Secret of Success You can Embrace to Succeed in Life and Business

"Why, all men strive and who succeeds?" asks Browning. Every man wants to have success in life, but few are able to achieve it. Those who fail are in the habit of attributing their failure to bad luck, to unfavorable circumstances, to the hostility of enemies, to everything except their own defects and shortcomings. Yet if we study our own lives impartially, we will have to admit that our failures are mostly due to our personal defects and seldom to external circumstances. The age-old doctrine is that if we are able to know our own merits and demerits we should be able to correct our defects.

Self-confidence is essential for success "Self-trust", said Emer­sion, "is the first secret of success". We must have confidence in our capacity to triumph over all obstacles. Timidity and nervousness lead to hesitancy.

Another quality that goes hand in hand with self-confidence is the possession of a strong will and determination. If we have will, we will find the way to do a thing. We must summon all our powers, physical and mental, and bring them to bear on the performance of a work. It there is this single-minded devotion, success is bound to come.

Of course, success can come in those fields of life in which one's aptitudes find sufficient scope and one's ambition is related to one's powers and parts. Therefore, we must know how to choose our vocation, according to our taste and temperament, our capability. We must have pleasure in our work. Often failures in life come through a mistaken choice of life's vocation. If we are able to choose our career according to our natural inclinations, the chances of success are very bright.

Another important quality is to know and seize an opportunity when it comes our way. If we let opportunity pass, another may not come for years.

Man is the architect of his own destiny. A study of the lives of great men bears this out. Those who talk about destiny and the stare are only allowing external forces to get the better of us. The fact often is that most of us have not determination enough; the lives of most of us are full of hours spent in indolence, of opportunities wasted. Let us, therefore, if we want to succeed in life, fight with all our might against doctrines, which make us, lose self-confidence and destroy our initiative.

It is no use trying for the impossible. 'One must not hitch one's wagon to a star.' The impracticable is undesirable. Everything in the world is worth attempting, if it lies outside the reach of a man.

How many of these 10 secrets of success do you practice?

1. How you think is everything. Remember to “think positive” at every opportunity. Visualize success, not failure. Avoid negative environments and people.
2. Decide on your dreams and goals. Be specific about your goals. For example, say “I am taking a cooking class next month,” rather than “I would like to take a cooking class sometime.” Create a plan to reach your goals, and stick to it.
3. Take action. Goals alone have no meaning; you need to take action to make them real. Don’t let fear hold you back. "Just do it."
4. Never stop learning. Take classes, go back to school, read books, join a discussion group. If you are interested in a subject, make time to learn about it. Keep acquiring new skills.
5. Be persistent and work hard. You’ve probably heard the expression, “success is a marathon, not a sprint.” Keep your eye on the goal, and keep working toward it. Don’t give up.
6. Learn to analyze details. Get all the facts, and ask for input. This will help you make wiser decisions. Acknowledge your mistakes, but don’t beat yourself up. Learn from your mistakes.
7. Focus your time and money. When you believe in something, put your attention and energy there. Don’t let people or things distract you.
8. Don’t be afraid to innovate; be different. Be true to yourself, and have your own ideas. Following the crowd is a path to mediocrity.
9. Communicate with people effectively. Remember that no person is an island. Communicate your thoughts and desires honestly, and encourage others to communicate honestly with you. Practice understanding and motivating other people.
10. Be honest and dependable; take responsibility for what you do. Never cheat or lie. When you make a promise, keep it. When you screw up, admit it.

Without honesty, dependability and responsibility, the other nine secrets of success don’t add up to much.