What is the key to success?

You're reading this post because a.) You want to achieve success or b.) You're my friend so you feel obligated to read my blog and we both want you to achieve success. To begin figuring out how to achieve success I have been asking the pros—successful people. In my years of questioning, I have gotten an assortment of answers, some answers much more profound than others. Nonetheless, all of the answers listed below (with interpretations in my own words) have been helpful.

Alleged Key to Success #1: Hard work. Chances are, what you want will be something that isn't hard "work" but hard "play" because you enjoy it. You don’t have enough time or energy to do everything, so decide what you actually want to dedicate your time to. I could work really hard at becoming a world-class boxer, but that is not what I want. The real key to success isn't undirected hard work, but having a clear vision of what success means to you.
 

Actual Key to Success #1: Envision success. Define what success means to you by setting goals. Is success earning enough money to buy your own house, loving and being loved by your friends and family, or running 4.4 miles in 44 minutes?

In a Harvard study, three percent of participants had clear, written goals when they left Harvard. Ten years later, the three percent with clear, written goals were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97 percent of graduates all together. (What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School by Mark McCormack). I don't know about you, but I'm going to set clear goals so I can be part of the three percent!

I could write an entire post about goal setting, but since that's not the goal of this post, I'll just recommend that you read Brian Tracy's books for advice on setting successful goals.

Alleged Key to Success #2: Patience. I associate "patience" with waiting around for something to happen, but the reality is that you've got to take action! If your definition of success is to make a million dollars, then practice balancing Oreos on your tongue to win Minute to Win It, buy a lottery ticket, or get really good at something so that somebody will pay you a million dollars to do it. A word to replace "patience" in this case is "persistence," because persistence implies taking action instead of waiting around.

Actual Key to Success #2: Persistence, commitment, motivation, determination, or some other variation of continuing in the presence of obstacles. Now that you know what you want, you've got to use your relentless persistence to get it.

• If your definition of success is to get at least a 3.5 GPA, you've got to study. There will be times you get a 44% on an "Introduction to Theater" test. A successful person will reevaluate her study techniques to do better in the future and pass the class.

• If your definition of success is to write a blog with 1,000 hits, you've got to write. There will be times you lose your mojo. A successful person will get it back to keep writing, and even amp up his blog with visual elements.

• If your definition of success is to love and be loved by your friends and family, you've got to invest in your relationships. There will be times that conflict is inevitable. A successful person will remember why they care about the other person and argue respectfully so as not to ruin a cherished relationship.

When the going gets tough, successful people remember what they want their future to look like, and do everything they can to get there. 

Alleged Key to Success #3: Luck. This is the "right place, right time" aspect of success, such as when you meet your soul mate at Wegmans or land a professional position that is the perfect fit. If you are willing to take risks, there are ways you can increase your chances, such as applying to more jobs or meeting more people by going to Wegmans more often. So the key to success here is having the confidence to take risks.

Actual Key to Success #3: Confidence. You've got to believe in yourself and expect that you'll achieve your definition of success, otherwise a rational person wouldn't waste his or her time trying. If your definition of success is "build and maintain a loving family" but you don't think you'll ever meet a marriage-worthy man or woman, why would you waste your time meeting potentials? And if you never take the time to meet potentials, you won't ever achieve this type of success. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
 

Summary of Keys to Success: Optimism. Optimism is "a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome." (Dictionary.com). If you have optimism, you will automatically have all of the above keys to success.

• Defining success means knowing what success looks like to you. In other words, envisioning a favorable outcome.

• When the going gets tough, an optimist expects a favorable outcome. This unrelenting belief provides optimists with the motivation to commit to achieving success in the presence of obstacles. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel gives you the persistence to see obstacles as opportunities.

• Since an optimist believes that a favorable outcome will happen, she has the confidence to take chances, seize opportunities and achieve anything.

Optimism about a certain situation will allow you to envision success, provide the persistence you need to overcome obstacles, and give you confidence to succeed. Someday, when an aspiring young professional asks me “What is the key to success?” I will say "optimism" (or at least "having a very optimistic friend that wants you to be successful").