Thousands of websites and individuals across the internet claim to have the keys to success and motivation to ensure we arrive at our destination.

However, as much as all of those sources try to come across as having the right answer, there is one simple, yet integral part of the solution that is missing and that’s how you define success.

Without that ingredient all the posts and conversations that you encounter and try to take into your brain will not have an optimal effect on how well you do and whether or not you hit your goal.

1. Defining Success:

We each have a different vision for this ‘word’ and what attaining it would do for us. When defining success there are a few things to consider:  ‘the accomplishment of an aim or purpose’

The key part of the definition is having the passion to give yourself the power to reach the aim or purpose that you’ve set out to achieve. How do you have the passion to do so?

By making sure that you decide for yourself what you want to achieve. If you let others decide what success should be, then you are very unlikely to ever reach that success.

“Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.”– David Frost

2. Type of Definition:

Will you define your success in a narrow manner or are you going to give yourself a lot of space and reach for more than just one thing.

On the one hand it is great to challenge yourself and make it a step more difficult to reach the targeted definition of success – for some of us it just takes the passion and makes it so much stronger.

On the other hand, is it healthy or smart to create a definition for our success that is too much for us?

Are you going with a wide or narrow definition? Take these questions into consideration to help you finalize what it is that you need to do in order to consider yourself successful.

• Is power or money more important? In the short run and long run, which one is more important?
• Where does your family fit into the puzzle?
• Do you need other people in order to attain your success?
• Do you want to help people? If so, how – in a business or social aspect?

The questions that will help you define your success are not concrete, rather based on your vision there will be obvious questions that could and probably will differ from the aforementioned ones, but those are still a good place to start.

3. After the Definition:

Like going to visit a new destination, a map will be needed in order to attain the success (of course, passion and patience are just as important).

Based on your definition you will then need to build the right map. What does the map to success take into consideration?

First of all, how long is it going to take you (approximately)? After that is a bit clearer, then you can begin aligning the steps you need to take.

For instance, do you need to get hired somewhere, or need a specific promotion? Make sure to list the major steps that you’ll need to take to make success a reality.

Now, you need to consider what tools will be needed to help make the way a bit easier to handle.

When we speak about tools needed to help one attain success, the first one is the people you surround yourself with.

“It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.“ – Warren Buffett

The more difficult or challenging your vision of success is for you, the truer the above statement becomes.

Just as we gain knowledge from classes we are in, and from the things we do in life and at work, we gain insights and learn from the people we surround ourselves with.

Who do you spend time with on the weekends, who do you hang with on Monday mornings? As minimal as it may appear on paper, it certainly makes a world of a difference.

If you are asking yourself how you can become successful, the answer is that you’ll only know once you take the time to sit down and actually visualize the journey. Good luck.