Get to work making success and security a part of your life.

@eliotkellyofficial

Anyone who wants to, can be successful. It is a matter of having the desire, learning what to do and how to do it, and then doing it. In this article we will cover the five most common misconceptions about success:

Misconception #1

Some people cannot be successful because of their background, education, or other factors beyond their control.

Bill Gates famously said, “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” The flip side to Gates’ idea is that failure often seduces people into viewing themselves as not smart enough to think they can win.

The examples of successful people who rose above the circumstances are many. One example is Do Won Chang, the famous face behind Forever 21. Do Won Chang immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 1981. Before he founded Forever 21, he worked three jobs simultaneously, as a gas station clerk, a janitor, and a coffee shop employee. The period lasted three years before he founded the company and opened it is first clothing store, in 1984.

Forever 21 is now multi-national and has 480 locations across the world and has managed to bring in $3 Billion per year. You do not need to be (particularly) intelligent or skilled to get access to opportunities or forge a successful business. You do not need to be beautiful or born with a silver spoon in your mouth to make it in this world either.

In his book, Frames Of Mind: The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences, Howard Gardner gives all of us hope. Gardner suggests that people can have multiple strengths and are each a unique blend of them. Here are a few pointers to help you become a better leader!

1. Determine your strengths.

What are you exceptionally good at and can do effortlessly?

2. Commit to your strengths.

Focus on developing your strengths. What would you need to do to improve your identified strengths?

3. Begin to apply your strength/skill with a view to adding value to and/or solving a problem for others. 

Ask yourself former President John F. Kennedy’s question: “What can you do for your country?” This is extremely important, as the more people you make successful, the more successful you will be.

4. Stay

Albert Einstein in an interview jested that it was not that he was so smart, but he had stayed with problems longer. So, become the person who sticks to a task or goal through to completion of achievement. Remember, never lower your target. If you find yourself experiencing temporary defeat, increase your action/s, but never ever lower your target. 

Misconception #2

You have got to work 60, 70, or 80 hours a week to be successful.

A five-year study conducted at the University of California demonstrated that working more is not necessarily a driver of better performance. From personal experience I have learned that mental, physical, and spiritual health tend to become threatened by not finding a ‘sweet-spot’ for hours allocated to achieve one’s goals. Health is not the only casualty. The burden indirectly placed on relationships is considerable.

We will discuss shortly the significance of mistakes and importance of learning from them, but before we do, I just wanted to share one of the most valuable lessons that I have learned is that people are much more valuable than money. When we ignore the impacts of over-extended hours on our relationships, we can easily fuel a self-defeating cycle.

Though a commitment to hard work usually drives success, it is not the full picture of the relationship between success and hard work. Quality of work outweighs the quantity of time spent on tasks and goals.

Misconception #3

Successful people do not make mistakes.

The important thing to note here is that we all make mistakes. For some ambitious entrepreneurs it may be a lack of due diligence on an investment property, for others, compromising key relationships due to isolation or unsociable working hours, and it can also be as common as not attaching that all-important document to an email and pressing the send button prematurely. Everybody, including successful people make mistakes.

Misconception #4

If you have help, it is not success.

Typically, individuals who do the most with their lives create their own luck, but they normally are intentional about finding the right resources to accomplish their goals. Successful people know that working with multiple minds to develop new ideas is better than working alone.

Humbling myself, identifying my development areas, recruiting, and celebrating the smart people in my network, allows me to see the unique and range of qualities that everyone contributes, and continually learn and grow from those around me. It can be tempting to look at highly successful people and imagine that they have been presented with opportunities others have not, however the stories of thousands of so called ‘lucky’ men and women, shows us otherwise. 

Misconception #5

It takes luck to be successful.

Luck is a loaded word, suggesting that a highly successful person got lucky takes away from everything they did to deserve what they have. The trending news now is the recent takeover by Tesla CEO, Elon Musk ahead of Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos as the world’s richest person. According to Bloomberg, a rise in Tesla’s shares lifted the value of its CEO stock holdings and options by $10 Billion, taking Musk’s network to almost $191 Billion. In comparison, Bezos is estimated to have a net worth of $187 Billion. Anybody familiar with any of the critics’ and supporters’ feedback surrounding these two industry giants would have heard ‘lucky’ being one of the words used to describe them. Ironically, both men’s career stories have been widely publicised from the early beginnings of their careers. 

While some events have improved the likelihood of their meteoric success, these men have both worked extremely hard and provided immense value to the world. The low lows and high highs of both individuals is often featured in some of the most popular memes across social media. In my opinion, their story is a commentary of the human will and spirit and highlights the opportunities available for all entrepreneurs willing to transform failure into success.

Very few successful people just got lucky, it is almost always hard work, discipline, and relentless determination. Luck has nothing to do with it. Success takes finding the right opportunity, educating yourself about how the opportunity works, and then acting while you continue to learn. Ignore the distractions, do not fall prey to the five misconceptions, tear up your excuses and get to work making success and security a part of your life.

Eliot Kelly is recognised as a serial Entrepreneur, and has been featured on CNN, BBC Three’s Be Your Own Boss and an extensive list of magazines and articles. His four books have been translated in over 7 languages and are sold in 29 countries, recently being shortlisted for Best Self-Help and Best Advice Books 2019 by The Author Academy. He is regarded as a top Sales, Business and Leadership Management Coach who creates opportunities for his success partner’s through financial literacy and life skills training. He is also a Professional Speaker and continues to inspire present and future entrepreneurs around the world. You Know More Than You Think You Do releases this Christmas! Pre-Order Today.

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