Once, alchemists sought the secret formula for turning lead into gold. Nowadays, we seek things that seem to be far more complicated than transforming things to gold. One of them is success.
With so many people trying to influence us, it can be difficult for most of us to really know and realize what we want. And since we’re misguided by what these people have to say, we struggle and we go around in circles trying to be successful.
If you’re struggling with the same issues, then this article is exactly for you.
Our Approach To Finding Success
Let’s talk about Sam.
Sam wants to get the perfect body. He follows almost every type of diet shown on TV. He exercises however his Facebook feed says is “the best way it’s done”.
However, since it’s hard to keep good habits, Sam mostly just tries until he fails- which is often.
When Sam was a student, he studied the same way everybody does. He picked his major, profession, and job based on what his parents said. He didn’t have enough time to reflect on what he wanted and what he personally thought was best for his career. The same thing happens when it comes to medical treatments. Sam just take whatever he hears is best from hearsay and friends.
Although there are things that go well, there are also some things that don’t work out well for Sam. And because he’s living his life on autopilot and based on what other people want, he sometimes wonders if the things he does and did are really his best.
And this is what’s admirable about Sam. He’s self-aware. He questions himself.
Unfortunately, however, Sam doesn’t put the necessary effort to improve his life. He just bounces from one strategy to another, based on what other people tell him.
And then there’s Sally.
Unlike Sam, Sally seeks the truth. She likes to go through a thousand lies just to get the one truth out of them.
She sifts through diet recommendations to find out what will really work for her. Changing habits isn’t easy for anybody, but Sally figured out how to make that work for her, too.
Her exercise plan works and she has control over her life. She knows exactly why she chose her major and what type of work she wants to do in the future. She knows what she wants and she doesn’t listen to anyone else. Sally feels successful with all her life choices.
See Also: Why You Should Forget Success And Strive to Fail
The Right Approach To Attaining Success
To be successful, you need to be aware of two things- knowing the question and how you’ll find the right answers to that question.
Nate Silver, who was good at predicting the future, once wrote a book called “The Signal and the Noise”¸ The book talks about how you can find the true “signal” when it’s cut up into a thousand pieces and hidden in scattered “noises”.
For someone to be truly successful, he must first know what he really wants. Once he knows what his heart desires, he needs to have a good idea on how he can fulfill them- without the influence of other people or factors.
Now, let’s go back to Sam.
Sam knows that something’s not right. Despite achieving a lot of things, he still questions himself about his achievements. And because he’s not fully satisfied, he doesn’t feel as successful as he really is.
But, once he is able to find the answers to his questions and know what he really wants, much like Sally, Sam will succeed. He’ll move from one milestone to another, without the need to question himself again. And as he gains more accomplishments, he’ll never feel the same doubt he used to feel for himself before.
That’s where Sam becomes successful.
See Also: 2 Ways to Create Success Even When You’re Not “Good Enough”
Conclusion
Looking for the truth within yourself is not that difficult. In fact, you can easily find it if you just stop looking at other people and listening to what they have to say.
Your success comes from within you. It’s not about your parents, your friends or what social media has to say. Your success is and should be about you.