Is the Illusion of Easy Success Clouding Your Vision?

How to stay on track and focus on your personal dreams

It seems there’s a lot of advice out there about how to become successful.

Look at any platform dedicated to better living, happiness, and obtaining financial freedom, and you’ll find seminars, articles, online courses, books, and webinars — all professing to have the answers to removing the obstacles that keep us from reaching our goals and achieving our dreams.

Usually offered by a select few who have “discovered” an innovative new skill or a revolutionary technique, these life-coach gurus promise to reveal their secrets to breaking through the barriers that keep the majority of us mired in financial frustration and logistical overwhelm.

Granted, there’s no lack of an audience

Hoping it’s possible to short-cut our pursuit of success, we grasp at the prospect of looking behind the curtain — anxious to learn an “insider’s” secrets that promise to release us from personal doubt, fear, and uncertainty.

Desperate to gain the same level of recognition as quickly as possible, we’re drawn to the illusion of excellence — with the expectation of joining that special group who’ve achieved financial freedom, satisfying relationships, and a level of happiness unlike any they’ve previously experienced.

But the fact is, most of us are walking a very personal path

We have different life situations. Some of us are struggling with complex professional and personal issues. Others are dealing with a lack of resources. And yet, these individual circumstances don’t necessarily suggest a lack of ability to be successful.

On the contrary, we all have the capacity to attain levels of achievement that may currently seem unreachable. And to suggest the only way to arrive at our goals and experience a better life is to follow the latest book, seminar, or training course is to deny our own intelligence, experience, and life-skills.

Because if others haven’t been where you want to go or they don’t have your skill-sets, talent, or knowledge, their formula for success will never get you there.

By constantly relying on the advice of others, we can end up in places we don’t want to be — doing things we don’t want to do.

Even worse, we often use the rhetoric of others to justify abandoning our dreams — because our particular vision of success wasn’t an option on the itinerary of our chosen expert.

Here are a few suggestions I’m personally using to pursue and achieve success and fulfillment in my own life:

1. Stop reading other success stories unless they’re directly applicable to your personal situation and circumstances

A meteoric rise to success in block-chain technology doesn’t automatically bestow that individual with the knowledge and expertise to advise others on how to make it big in hydroponic gardening.

Yes, some necessary business skills may be transferable. But the actual day-to-day activities — the ones that make the difference between success and failure — are very different. Attempting to translate the stellar story of others into a useable and effective methodology for our own journey can be confusing and frustrating — and cost valuable time.

2. Accept responsibility for failure

Underlying the history of all successful people is typically a trail of dismal failures. Yet, we’re often told we can ascend to the very pinnacle of success without experiencing the early slippery slide back to the starting point.

In reality, the path to success is littered with ups-and-downs, highs and lows, and a series of restarts. So along with a huge dose of determination and persistence, it’s important to acknowledge failure as a necessary component in reaching any major goal.

Taking responsibility for both sides of the journey builds honesty and humility — essential components for those who want to stay at the top of their field or profession.

3. Let your actions — rather than your ego — determine your direction

The ability to learn and do what’s necessary to accomplish your dreams requires stripping off the layers of self-importance and arrogance that often protect a firmly embedded ego.

Opening our minds to possibility provides a fertile environment for growth — one that’s occasionally fed with the knowledge and experience of others who have taken a similar journey.

4. Spend more time learning than complaining

While working through my regular routine in the gym, I noticed a personal trainer giving instructions to a new client. I knew the trainer to be accomplished and knowledgeable in the areas of physical fitness and nutrition. His new client, however, had his own approach to learning.

Instead of listening to the trainer and trying the suggested movements, he responded with a negative knee-jerk response. I wondered why the guy had hired a professional to help him become stronger and healthier if his mindset was to reject the trainer’s recommendations immediately.

The lesson? The trainer is still in business, helping others achieve their health goals. The hard-headed client quit trying, seemingly happy to follow the old patterns that keep him right where he is.

5. Stop blaming the universe for your plight in life

Fate, karma, and predestination make excellent scapegoats.

But the truth is, our individual decisions about how we perceive adverse situations or circumstances play a large part in our attitude — and how much we achieve and accomplish in life.

Here’s a news flash: The universe isn’t plotting against anyone. And those who choose to become hapless victims are relinquishing the privilege of steering their own ship. In essence, they’re giving up the freedom and satisfaction that comes from taking charge of their destiny.

The Take-Away

You can decide to become better, stronger, and more knowledgeable. You can become persistent in your efforts to push through the challenging obstacles and difficulties. The choice may not be simple, but it is your choice to make.

Opportunities to grow and move toward the goals we’ve chosen surround us every day

Whether we recognize their potential or choose to keep our blinders on will determine when — or if — we acknowledge and appreciate the possibilities.

The moment we stop trying and put our goals on hold — or worse, give up entirely because the work becomes difficult — we’ve effectively limited our growth and potential level of success by refusing to learn the lessons that come from experience and temporary failure.

© 2020 Jill Reid. All Rights Reserved.

Discover more tips and strategies for developing a positive mindset and achieving personal success in Real Life.

Jill Reid is the author of Real Life, and founder of Pathway to Personal Growth and Kitchen Spirit. Her books and articles explore life, happiness, self-improvement, health, productivity, relationships, and personal success strategies for living longer and stronger through positive lifestyle choices.