your money and all your property, your life.
6. Stephen Covey “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” - many famous people have used this book as a reference book for their business and development.
7. MJ DeMarco's "Millionaire Fastlane" describes three patterns of how people behave with their finances.
8. Rabbi Daniel Lapin “You must prosper” is a motivator for achieving financial well-being. It is interesting that it was written by a priest, businessman, writer and lecturer.
9. Tony Robbins "Unshakable" A plan for your financial freedom” - the author tells how to manage money, not take excessive risks and be financially independent.