Success: A Process

Professor D. Schlanger
November 2nd, 2010

Success: A Process

What does it mean to be successful? How is an individual considered to be successful? Some may say that the clothes you wear measure success or the car you drive. Yes, these may be considered aspects of being successful but there is more to it than meets the eye. Having all the tangible assets in the world does not necessarily define an individual’s success. Rather, it is the process of setting and achieving goals that is the true measure of success. Once goals are set, the destination where success will be found is then determined. When an individual arrives at their destination, it is here they will find happiness, satisfaction and stability in their life. In order to arrive at the destination it is vital to set attainable goals, seize opportunities, to focus on positivity and to put forth all your effort in the pursuit. Successful businesspeople such as Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, have similar ideals in finding success in life. He is one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time and it did not happen by mistake. I believe that success in all aspects of life, whether it is personal, academic or in business, is defined by achieving goals and in doing so, stability and happiness will be attained.

The most important aspect of attaining any goal is to set one. Without setting a goal there is no starting point. The journey cannot end if it does not begin. Setting goals that are realistic and attainable is the very first step. If an unrealistic, unspecific goal is set, the reality is that these goals will be difficult to obtain. For instance, an individual sets the goal of solving world hunger. The reality is that they will find it challenging to succeed in terms of achieving that goal. It is too broad, and unreasonable to have any real value. The first step is to start small. In the textbook Becoming a Master Student, there are specific guidelines in setting goals (Ellis, 2006, p.67-68). Realistic goals are set in several time frames and can be related in several aspects of life including education, careers and social life (p.68). Goals should be set for short, mid and long-term. By dividing your goals into three stages, it becomes a step-by-step process as opposed to a large, unattainable one. For instance, a student wants to be successful in the future, specifically in the field of marketing. His long-term goal is to own a marketing firm. To achieve that he has to set a short-term goal of completing his homework, which then helps him achieve his mid-term goal of completing university and obtaining his degree. The long-term goal can be obtained as long as the mid and short-term goals are reasonable and achievable. A good method in setting goals is utilizing the concept of S.M.A.R.T.R goals. This stands for smart, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely and reward. Following these guidelines in goal setting will surely assist in goal achievement. Goal setting is vital and if done properly, the opportunity for success will present itself.

Once an opportunity for success presents itself, it is up to you to take advantage. In all aspects of life, especially in business and careers, individuals will always be presented with new opportunities to grow and learn. Seizing those opportunities is what makes the difference. In business, new positions are always available and it is up to employees to acknowledge this and strive towards working hard and trying something new and exciting. Rather than just settling, it is necessary to try something new and reinvent yourself. In an article found through Ryerson University’s Business Source Elite database, Easton and Erbodi (2010) spoke with five people about how they had to reinvent their careers due to different factors in the economy including downsizing, unemployment and recession (p.59-63). In the story of Allan Gilmour, he came out of retirement to serve as Ford Motor’s vice president in order to help the financially struggling company stay strong. He took the opportunity at the age of 68. When he was 76, he was then asked to serve as president on Wayne State University’s board due to the loss of their president. Gilmour had spent his whole life in the automobile industry, yet he didn’t back down from the position as president of a university. His reason was that if the board had thought he was fit for the position, he wasn’t going to doubt them. Allan Gilmour took advantage of his opportunities for success and now he is in a position where his knowledge and experience could have an impact of the economic future of Michigan. Referring back to seizing opportunities, it is too important to take advantage, try something new and put forth your best effort in doing so. This will lead to stability in your life, whether it may be financial or emotional. Stability will ultimately lead to happiness and an overall positive attitude towards life.

It is almost impossible to discover happiness and success without encompassing a positive attitude. It is much more enlightening to see the glass half-full rather than half empty. If you set your mind towards positivity, than it is inevitable that positivity will find you. In an article on the Internet titled 3 Keys To Changing Your Outlook On Life, Osborn (2007) suggests that if negativity is constantly on your mind, then the outcome will result in negativity. This relates back to my notion that positivity inevitably leads to positive outcomes. Also, your surroundings are a determining factor in your success. If it is criminals that you choose to be associated with, then there is more of a chance of you being involved in criminal activity. If you find yourself in a position like such, than it is crucial to re-associate with more positive influences. Negative influences and attitudes are barriers to success. Positivity can only lead positive reaction.

An excellent example of an individual who has found success is Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, a cutting edge company in the computing, and portable media world. Apple owes a lot of their success to Steve Jobs. However, Steve Jobs did not just become successful by mistake. He had a set of rules that he followed. These rules were called his “12 Rules of Success” (Hill, 2009). Of his twelve rules, there are three with important value in terms of success. Rule number one, “Do what you love to do” (Hill, 2009). If you do something that you truly love to do you can only strive in it. It’ll bring you happiness and power you towards success. Rule number six “Start small, think big” (Hill, 2009) had great importance. Every action you take has to have a starting point. It is okay to have big hopes and ambitions, but it can’t be achieved overnight. By taking small steps towards your big goal, you eventually grow and take bigger steps to reach your goal. The twelfth rule “Learn Continually” (Hill 2009) is perhaps the most important. Once you’ve begun your path to success it is important to continue to allow yourself to grow and be able to sustain your success. You can never learn too much. Knowledge is power, the more you know, the more you can do. You can learn from anything and anyone, whether it is family, friends or even enemies. Following someone else’s rules to success is easy and simple, the challenge however, is to create your own set of rules to fit yourself and your goals. It’s always good to have guidelines in which to follow, but never feel limited within them.

Incorporating everything that’s been discussed, I personally intend to set goals for myself which are attainable and realistic. In doing so I have to achieve success in my life based on objectives I set out to fulfill.

Being successful is not measured in dollars and figures. Rather it is measured within yourself and how you achieved the goals you set yourself. Once you’ve set goals, it is up to you to find the appropriate means reach them. Success does not happen overnight. The process can take days, months, years or even a lifetime. Whatever makes you truly happy and want to strive for more is what you should strive to do. Being stable, in terms of emotions and the ability to provide for yourself and your needs is the meaning success. It is a process, one that is often tough, but it is what shapes a successful attitude.

References

Easton N., Erbodi K. (2010, January 11). If You Can Remake Yourself Here…. Retrieved November 2, 2010, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=12&sid=c63b82f1-9ae3-4bd9-952a-8d5aacbfed8f%40sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bsh&AN=54553909

Ellis D. (2006). Becoming A Master Student (Canadian Fourth Edition). Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Hill B. (2009, September 9). Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ “12 Rules of Success”. Retrieved November 2, ,2010, from http://www.businessbrief.com/apple-ceo-steve-jobs-12-rules-of-success/

Osborn, J. (2007, June 19). Success - 3 Keys to Changing Your Outlook on Life so You Can Succeed. Retrieved November 2, 2010, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Success---3-Keys-to-Changing-Your-Outlook-on-Life-so-You-Can-Succeed&id=612825