Building a successful life is something everyone seems to aspire to do. The definition of success may be different for you than it is for someone else, so first, you should think about what true success means to you. Success in your life could be happiness, financial stability, or perfecting your craft. It could be taking a trip around the world or buying an expensive car. It could be contentedness and a sense of accomplishment. The way that you define success will help you identify your goals.

The Ingredients that You Will Need:

Do you have the Motivation to Achieve Your Goals?

Motivation is the incentive or inspiration that you have to move forward, to take action, or to complete a certain task. Your motivation can come in many forms, but it is always important that you stay motivated. The power to achieve your goals and to build a successful life is within your control. Keep that in mind as you encounter obstacles and overcome challenges. Motivation will compel you to put forth your best effort, and it will help you structure how you react to new situations or environments that you may experience on the road to success.

Anything is Possible with Confidence and Determination

Determination is closely related to motivation. You must be determined to stay the course, even if you are faced with a difficult challenge. Success is not easy, and it may take many tries – and many failures – before you are able to achieve it. Are you confident in your own abilities? This can significantly influence how your potential clients perceive your capability for their specific task. When you are confident in yourself, your clients will often be much more confident in you as well. To convince others to believe in you, you must first believe in yourself. This means transforming your doubt, uncertainty, or fear into positive self-affirming beliefs about the path that you have chosen. Change the phrase “I can’t” to “I can,” and you will immediately begin to engrain those beliefs in your mind.

True Success Only Lasts with Integrity and a Strong Work Ethic

Two more qualities that should be present in your quest for success are integrity and an eagerness to work hard. Integrity is the quality of possessing and strictly abiding by professional standards or ethical principles. Your clients will enjoy working with you more if you are trustworthy and reliable. Your honesty and professionalism will show through in your work. While building trust with a client or employer is essential to gaining their approval and long-term support, you can also gain appreciation by showing them that you have a stellar work ethic. This work ethic is the desire to work harder than they expect by putting in more time, completing projects early, or contributing ideas and inspiration to help move a business forward.

What is your recipe for success? How do you accomplish your goals?

Written By: Lauren Wilkison