A Simple Formula To Be Successful

Entrepreneur Andrew Warner, in his 20s, created a business that ended up earning more than $30 million of revenue per year, setting him up with enough money to do whatever he wanted for the rest of his life. However, not satisfied with the money, Warner founded Mixergy, an organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs get their startups off the ground. A perfect example of how success enabled him to help other visionaries achieve their goals — and while the money helped him accomplish that mission, it was only a means to an end.

We all have dreams of doing something big and becoming successful in one way or the other. But most of us do not consider all the aspects of why it is important to become successful? We only consider the superficial aspects of success — Money, fame, confidence, security, a sense of well-being, etc.

Why do we do think like that? To be honest, even I don’t know. All I know is that it has something to do with media, psychology, culture, and the information around us.

But when we scratch the surface and start to focus on the bigger picture, it becomes apparent that it is not just about worldly desires, it is the sense of satisfaction from creating and giving something to the world. It can be as small as writing a blog and as big as creating a company like Amazon and Google.

When you do that, you open channels for people around you to use your outcome to help them or to create something bigger. It is like a chain reaction and the more you do, the more it spreads.

Make the most of yourself….for that is all there is of you.

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I believe it is in human nature to create. This is how we have evolved from being nothing to what we are now. It is the combined effort that has lead to compound success.

The Internet was already a great idea, but that did not stop there, people started building stuff using that as a stepping stone and created something even bigger. Then came YouTube, and a whole bunch of creativity along with that. A lot of people got the right platform to show the world what they have to give. And this is just one of the many examples.

It Boils Down To Taking Action

1. Start Small And Gain Momentum

Consider all the successful people in the world. They have one thing in common. They all started very small. Few of them started in their garage and went on to create the biggest products the world has ever seen. It did not happen overnight but it did happen eventually.

What if you actually start doing the thing that you love. Writing the first blog, creating the first YouTube video? Would you not feel good that you are producing stuff for others to consume. I have felt it and I assure you that it is a great feeling.

Do not worry about failure. Failure is a relative term. But, if you have the right perception you will not see it as a failure, but as a learning experience. The more times you fail the closer you get to finding a way not to fail. If you want something bad enough you’ll take the actions to go get it. Ask yourself, how bad do I want this?

Remember, the only way to fail is to not try at all. That’s failure.

2. Keep The Ball Rolling

Everyone hits roadblocks on the way to achieving goals, it’s your reaction to it that makes the most difference. Some people quickly decide that they’ve chosen the wrong path, and go off to try something else. Others doggedly put their heads down and keep doing what they’ve been doing, hoping that if they’re stubborn enough, eventually they’ll get what they want. Being on the extremes would not help. You will have to find the right balance.

Don’t quit, adjust!

When things don’t work out, take a second look at how you have been approaching the problem and make adjustments that may help improve things going forward. Don’t give up until you have tried every conceivable approach, and then some.

3. Be Obsessed

Have you heard of God Of War? It is a PS4 game that sold 3 million copies in three days after its release and received great reviews. I have played that game myself and it is magic. I got curious after playing it and I started reading about the creators of the game. I got really surprised when I found out that it took 5 years for the studio to create the game. I understood one thing from that, if you really want to create something wonderful, you have to give in your heart and soul to it. It is not easy to build something like that, but it is possible. You just have to be obsessed with it.

Obsession is like a fire, and as with a fire, you have to keep adding wood to sustain the heat and the glow. You obsess over how to keep your fire burning — or it will turn to ashes.

— Grant Cardone

Final Thoughts

This is simple and complicated at the same time. It’s difficult to chase and capture an intangible concept like a successful life. Because success is personal to every individual and you can define it however you see fit.

For me being successful means that I do my part for the world in whatever way possible. That is why I started writing blogs. You can define anything for yourself. Just make sure that you do.