image credits: freedigitalphotos.net
Everyone wants to be successful. Its the reason stories like how J.K Rowling went from counting food stamps to becoming a billionaire become viral. Its the reason Oprah Winfrey attained goddess-status because many struggling women wanted to be just like her (a broke lady from a broken home one instant and in America’s top ten richest the next instant).
What is Success?
Success is doing what you love and attaining heights you dream of. Success, for me, is being an entrepreneur with a difference. Success for Micheal Jordan was being the best basketball player of all time. Success for Walt Disney is being the best entertainment company in the world.
Success does not have to be all about money. It is about you and what you want in life. If your ambition is to eradicate illiteracy, then your success is defined by the number of countries you helped build robust education systems that work. If your daily motivation is the reduction of mortality rate, then your success would be the day it is observed that 99.9% of your patients survived. If your life goal is to be on Forbes list, then of course, success for you would mean how much wealth you have acquired.
But there is a problem:
Many times, we want to be successful right now!
There is nothing wrong with a little ambition. Wanting to be successful is not a bad thing. Its expecting to be successful without sweating for it that is wrong. None of the successful people I know had a magic lamp.
Real Life stories of people that built success out of nothing
Before I go any further, I want to tell you the true stories of three people, whom life knocked so hard, and yet they shocked everyone with their brilliant success.
J.K Rowling:
image credits: DailyMail.co.uk
She is best known for her Harry Potter series, that sold over 450 million copies with the last four books setting records as the fastest selling books of all time on both sides of the Atlantic and generating billions of dollars from book sales and the film merchandise.
But J.K Rowling had a rough start.
In 1990, her mother died from multiple sclerosis. Grief led to her first marriage, that lasted less than 3 years. This was the start of a dark period in her life and in her words, she felt like a failure. Christmas of 1993 saw her back in Edinburgh, with her young daughter and living on welfare.
She started writing the Harry Potter first book in 1990 and submitted it to publishing houses in 1997. It was rejected by 12 publishers and nearly thrown out by Bloomsbury (the publisher that eventually paid her a paltry $4000 as royalty for the first book). Her saving grace was the daughter of the editor of Bloomsbury who insisted on reading the rest of the book.
An American publishing house, saw the book and immediately bought rights to publish it in America. The rest, as they say, is history.
Neil Patel:
image credits: Mashable.com
30 year-old Neil has achieved a whole lot for his age. He was recognised as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and one of the top 100 entrepeneurs under age 35 by the United Nation. He has made it to Forbes top 10 online marketers list and Entrepreneur Magazine believes he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies in the world.
What company did he create that got him all this recognition?
Neil is the co-founder of Crazy Egg, Kissmetrics and Hello Bar; with these companies he has increased the revenue-generation capacity of blue-chip companies like Amazon, NBC, Viacom and HP to mention but a few. To view an infographic that shows all the details of Neil’s life, click here
But he was not always the top-shot internet marketer.
Neil reveals that he started out with crappy jobs: like being a janitor, a salesman for an expensive vacuum-cleaner that nobody wanted, and starting a job board that sucked a lot of money and never made a cent. Even the early days of Crazy Egg was punctuated with crazy losses. After Crazy Egg, he started a number of software companies that failed.
But he did not give up.
Neil knew what he wanted and continued to strive for it. As at 2012, Quicksprout earned $1,000,000 in revenue. Big-shot companies like Amazon, HP have hired his services in millions of dollars and currently Neil is working on transforming an already successful Kissmetrics into a $100 million a year revenue business. Read more of his story here and here
Pat Flynn:
He dubbed himself ‘the crash dummy of the internet’. He has tried almost every single legitimate tactic or strategy there is to make money online. Just last month, his blog brought home a hefty $123,853.51
He might not be a millionaire but he makes a pretty decent income from his internet marketing ventures.
But it was not always this rosy.
Before he started making money online, Pat received a sack notice! During the economic crisis in 2008, he was fired from his 9-5 job but notified on-time by his boss. He had to move out of his house into his parent’s house and start commuting by train to save money spent on gas for his car. Out of desperation, he walked into internet marketing and has never looked back since.
Their not-so-secret ingredients…
When you read through these stories you will notice certain things (what I call the ingredients of success)
1. They wanted success so bad…
When you read Neil Patel’s life story you will discover he had one driving force: he wanted to be rich. He wanted to break free of the shackles of middle-class.
J.K Rowling wanted her books to find a home in every young child’s library. She always dreamed of being a writer.
To be successful, you must first want it bad enough.
How can you do this?
Ask yourself this question: What do I really want in life? What do I want so bad in life?
Do not freak out: it mustn’t just be money. Some people want to visit every nation of this world so bad. Some people want to leave a legacy for their kids. Some want to create freedom and equality for all.
Whatever it is, you must want it bad enough.
2…They were willing to work for it
J.K Rowling worked on her novel for more than five years. At a point, she was making notes on scraps of paper or tissue or anything close-by whenever inspiration struck. What many people don’t know is that J.K Rowling started writing at a tender age. When next you watch a Harry Potter movie, know this: It took years of preparation, training and a lot of sweat and blood (her mother’s death) to make that story the stellar piece it is.
When Pat Flynn started trying to figure out how to monetize his blog, he was driven by one compelling force: he had to find a source of income so he could take care of his wife (then fiancee) and their children. Pat had no experience in marketing but he learned it. Pat knew nothing about Affiliate marketing but he learned it.
He was willing to work to make his dreams of fending for his family and spending quality time with them come true.
How can you do this?
After answering the first question, ask yourself this second question: What do I need to do to achieve this? Be brutally honest with yourself. Get a pen and paper and put down everything required to achieve your dream. From skill-set, connections to finances, list every single thing.
3. They believed in themselves
We all have doubts but our doubts must never overshadow our belief in ourselves.
When Pat Flynn found out that a large number of people visited his site, he was scared.
According to him, he had these thoughts:
“What if my notes weren’t good enough? What if I’m forgetting something?
I knew the content was good though, and exactly what I needed to pass, so I internally began to become confident in what I had created and was determined to monetize this site somehow.”
Do you ever feel this way. I know I do sometimes. Everyone does. The trick is to put in your best and when the nagging voice of self-doubt pops into your head, silence it with the results of your genuine efforts.
How can you do this?
After answering the second question, ask yourself: “what are my fears?” Your fear could be that you are not educated enough. It could be that you do not have the right skill-set. It could be even a physical deformity like you do not have good legs so you are not mobile. Whenever I have doubts about myself, I tell myself, “If Nick Vujicic can become a world-renowned motivational speaker, write 4 inspirational books and accomplish a whole lot more, then I have no excuse to keep doubting myself”
Nick Vujicic is one of the men I admire and you can find out more about him and other people who never allowed their weaknesses stop them in this inspiring article by Ikechi Awazie
4. They had goals
When Pat Flynn was warned of his imminent sack by his boss, He knew immediately that he had to figure out how to make money online.
According to him:
My body was still going into the office a few times a week, but my mind was all about online business and learning all about how it worked and what I could possibly do to begin to earn an income online.
In my mind, I was already laid off.
I had a few months left on payroll, plus a small severance package and some emergency savings if I needed to use it – so I figured I had maybe 6-8 months to make this online business thing work – whether it would be something I did with my LEED blog or something else. If not, then I would send out resumes like mad or go back to school to get a Masters and go from there.
As far as I was concerned, I had no other options but to make it work.
When J.K Rowling was receiving food stamps to take care of herself and her daughter, she poured herself into her book. She just knew that she had to make it as a writer or the future really looked bleak.
How can you do this?
5. They explored their creativity (and broke the rules!)
Pat Flynn created a new dimension of affiliate marketing with his website smartpassiveincome.com.
This is how he did it.
First he would create a blog post for a product he was an affiliate of. Then he would create a video showing exactly how to use this product, revealing free-of charge what some people taught at a price. He did this for BlueHost, Samuri products and many others.
The result?
His affiliate links recorded crazy conversions, and shot his earnings through the roof. Don’t believe me? Click on this link to see for yourself. Before Pat Flynn started this form of affiliate marketing, it was little-known. Pat Flynn was one of the internet marketers that made it a well-known strategy.
J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter book was rejected by 12 publishers in a row. Why? Because of literary rules like “Hook the reader on the first page“, “The story must start with the main character”, “If its for kids, then words like ‘wizard’, ‘magic’, ‘dragons’ etc will land it in the slush pile”, “The fantasy genre is overflogged for kids. Kids want another type of hero”
J.K Rowling did not allow all those rules determine what she will write. And she was still optimistic even after receiving all those rejection letters. And today, she has over 450 million books sold to show that certain rules are meant to be broken.
Due to their creativity, they were ahead of their times and created trends that everyone else scrambled to follow.
How can you do this?
6. They had skills
Neil Patel started marketing before he was out of college. Pat Flynn started blogging while he had his 9-5 job and J.K Rowling started writing stories before she was a teenager.
They had skills.
And these skills paved the way for their success. Nobody becomes successful without having a skill.
How can you do this?
Look at your dreams again. What is the one skill you have that you can start using right now to achieve them.The skill does not have to be a direct skill.
For instance, you might be a really good writer but you want to develop an app that helps women get their finances right. To develop this app, you need to know technical stuff like a programming language.
But you do not.
Don’t let this dissuade you. You can hire a programmer to do your app for you, while you make money for to pay the programmer by freelancing your writing skills on job sites like Elance or even on your own website. 21 year-old Brandon did something similar and you can read all about it in the article: Crazy Dog Apps Used Fiverr to Build App Store Empire
The important thing here is you have to have a skill that will make it easy to achieve your goal. So ask yourself again: What is the one skill I have that I can start using right now to achieve my goals?
7. They surrounded themselves with the right people
J.K Rowling went to stay near her sister who believed in her. Neil Patel co-founded most of his companies with his sister’s husband. Pat Flynn says: When I told my wife [of the imminent sack], she took it well. She has always believed in me and I owe her everything for that.
Another connection that shot Pat Flynn’s internet marketing career to the top was his affiliation with the Mastermind Meeting with the Internet Business Mastery Academy.
According to him: This mastermind group started to meet regularly, and for a while included Dan Andrews, which many of you may know from the Lifestyle Business Podcast – but it was that first meeting that changed everything.
Because it was in this meeting that Sterling told him to write and sell an ebook on his first website, since it was getting thousands of visitors. It was through this group that Pat Flynn got this idea that generated $7,126.91 alone.
How can you do this?
8. They found one idea and stuck to it
J.K Rowling knew she wanted to be a writer and stuck to it. Pat Flynn decided he wanted to be an internet marketer and stuck to it. Neil Patel decided to take the internet marketing scene by storm and has never looked back.
Regularly you see people chasing the latest fad and abandoning it when it does not give them the results they desire immediately. You see entrepreneurs abandoning their young businesses out of frustration because they are not yet earning money from it. It took Pat Flynn more then 15 months to earn a substantial amount of money from his first website GreenExamAcademy.com
It took J.K Rowling 7 years of dedication to her novel before she got her first payoff.
It took Neil Patel years of dedication to learning internet marketing, even failing at his job board and losing money initially with Crazy Egg before he started racking in millions.
Every good thing takes time to grow. A plant will take its time to poke it head out of the soil, even if you water it endlessly for 24 hours. It will never break through the soil in that 24 hours.
How can you do this?
9. They were not afraid to fail…
The fear of failure has crippled many people making them prefer a mediocre life than to achieve their dreams.
Don’t let this be you.
Neil Patel states clearly that many of his software companies were failures. But this did not stop him from founding Kissmetrics. Instead of succumbing to his failure, he learnt from them.
According to him:
Eventually, we learned that Crazy Egg succeeded while our other software companies didn’t because of two reasons: not only does it solve a unique problem that enough businesses are experiencing, but it does so in a very simple way.
With our new found knowledge, we decided to create another analytics company that would solve a much larger problem than what Crazy Egg solved.
How can you do this?
Do not see failure as an indication of your weakness. No. If a project failed, you are not the problem. The failure of the project is not a reflection of your capabilities as a person. Instead understand that failure is a way to learn something new you did not know before. Neil used the knowledge gained from the failure of his software companies to build Kissmetrics. When something fails ask yourself, “What next? How can I fix this?”
10 …And when they failed, they got right back up and fought again
Despite the fact that J.K Rowling felt like a failure when she found herself as a single mother with no achievement whatsoever, she continued writing. Pat Flynn’s eminent sack pushed him to work harder on his website. Neil Patel’s failure did not stop his craving for success. Instead he used his failures as a tool to create a powerful company.
How can you do this?
Everyone is scared of failure. But I want you to know this: Should any of your plans fail, simply get right back up. Do not give up.
Every single successful person I know has tasted failure, rejection, losses and pain. And that’s what made them stronger and moulded them into who they are.
If you learn just two things today:
1. You must want success so bad that you are willing to do everything legally possible and ethically right to get it. By this I mean, that you should not allow your ambition steal the precious moments you spend with your family or make other tasks like a trip to the gym impossible. Instead I mean that you should cut your time spent catching up on social media, TV bingeing and instead spend this time working on your success. I mean you should be ready to sacrifice an hour or two of sleep to build yourself up for success.
2. You need to start being with like-minded people: You are a product of the people you spend your time with. If you really want to be successful, you need to start building connections, relationships and friendships with successful people.
Over to you. In the comments below, tell me the one thing you do everyday to achieve your dreams of success. Are you having challenges being successful? Tell me about and I will get back to you with tips that could help. A problem shared is half-solved.
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Hi Chioma
Indeed this is an excellent post and so thought provoking.
Yes we all want to be successful but some are not ready for the task involved. I love the stories that you revealed in your about the Rag to riches of JK Rowling, Neil and Patt.
They have made a difference in business and it is good to know what they had to go through before they achieved success. Your tips on becoming successful are spot. Looking at what it takes to be successful, I can see that with passion, skill, meeting like-minded people, getting a coach and perseverance, one can definitely achieve his goal.
Thanks for mentioning my post in your blog. Thanks for sharing this awesome post. Have a swell week.
ikechi recently posted…Be An Inspiration: A Cartoonist Turns 609 Rejections into A Success Story
Hi Ikechi,
Its is true many people crave success, but often times they underestimate the real efforts required to achieve this success. Many times people give up, just before their break-through. J.K Rowling, Neil and Pat Flynn are people I admire especially eversince I found out that they too had to work hard for their phenomenal success.
like you mentioned, it takes passion, skill, associating with like-minded people, a good coach and dogged perseverance to be a resounding success. I enjoyed your post about Nick. He is an inspiration and I knew I simply had to share it in this article.
Thanks for stopping by, Ikechi. Have a fantastic week too.
Hi Chioma,
Wonderful post indeed, and an inspiring one as well 🙂
You are so right about all that you’ve written. Success comes to those who want it real bad and are willing to work for it. All the three famous personalities mentioned went through a lot in life, which made them work harder than before, and eventually their struggles lead them to success.
Yes, we all learn from our failures, just as all of these people did, which certainly isn’t easy, unless you give yourself a push to rise from the dust. We have to learn from our mistakes by taking the lessons and move on, that’s the only way to create your path towards success.
I loved the way you’ve weaved your post and written these awesome steps with the apt images, quotes, and call to action. So much like I do, as it makes the post so likable 🙂
Thanks for sharing this with us at the ABC. Have a nice week ahead, and we meet now once I’m back to blogging. 🙂
PS – I came in as it was your first share with us at the ABC, though have been here earlier 🙂
Harleena Singh recently posted…Blogging Basics: CRUX of Blogging Tips for New Bloggers
Hi Harleena,
I am so glad you took some time off your break to visit my blog. I really appreciate your generosity 🙂
I have noticed that life can give some really hard knocks in the form of obstacles. Many times people stumble into frustration or depression when faced with these hard knocks. That is why I wrote the post: to motivate them and assure them that every successful person goes through similar trials and that while tough times don’t last, tough people definitely do.
After speaking with my friend, I understood that many people don’t just want encouraging words, they want actionable steps. They want to know what to do and how to go about it; that why I created various calls to action to help anyone who really needs answers and assurance.
I love your posts too and though I know you desire a break, I can barely wait to see you back actively. I also wonder how your new site is faring? I can’t wait for the public launch because I am sure it will be epic 🙂
Thanks for coming over from ABC. I love ABC. Its a warm place I have come to enjoy hanging out in.
Do have a splendid week Harleena.
Howdy Chioma,
What an interesting and inspirational piece! This topic is one many are interested in…yet, many get it wrong. Completely. Wayback, I wrote a whole book on this subject and I treated 50 points crucial to success. Reading your piece, I can see how many of the points overlap; the laws of success in the world are truly the same anywhere in he world.
However, if I’m asked for the most crucial trait necessary for success, I’ll simply say “a desperate desire and a heart that does not understand failure”. If you have to summarize, what would it be?
Sincerely, I appreciate the depth of this article…you rock 🙂
Do make the day great!
Always,
Akaahan Terungwa
Hi Akaahan,
I am glad to see you here 🙂
You are right, many people get the roadmap to success completely wrong. That is why they end up frustrated and depressed when it seems as if nothing they do is working.
I also agree with you that a desperate desire to succeed is necessary, especially when equipped with a heart that understands failure. If I had to summarise I would also add that you must be wiling to reach out and learn from others. Some mistakes are avoidable if we are warned of them.
Thanks for your kind words, Akaahan :). You really have put a dazzle to my day. And thanks for visiting my blog too.
(On the off-side, there is something I have been meaning to ask: What is the meaning of Akaahan? I have never heard it before and I am really curious.)
Warm Regards,
Chioma
I completely agree that it’s a smart move to avoid avoidable mistakes…why be pulled down by obvious mistakes you could avoid? Failure to adhere to this simple rule is really dumb – isn’t it?
Do enjoy the Thursday!
Always,
Akaahan Terungwa
I agree with you, Akaahan: Failure to find out avoidable mistakes so you can avoid them is really not wise.
Do enjoy your Thursday too 🙂
This is really an inspirational post, Chioma. I have no words for your dedication. I felt so good after reading the whole post
Success doesn’t come from the monetary output. Most people have the tendency to connect success with money. They don’t the basic fact: Success doesn’t come from money; money comes from success. They start their journey from the wrong track. Then, they are unable to cope up with the struggling period. In the end, they don’t find any scope of improvement.
Ya, there are no secret points for a successful life. I am touched by the story of J.K Rowling. Hats off to her patience. She didn’t lose hope. Despite many rejections, she didn’t lose hope. I am a regular visitor of Neil’s blog. He is a bag full of inspiration. Sometimes, I think how he manages to take out time from his busy schedule. This is the difference between a productive and lazy person.
Thanks for coming up with this awesome post.
Yatin Khulbe recently posted…Lessons from the Little Albert Experiment: Are you aware of this Fear Trap?
Hi Yatin,
I am thrilled to see you here :). Your kind words brightened my afternoon.
You are right: Success does not come from money, instead its money that comes from success. To get financial wealth, one must work at being the best in his chosen area of specialisation. But many people get this wrong. They think that all they have to do is find money and success will run after them. And that is why they get desperate, frustrated or even depressed when they are unable to get that money. Sad.
I agree: There are no secrets to success. And no shortcuts too. J.K Rowling is a lady I admire (maybe because I am a writer at heart). I admire her diligence and dedication to finishing a project she was uncertain of the outcome. Many people, when faced with her challenges, would have abandoned their writing dreams and focused on anything that promises quick returns.
Neil Patel is another man I am impressed by. I do follow his blog too, that is why I decided to write about him in this article. I also follow Pat Flynn and am impressed by what he was able to achieve shortly after being sacked. These people’s life story encourages me and motivates me.
Thanks for visiting my blog. I really enjoyed your visit. Do have a splendid day.
Hello Chioma,
That is another masterpiece you have here. I like the way you used thses real life stories to make you point. That is very brilliant. I read about J.K Rowling earlier this year, and I found her success story to be very motivating.
The other examples of Neil Patel and Pat Flynn are equally incredible. This is a great article. If your idea of success is to motivate people through your write-ups, then I must say you are on the right track, because I am feeling very motivated. I mean, if someone like J.K Rowling can make it after so many rejections, then ain’t nothing gonna stop me.
Thanks for writing Chioma.
Hi Toby,
That’s the spirit! When I wrote this article, I wanted to motivate anyone who read so that they know that they can achieve anything they wanted bad enough. I am glad you are spurred. That’s the way to go.
J.K Rowling is one of my favorite authors. I remember the first day i read her book. i just couldn’t the book down. When I found out her true story, and learned that her novel was rejected so many times, I was dumbfounded. This just goes to show that no rejection is permanent and sometimes what some people think of you work is not a reflection of the value of your work.
Thanks for visiting Toby. Look forward to hearing of your exploits.
Hey Chioma,
Thank you for mentioning JK Rowling, am a big fan of the harry potter series – have read those books several times over … good to know about the struggles and the process behind JK’s success.
I love this line – “Rules are meant to be broken” perhaps not all, but certain rules are. At the end of the day what value you provide, determines the outcome. And since you are the one who is providing it – it is best to do so on your own terms.
This is a great comparison article, though not Neil and neither Pat are on the same scale as JK, but they faced similar conditions – and they came out on top as successful people in their own fields.
I guess the bottom line here is the effort. If one wants to be successful, they have to put in the effort and in the right direction.
regards,
Uttoran Sen,
Uttoran Sen recently posted…15 Social Media Trends to Watch Out For In 2015
Hi Uttoran,
Welcome to my blog. Glad to meet another J.K Rowling fan, as I love her writing and have read her books countless times myself.
I agree with you that not all rules are meant to be broken but certain rules are. It is important to find a balance between what works for you and what the world dictates for you. Many successful people had to go against dictates/unspoken expectations to achieve what they did.
When writing the article, I wanted to point out that each of these famous personalities are successful in their fields. Not everyone can become a billionaire like J.K Rowling but many can be accomplished and respected like Pat Flynn. I wanted to motivate and inspire: so yes these guys came out top in their fields and so can everyone else.
Yes, success takes effort spent in the right avenue and at the right time. It ain’t easy but its always worth it.
Hey Chioma,
Great inspiring post. And J.K Rowlings success story is one of my favourites. Actually anything against all odds to move to success always has my attention.
Blogging is my living and breathing momentum. I decided several years ago that once I started blogging there was no turning back. And because of that commitment to myself – well I scared myself, because I was not backing out. So it took several years to really get on board. I set the date and jumped in, with really no knowledge of what I was really getting myself into. I thought more about finding tools to overcome the three month doubt and the six month lose of motivation. Because I was committed.
When I started, well wasn’t that the biggest wake up call. I had no idea what was what. I was so scared of hitting the wrong key when putting my first post out (because I did not know how to fix any problems I created and there was no one I knew around me that was blogging), that I did everything with fear. Its nine weeks on now and I have learnt so much, and so much more to learn, but I will never forget my first week being over overwhelmed with fear and anxiety.
But I had made this commitment that I was not backing out of. The time had come to commit to something long term and there was no turning back. And while the back of house stuff with blogging still gets me anxious I now know I have the knowledge to hunt it down, fix it or ask every single person I know or when an opportunity arises to sort whatever it is I need done.
My routines are in place, I am set. I love it, I dream it, think it, eat with it on my mind. I have had some of my best thoughts in the shower or on the loo and get very annoyed I did not have pen and paper handy. And all I do is one task at a time.
Because I want that story you write of to be my story. Thanks for a very inspiring post. Talk soon.
Hi Rachel,
You just told the story of my life. I have always loved writing. When I first heard about blogging, I knew I wanted to do it: because it will be a chance to write, inspire and educate. But most of all, it will be a channel to help people while doing what I love. I had the best intentions but my first three attempts were major flops. Before I started this blog, I decided to find out where I went wrong. I paid for training and guidance from top dogs like Jon Morrow, Mary Jaksh, Nathan Barry to mention just a few. And gradually I learned what I did wrong in all my previous trials.
Those failures would have discouraged me. But I made up my mind that I must succeed in this. I wanted to write that bad. I wanted to inspire people that bad. Not only was it overwhelming each time I started a blog but what made it worse was how some of my own friends talked about my blogging. Some of them laughed about it and told me I didn’t know what I was doing. I think those negative statements also contributed to the failure of my previous blogs, because when you hear something often enough, you start to believe it.
When I started this blog last year I made sure to distance myself from any negativity. I decided that I will stick to this blog and make it work. And I am glad I did. It was overwhelming too but I have gotten the hang of it. You will too. I am glad you have come this far and I am glad that you are really passionate about your blog. That will help you go a long way. I believe in you Rachel and I know that one of these days, your story will inspire others. Keep up the good work, dear.
Hi Chioma
This is a very thought provoking, inspiring and motivating post that definitely struck a cord in me. I have a weakness for quotes and these that you have shared are so apt and very timely for me. The stories of these great men and women is enough to move someone off the crossroad of failure and disappointment and to bring them back on the path to go after their dreams.
Yes we all want to be successful but many I will tell you still do not know how to go about achieving it. For me success is an infinite journey. No one can achieve success and stay where they are at and not do anything else. So it’s continuous where you go from one level to the next, one dimension to another.
What I do ever so often to achieve my dream of success is pretty simple – I do self examination. Why? There is always something better that I can do or change about myself. It can be changing my mindset, attitude, the words that I allow to come out of my mouth. One thing for sure, I keep the momentum of positive thinking and do my best to speak the words that will give life to my dreams.
Great post. Thanks for sharing.
Yvonne I. Wilson recently posted…4 Killer Obstacles To Positive Life Change Undermining Success
Hi Yvonne,
Its a pleasure to see you on my blog 🙂
I admire the men and woman in this post, especially based on some of my personal experiences. I remember the first time I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone. I was hooked! When I found out more about J.K Rowling and how she had to determinedly finish her book and how difficult it was for her to get it published, I was inspired. After reading the biographies of many successful men and women, it dawned on me that success is not cheap: it has a price. You must be willing to work hard and be focused and reach out to positive people if you want to move forward.
I love quotes too. I have so many on my system, my phone, and written in corners of my notepads. Most times, when I write motivational posts, I feel they are incomplete without these quotes to buttress a point. I think why a lot of people love quotes is because it an affirmation that someone else, who made it, has traveled the path you are on. To me, quotes are like a beacon of hope.
I agree that success is not a destination. Its a process. But it has a starting point. Many people want to be successful, but just don’t know how to go about it, just like you said. that’s why I wrote this post. To help and guide them so they can figure things out.
Self-examination is a crucial part of the process of success. An unexamined life is not worth living. I admire your dedication to improving yourself and maintaining a positive outlook. I encourage you to continue on your path as you are already an inspiration to many.
Thanks for visiting. Do have a splendid day.
Happy new week Chioma,
Boy are you ever right about this. I appreciate you sharing these stories too and that’s what I keep telling people.
What puts some above the others is their desire to succeed. Whatever that definition is for them. They’ll do whatever it takes to get there, no matter how long it may take them. Granted, I’ve done my own amount of complaining over the years myself but what sets us apart is our desire to succeed so much that we refuse to give up.
There will be failures along the way and obstacles to overcome. My heart goes out to those who work a full-time job then have to come home and take care of their family before they can even get online to work on their business all because they want a better life for their family down the road. That is a lot of dedication and time taken away from their families as well but in the end they all know it will be worth it. I truly believe that those people who really want it bad enough will stick with it and those that don’t will throw in the towel.
I so appreciate you sharing this with us all and I can only imagine the number of people you’re inspiring with this post to NEVER give up.
Have a wonderful week Chioma and here is to your success.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted…How to Keep on Blogging When Life Gets Hectic
Hi Adrienne,
You are so right: The road to success is not an easy one. There will be times when you just want to throw in the towel; there will be times when you will complain and complain and wish there was a magic fasttrack to success (I have done that a lot too), there will be times when the sacrifices you have to make will seem like too much(like the people you mentioned who have to work fulltime, then sacrifice sleep and some family-time just to make their online businesses work).
But the truth is that everyone goes through these things even the super-successful ones. But what separates the super-successful ones from the mediocre individuals is that they never gave up. They never quit because of the sacrifices they had to make, or the amount of work they had to put in or the amount of time it was taking to get results. They persisted and today the world celebrates them because everyone knows that success ain’t no walk in the park.
Thanks for stopping by. You do put a smile on my face each time you visit. Do have a splendid week too.
Hey Chioma,
This was a great pice you’ve written here Chioma. And as a matter of fact at the right time for me.
I needed this motivation and you picked the right people as examples to get your point across. One big fear that people think about is failure or they just get demotivated by all the failure they come across.
But knowing about the trials and tribulations of these 3 people helps us to see the relation we have with them as shows that we’really definitely not alone. In the past few years I’ve been seeing that the only way to succeed is to fail. This may sound like an oxymoron but it goes with what John C. Maxwell said about failing your way to the top. From each mistake you make and obstacle you come across you learn from it and apply what you learned. This can be quite liberating!
Thanks for sharing this motivational post! Have a great week ahead!
Sherman Smith recently posted…How These 31 Successful Bloggers Overcame Failure
Hi Sherman,
You are right: Most people fear failure a lot and because of that fear they get demotivated.
Yes, it is comforting to know that every successful person out there passed through a difficult period before attaining success. I must confess, it is real life stories like the ones in this article that spurs me. So many times I have been involved in tasks that are much bigger than me. Many times I had to learn on the job. But because I know where I am headed I refused to give up. I tell myself that many successful folks had terrible times but still made it. So I stick to it and continue till I finish.
Success aint easy to attain. That’s why it is so celebrated. But I have found one common thing among successful peeps: they wanted success so bad in whatever field/area and they were so determined they worked hard for it (even when they faced multiple failures). I always try to tell people who ask for my advise and help in their business, that failure is extremely possible. And that failure is not a bad thing. Instead, as you pointed out, it is a chance to learn what does not work and try out other options that are more likely to work.
Thanks for stopping by, Sherman. Your visits are always a delight. Do have a fantastic day.
Hey Chioma,
Really great post here. Interesting thing is that every single successful person shares these qualities. They struggle, they fail, they study and they never give up. And it doesn’t matter who you ask, but all successful people go through that it seems.
And the thing is, many bloggers need to accept the fact that they’re going to fail. That they’re going to struggle. And if you look at the stories of a lot of successful people, they all wanted to quit … but was so glad that they didn’t because they learned that hard work and perseverance will go a long way.
Excellent post here.
– Andrew
Andrew recently posted…[Case Study] Email List Building Strategies That Increased Subscribers 43%
Hi Andrew,
Welcome to my blog. Its such a delight to have you here.
I agree with you that every successful person go through the process of struggling, failing, studying and never giving up. This is a truth that many bloggers cringe from. But there is no other way around it. I always tell them that they must be willing to accept the possibility of failure. they must understand that failure is not the end but the beginning of learning. You are right: Perseverance and hardwork go a long way.
Thanks for your kind words. I really enjoyed your visit. Do have a splendid day.
Hi Chioma,
It’s my first time at your blog, and you’ve written a fantastic post here.
first off, yes, success can mean different things to different people. Look at Mother Theresa, she was successful, wasn’t she?
Most truly successful people have not become successful overnight, and some of them have even hit rock bottom first, like some the people you mentioned here.
I’ve just published a book to help people change their mindset, to become successful. Until this past May I was still going to a job that I hated, but today I’m traveling Europe on a 13 month adventure.
I have been stuck in North Carolina pretty much for the last decade and during the past 8 weeks I’ve been on 10 flights and about 30 trains across Europe, but like in the case of the successful people you mention here, it didn’t happen over night, but anyone can start changing overnight, so they can reap the taste of success.
Great post.
~Sylviane
Sylviane Nuccio recently posted…Why You Should Never Write For Your Blog But For Your Readers
Hi Sylviane,
Welcome to my blog. And thanks for your kind words too. And yes, I agree: Mother Theresa is a success and she attained this success by doing what she was passionate about, which is devoting her life to helping impoverished people. I truly admire and respect her.
You are right: Success is not an overnight thing. It takes time to build it. I am truly happy to hear you have quit a job you hated. Congrats on publishing a book too. I have published a book in the past and I know the work, devotion and preparation that goes into one. Sometimes it takes more than a year to publish a book from the day the final draft was finished. I really hope you are enjoying Europe. Europe has some really colourful cultures. I look forward to hearing all about your experiences there.
You are right: You have achieved a lot and when people hear about how you published a book and enjoyed a 13 month adventure in Europe within this year and 2016, they may never understand the amount of work you had to put in to get here. Kudos dear. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for stopping by. Loved your visit. Do have a splendid day.
A very thought provoking post Chioma,
Success they say is the small realization of a worthy goal. For you to be successful, you must be addicted to success, you must be willing to give whatever it takes to succeed and most of all, you must not have a second choice in other words, you must burn all bridges.
If you read the story of the world most successful people today just like the ones you mentioned here, you’ll realize that they all started as a failure but then, its the end that justifies the means.
So, i believe that you can become whatever you want to be, you just need to have a burning desire for it and that’s why they also said that “Our burning desire is always the prophecy of our destiny”.
Thanks for sharing Chomy 🙂
Theodore Nwangene recently posted…Crowd Funding Checklist – Top 8 Things to do before Starting a Crowd Funding Campaign
Hi Theodore,
You are absolutely right. Success really is the realization of a worthy goal. The goal can be anything, but as far as you are so passionate about it, then attaining it is success. I also agree that a person must be willing to burn all bridges to attain success. That is the part that freaks so many people because they are afraid of letting go of what they have in the hope of getting something better in return.
But to be successful in whatever way, one must be willing to make sacrifices. Its the sacrifices that separates you from the dreamers. Like you said, “Our burning desire is always the prophecy of our destiny”; the only way to be sure you have a burning desire for something is when you are willing to sacrifice your time and efforts to make sure you achieve your dreams.
Thanks for stopping by, Theo 😀
Do have a splendid weekend.
Wow Chioma! This was a fabulous read, so true and inspirational and, in its own way, emotional and timely for me… but I didn’t cry (just thought I’d mention that lol).
Man, do I understand this a lot. I’ve been working for myself for 14 years. I’ve had good times and bad times, and those bad times are crushing in many ways. Yet, I know there’s no giving up because to give up pretty much means ending the dream and the possibility of true success. One never knows if they’re just around the corner from making it right?
Of course, none of these folks had to wait 14 years for success, so I must be doing something wrong; oh well… lol
Mitch Mitchell recently posted…7 Definite Rules Of Marketing Online And Offline
Hi Mitch,
It always is a pleasure to see you here. Thanks for your kind words too. I am happy to know you enjoyed this post and that it came at the right time too.
You are not the only one with a lot of ups and downs. I have had my moments and also had those daunting spells where all you want to do is throw in the towel. But i have found it is better to hold on. Life finds meaning in how we overcome our struggles and become better. Otherwise, life would be pretty bleak with nothing to look forward to.
I don’t think you are doing anything wrong. Not everyone is fortunate enough to hit success in less than 14years. Many keep at it for a very long time and become successful so much later, like an 89-year old man(I read about), who got more than half a million in royalty for the publication of his book. This man has been writing for eons but got his real, clean break in his twilight years. So keep doing what you love, keep learning better ways to do it and keep improving at proving your customers with what they want. Success will definitely find you.
Chioma Anozie recently posted…10 steps you should take to become successful in life
Hey Chioma,
This is definetly a thought provoking post, one which I have not seen or read for long!
Success can be defined in several ways depending on who is defining it but your article captured what success can generally mean. One thing that is striking about this term is that it only comes to people who are passionate and focused to the cause to which they believe in.
Looking at the people you mentioned here, one can truly say that the went through hell but never gave up because they were passionate and in other words learned never to give up. I really appreciate the fact that you shared this epic content on becoming successful in life, it’s definetly one of the driving tools we need as entrepreneurs to succeed in life!
Thank you once again Chioma, I really appreciate. This will make my #Winning Posts series!
Have a wonderful week ahead!
~Jackson
Jackson Nwachukwu recently posted…How to Write a Blog ~ Finding a Perfect Topic to Blog About
Hi Jackson,
Thanks for your kind words. I agree with you that success only comes to those who are passionate and focused on the cause they believe in. Success never comes by chance. No matter how easy some successful people make it seem, success is not easy. It takes a lot of sacrifice and most times such sacrifice can only be made if you are really passionate about it.
#NeverGiveUp is one of my daily mantras. Because persistence separates the successful from the dreamers. Every successful person has a story to tell. There is always that time when things looked bleak and doubts clouded their minds. The reason they are celebrated is that while many others would have given up, they persisted till they struck gold.
Thanks for considering my article for you #Winning Posts series. I really am thrilled, elated and humbled all at once.
Do have a lovely day too.
Wow, awesome article.
Not only the article, but the people you chose as examples in your article are also perfect. Neil Patel is the best person when it comes to online marketing, Pat Flynn is the best blogger in the whole world and who doesn’t know J.K. Rowling!
I really loved how you presented the 10 steps these people used to become super-successful in their lives and how we can use them as well.
Thanks for the great article! 🙂
Hi Arbaz,
Thanks for you kind words. The people I chose as examples inspire me, so I knew they will inspire many others. Success is something everyone wants and I felt it would be important to share these steps with people, so as to help them be successful too.
Thanks for visiting my blog. Do have a wonderful day 🙂
Hi again,
Success in life has a pattern, and the pattern is not a rocket science and you’ve jut discussed it in this post.
Desire is the greatest step to accomplishing success in life. A mind with great desire would not stop until he gets there. Failure wouldn’t be failure to such mind, they see failure as a means of learn the better way of doing things.
The desire to succeed is what everybody needs in life to actually succeed, once that is in place,the work is half done.
The story of JK Rowling’s inspire me a lot. As a kid, I grew up reading and watching her Harry Potter series, and I ended up reading about her life on Wikipedia.
Persistence is born out of desire, that’s why I keep reiterating how important it is to desire success.
Thanks for sharing this.
Augustus recently posted…5 Things You Will NEVER Learn in School.
Hi Augustus,
You are right, Success does have a pattern. Many people are also aware of this pattern but don’t like it because it involves work, time, investment of resources and focus. Instead people want a shortcut that can make them successful in seconds. Truth is such shortcuts don’t exist.
J.K Rowling is one of my favorite writers. I am glad to hear she is one of yours too. Like you noted, success is acquired through a strong desire to succeed and persistence. The roadmap to success might be easy to read but the foot-walk is no joke. There will be obstacles, there will be discouraging failures, there will be annoying limitations, but in the end it is only persistence that will get you to your success.
Thanks so much for visiting and sharing your thoughts. I did enjoy them :).
Hi,
Well first I must say that it is can excellent article for inspiration.
In real life we take inspirations from many people around us, but to do or achieve something it is very hard and needs alot of work and patience.
To me if you someone need to succed he/she needs to learn how to be “patient”, yes be patient because every think takes time, and all we need to do is do our part and wait.
Any how, have a good day 🙂
Usman Nasir recently posted…Scope of variables in c++
Hi Usman,
You are absolutely right: In real life, we are inspired by people but it takes a lot of hardwork to turn those inspiration to reality.
And you made a valid point when you said we need to be patient to succeed. This reminds me of what my colleague told me when I was studying programming. I wanted to learn it all in a jiffy, so I could develop all the apps in my head. But he told me, that everything takes time and I have to be patient to allow the knowledge sink in well. He definitely knew what he was talking about because he has more than 3 years experience programming.
Thanks for stopping by Usman. I really enjoyed your contribution to this topic. Do have a wonderful day too 🙂
Hi,
You had a programming major ?
Regards
Usman Nasir recently posted…Scope of variables in c++
I specialized in computer/electronics engineering but had to undertake a personal study of some programming languages to implement some of my projects. Seems like you are a programming guru?
Still learning 🙂 not really a guru.
Usman Nasir recently posted…How to create windows VPS in Proxmox
Hi Chioma,
It is true that definition of success is different for each and every individual. Success is not all about money; it can be a good health, a good relationship, reputation etc.
Reading J.K’s, Neil and Pat Flynn story is really inspiring story for new writers like me. They have also faced the same challenges, which the new writers are facing right now but they respond to their problems well. That’s why they have become so successful in their business.
Their Dedication, Innovation, punctual and hard work is what that makes them stand out of the crowd. Success is not achieved in one night; it takes years to earn it.
One funny thing Neil looks really handsome with hair!
Thanks for sharing such wonderful stories and useful tips.
With regards,
Saurav