We all want to be successful. It's that promise to finally reach the light at the end of the tunnel that inspires us to stick around — even when the going gets tough. Yes, success is always the end goal. But stop and ask yourself this:Do you really have a clear idea of what it is? Or do you only work with what you have been told? Do you fall into the trap of believing common myths about success? If so, it's time for a wake-up call. Here are three things you've probably heard over and over. But remember, just because they're repeated often doesn't mean they're true.
Success makes your life perfect
Once you finally hit that big milestone — be it a certain salary, position, or achievement — you're confident that the rest of your life will fall into place. All you need is to achieve that goal, and everything will be fine. Unfortunately, this is rarely true. Sure, maybe that level of success means your career has reached an all-time high. But if you count on it to be the key to eternal happiness and a flawless life, you'll probably only be disappointed. Remember that your work is only part of your life. So, while achieving a professional goal is always rewarding, that doesn't mean you won't suddenly find anything to complain about. Ultimately, there is no such thing as a perfect life, no matter how much professional success you achieve.
So, instead of waiting for that important milestone to create the life you want, focus on your happiness now. Leave plenty of time for the things you love and celebrate all your victories, even the little ones.
All that matters is hard work
You know success is about rolling up your sleeves and working hard – there's no denying it. But if you think that's all it takes to achieve success, you're in for a hard wake-up call. It's the things that can't be predicted or planned, like a bit of luck or being in the right place at exactly the right time, that often leads to the biggest payoff. Of course, the willingness to work hard, make your contribution and put in the necessary effort is always important. But unfortunately that is usually not enough to achieve what you want.
It's the same for everyone
Perhaps for a person success is a good job with a huge salary and 80 hours of work per week. But maybe it's something different for you. Maybe your idea of being successful is that you can work on something you love for a decent living, while having enough time for the things you enjoy. As with anything, it's far too easy to fall into the comparison trap – convincing ourselves that we want what the other person has. However, it is important for you to realize that success is personal. It looks different for each of us.
So before you get busy achieving that dream that ultimately doesn't inspire you that much, make sure you take the time to identify what really makes you — and not everyone else — happy. Success is not a “one size fits all” kind of thing.
