The Relentless Pursuit of Success

By: James Wilder

The Relentless Pursuit of Success. The power of a life well lived. Photo by jwilder.

What is success? Why pursue it?

Success

What is your definition of success?

The common definition of success is: "Getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame." -Wiktionary

Success is usually seen as a destination or something to achieve. Society's definition of success is relative and arbitrary.

What we need is a personal definition.

Success: Define it. Own It.

We are free to create our own definition of success.

We can define success in a way that removes self-imposed mental barriers and empowers us to explore and grow.

Success begins with a mindset.

A mindset is available to anyone.

The pursuit of success is eternal.

It is only limited by the time we have in this world.

Some call it mastery. Some call it excellence.

Call it what you want.

Why Have a Success Mindset

We are bombarded with negative images and thoughts on a daily basis. Whether we realize it or not, we exist in a culture that tries to influence us every second of the day. Let's just say, most of the influence is not to our advantage.

To rise above the noise, we can develop a success mindset. We can adopt a philosophy of life and living that allows us to grow and thrive.

A mindset is a set of beliefs. A success mindset is a set of empowering beliefs.

Some of the benefits of having a success mindset are:

It causes you to focus.
It gives you a mission.
It makes every day count.
It can make you influential.
It makes you feel more alive.
It gives you a sense of urgency.
It makes your actions significant.
It gives you a sense of empowerment.
It helps you persevere through hard times.

How to Build a Success Mindset

As human beings, we all have an unlimited capacity to grow in all aspects of our life. Our only limit is death. Knowing the reality that we have a limited time on this earth can make us even more motivated.

The first thing to do is to create your own success mindset and allow it to change as you grow.

Here are a few ways to get started.

• Think of people you admire and write down why you admire them. This will give you some clues to the qualities you value and want for yourself.
• List the skills and abilities you have that you want to grow.
• Start doing things today even though you’re not good at them. Never delay!
• Improve your mental and physical health. This will help you think clearer and give you more physical energy and stamina.
• Realize your mortality and pursue success anyway.
• Avoid distractions and pointless activities that keep you from making progress.
• Don't tie your ego to what you create. Whether it is art, photography, writing, carpentry, or anything else. Enjoy what you create, but don't let it define you.
• Don't be self-critical. You will never begin the journey if you are overly critical of everything you do.
• Don't seek approval from your peers! You can get feedback, but never seek validation or approval.
• Don't wait for others to label you as successful.
• Recognize and believe you are unique and that others can benefit from what you create and discover in life.
• Read books that encourage you and biographies that inspire you.
• Write a vision statement for your life and update it every year.
• Don't forget to play and have fun.
• Don't make excuses.
• Stay humble.

Start today.

You don't need to wait.

You are empowered to succeed.

There can never be too many successful people!

Whatever you do, whatever you create, share it with others, and inspire others to do the same.

Note: Interestingly Wiktionary says that the old english word for success was "sped," which is "speed" in modern english.

To your success!