Have you ever wondered why some people are successful and others not? Why some are sometimes successful and at other times not?

What are the deciding factors of success and what is our part in this?

To be able to answer these questions we need to define success and the parts that are required for it to exist.

Success is when we get what we set out to get. We set a goal, do something and get what we want. That part defines already some of the components: the goal and some action. If we have those two things we should already be on our way to be successful. However, most people will have that. They think about a goal, like starting a business, and start working and working, but somehow success never comes. There must be something else that’s missing.

But lets take it apart:

What about Goals?

Goals are a very personal thing and vary from one person to another. Or do they?
Do you actually set your own goals or are you driven by what others do or society expects from you?

I think that is a good question.

Also, if you set yourself a small and easy to achieve goal, you will most likely be more successful, right? A definition of a goal could be: A goal is the state you want to be in at a given time in the future.

What about Action?

Action is making something move. This can be yourself or others.
The end result will always be a changed state of whatever it is the action was done towards. More action does not automatically mean more change. It’s just a different result and if that result is more towards that goal we could call it success.

Is it luck?

If that is the case, we are completely out of control and can’t really do much about it.

Is it determination?

I believe most people are quite determined and work really hard. So why are most people not successful? It could be that some give up too early. So this could be a part of it on a little scale.

Lack of knowledge or expertise?

It could be. I’ve met a few people with absolutely no idea what they are doing, but some still made it. So it can’t be just that.

Location or Timing?

Being at the right place at the right time could be a major factor, but it would go against the point of setting a goal. Because if an opportunity opens up, it rarely happens because I wanted to, it just happened and I took the chance.

If you follow my line so far, you might discover that being successful has nothing to do with any of it and all of it.

Most of you have certain ideas what being successful means and you have some expectations of yourself to achieve those goals. What that really means is that you want to change something in your life. You want a different state for yourself.

I don’t really think it is difficult to be successful.

I believe the biggest problem is that most of us don’t really know what it means to be successful.

Many people just chase the wrong dream and never arrive at that state, because they don’t even know what it really means.

Most have lost their own identity and chasing the things everyone else chases. Not knowing why or how. No wonder most never arrive.

So what can you do to become successful?

I guess the right step must be to define success for yourself. This does not include what you have, but the state you’re going to be in. The kind of person you’re going to be. You’ll probably find that you are actually not that far away from it already and that the changes you need to make are not that difficult to do. The next step would be to look for the opportunity that will open up when you reached that state. You’ll discover new opportunities all the time which allow you to grow.

This is a constant process of self-development and that, in my eyes, is success.

Success is a natural progression as you develop yourself. Success is not measured on the things you have but on what you are. Set your goals on yourself and start growing and you will be very successful.

What stops you from being successful?

About the Author: John DiSTEFANO is one of Your Monthly Mentors. He started his first company in 1993 in Germany and has been an entrepreneur ever since. His businesses ranged from Advertising over Marketing and Sales to IT to mention the main areas. In 2014 John formed the Entrepreneur Academy in Brussels, Belgium with the aim to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to grow, learn and practise. He is actively involved in many student organisations throughout Europe and regularly invited to talk about entrepreneurship. Read More…

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