Experts' Corner: 3 steps to attaining a successful life in 2020

By: Amit Sharma

Everyone has their own meaning of success and that’s why success does not signify good life all the time. Success is how a particular thing or situation you define. 

Success is not the standard or benchmark to authenticate one’s hard work or efforts in life. But unfortunately it is often perceived that way by many. You cannot define success in words because sometimes it is not only the result of your hard work but the result of your countless sacrifices and emotions attached to it. If you have experienced failure then you will learn to appreciate success. For instance, a student who appeared for an exam like JEE and could not clear it in the first attempt, success will taste much sweeter when they clear in second or third attempt. Everyone has their own meaning of success and that’s why success does not signify good life all the time. Success is how a particular thing or situation you define. Here I would try to suggest you three simple steps to realise your objectives in life and turn the same into the great success of your life:

Step 1: Goal Recognition

Be clear about what you want to achieve in your life. Make a list of all the objectives you have in your life. Don’t get influenced by external factors like what other people will think of me and society will think of me. Prioritise your goals and rank them as rank 1, rank 2 and so on…..

Step 2: Flexible State of Mind

Whatever the goal you have, it has been usually observed that there lies a broad hurdle course between your destination and the point from where you start your journey. Difficulties most of the times come in such a way that the situation insist you to believe that there is no way out to overcome the same. Most often you compromise with the situation, underestimating yourself and trying to convince that it’s not your cup of tea. Let me tell you friends these are just the mental blocks and rigid notions we are living with on the basis of our past experience.

What society and other people will think of you, comes into the picture with great influence and effect. Before getting influenced by such notions, it is suggested that look at the problem with broad mindset and with the intention of accepting reality with confidence. Going through a failure is not a failure but not accepting the failure, I think is a real failure and may lead you to more critical situation like stress and depression. These things will take away all your mental and physical immunity. Whatever the mental rigidness and blocks you have is because of your own thought process. Accept the reality, accept your weak points, work on them and move ahead. Your flexible mind, changed thoughts will help you moving towards the third step.

Step 3: Implementation

An individual can plan and prepare the framework for whole life, but it all go waste and become worthless if you do not implement your plan with absolute faith. It is just like living in comfort zone with false impression by giving excuses to yourself like “I am not prepared” or “I need sometime” or “I am new to this” or “I have not done this earlier”. My suggestion to students is try to explore your personality and your individualism. You never know your potential unless you jump into the situation. Do not dream for big objectives in one go, try to split your big objectives into smaller ones and then start doing it. You have eight subjects to prepare for your exams. Please do not consider clearing eight subjects as your target at one time. You have only one subject to focus upon for which you are going to write exam today or tomorrow. First, you have written exam to clear but you are worried about the interview so much so that it has absorbed all your strength to clear written test. Result you know well. You would not be able to clear your written exam, forget about the interview. Simple meaning is focus on doing what you have to do right now rather than continuously thinking what you may have to face in future. Written exam is your present and interview your future. Success of future is absolutely dependent upon your present efforts which are only effective when you are putting in your hundred percent. Anxiety about future would not let you to give your hundred percent and your present and future will for sure get affected. So have faith in yourself, do not only think but believe in implementing your thoughts in the present moment rather than only making plans for future. It is further suggested that you try to develop the art and skills of doing. The more you start implementing the thing and get involved into it, the more you will experience and learn. This will develop your maturity to face challenges in life and to overcome them with stable mindset. 

About the Author:

Amit Sharma is serving as an Assistant Professor at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, since 2013. With an experience of seven years in academics, Sharma conducts faculty development programmes at school level and management development programmes at organisational level across the industry.