People often ask what the most important factors for success are. There have been many top ten lists and articles about this, but what are the clear and indisputable factors, which are the cornerstones of success? As it turns out, there are 3 simple pillars of success from which all other tips and advice are derived. In this article, I am going to discuss these factors.
Pillar 1: Positive Thinking
The starting point in your journey to success is positive thinking. It’d be a tired trope to say “Think Positive”. But not many people know the true meaning of positive thinking. Some use it as an excuse for laziness. Some mistake it for wishful thinking, while many use it to escape reality. Positive thinking is a belief in final success, regardless of your setbacks, limitations, and the detours you may have to take in your journey. Positive thinking is an expectation, not a wish.
What you expect will come to pass, not what you wish
Positive thinking can have a Midas touch on anything that happens in your life. It can turn any problem into opportunities.
Pillar 2: Hard Work
Positive thoughts are a good start but without hard work, they’ll be just that; “thoughts”. Value of any outcome is relative. If something can be achieved easily, everyone can attain it, therefore has no relative value. So anything that is worth attaining must be difficult to attain. Hard work is the logical requirement for any meaningful success.
Positive thinking without hard work is wishful thinking.
Pillar 3: Detachment
Detachment is the trickiest of all. Positive thinking creates the expectations. Hard work gets you the results. Detachment protects you from setbacks and gets you going.
Let me explain…
After harboring positive thoughts and putting a lot of effort to attain your goals, you have invested a great deal. It’s natural to be stressed or worried about setbacks. The road to success is full of setbacks. If you tie your worth to your success, any setback will deal a blow to your self-esteem and hurt you emotionally.
If you don’t master detachment, the very same success that was supposed to bring you more freedom, will enslave you. You will be hurt by failures and disparaged by others’ opinions.
You must detach yourself and your self-worth from your success. Love yourself regardless of any results. Do not be dismayed by others’ negative opinions of you. Nor should you be pleased by their admiration.
The Bottom Line
There are many tactics in achieving goals, but they all boil down to reinforcing 3 pillars of success: positive thinking, hard work, and detachment. In short, expect great things, take massive action, and yet don’t let the outcome define you and be the measure of your self-worth.
