Success Mindset

What does success mean to you?

Is it making 6 figures straight after college? Making your parents proud? Raising a happy family?

Everyone’s success is defined in different, unique ways. The path we go through to achieve our dreams is long, winding, and difficult, but it also helps us learn and grow as a person. There are no shortcuts, but hard work and luck will eventually get you to a place where you would like to be, or as a stepping stone to the next big thing.

There are a few things to remember as you go about life, chasing your dreams:

Growth Mindset

Instead of seeing the situation from a one point perspective, not being able to do anything about it, ask yourself how you can make this change. Growth mindset is believing that you can create change with hard work and personal development. By believing you can’t do anything, you’re limiting your growth. Believe in yourself and other things will begin to follow.

Failure is OK

You’ve definitely heard this one before but it’s one million percent true. Be willing to fail from time to time, don’t be afraid of failure. Failure may be the one thing stopping you from starting what you want. Take the risk, you can learn more from your failures than successes. You never know what could’ve happened, so why spend the rest of your life wondering?

Long Term Vision > Short Term Vision

Setting goals as a whole is a great way to organize thoughts, but ultimately, you need to know what you’re working for. First think of the big thing you would like to accomplish, whether that takes 5 years or your whole life. Where you’re going comes before the steps you take to go there, as the steps you take can change along the way.

Positivity Goes a Long Way

It is scientifically proven that realistic optimists are more successful than pessimists. See setbacks as obstacles you can overcome. Success doesn’t automatically mean happiness, but being positive will bring success into your life.

Incorporating these into your mindset will change your life for the better, just try it for a week! Wherever the future takes you, please know that you’re doing well. Where you’re at right now in life may not be where you would like to be, but it’s ok. I’m proud of you, and I’m sure everyone around you is too. You’ve been through a lot, and with persistence and hard work, you will succeed in your own terms, no matter how long it takes. Whenever you’re in a rut, please remember the 4 tips and that whatever happens will happen. Wishing you the best future!

-Elizabeth

Many thanks to Forbes for the wonderful advice!