At school you learn a
lot, but there’s a lot of things you just aren’t told about. How can
you be happy and successful, both in work and in your home life?
Here’s some of the simple rules of success that you need to know if
you want to get ahead, that you just didn’t learn in school.
Pick Your Friends
Wisely
We’re brought up to
believe that the more friends we have, the better. After all, if
we’re more popular, that means that we’re doing better in life,
right? In fact, that isn’t the case at all. If you have a lot of
friends but you don’t have a good connection with them, then you’re
not getting a lot from that friendship at all.
“Having spoken to
other successful people, I’ve found that they actually have a small
circle of friends. they may only have two or three friends, but
they’re close and they have a much better connection,” says
educator Jean Smith from Revieweal.
“I’ve learned from this, and stuck with my best friends that
really care about me.”
Some people may well feel
like dead weight to you. If they drain you emotionally, don’t be
afraid to cut them out of your life. You’ll soon find that you feel a
lot better without them causing you issues.
Put In What You Want
Out
This rule applies to both
your professional and personal lives. As the saying goes, you get out
what you put into it. Work, relationships, whatever it is, it’ll be
better if you put all your effort in. The more you work towards your
goals, the better the result will be.
In your personal life,
you can think of this in terms of how much good you put out into the
world. If you’re kind and welcoming towards others, you’ll draw good
people towards you. If you’re less than charming though, you’ll find
that you’ll get less out of life. Make the effort to make the world a
better place, and you’ll see the results for yourself almost right
away.
Be Grateful For What
You Have
“I
used to always be obsessed with what I didn’t have,” says
private teacher Sarah E. Wagner at Assignment
Service. “This meant that I wasn’t getting anything done
towards my own goals, as I was too jealous towards others. Now, I try
and be grateful for what I already have.”
This sounds as though it
can be quite difficult, and at first it will be. You’ve been brought
up in a culture where you’re always wanting more, thanks to the
advertisements you’re bombarded with every day. When you find
yourself wanting something, try and remind yourself that you don’t
really need it. After all, you’re doing fine without it.
Also, be grateful for
what you do have. This could be as simple as appreciating the
relationships you have, or the job you’re working. This can help you
appreciate what you already have, and help you feel less jealous of
others.
Play To Your Strengths
As Albert Einstein said,
“Everybody is a genius. If you judge a fish by its ability to
climb a tree, it’ll live its whole life thinking it’s stupid.”
Everybody has strengths,
including you. What is it you’re good at? Work out what that is, and
then play to them.
Many people dwell on what
they’re not good at, but this doesn’t do them any good. You may not
be a great mathematician, but that doesn’t stop you being an
excellent writer. Don’t look for jobs that need you to do complex
calculations, as you’re setting yourself up for failure. Instead,
look for jobs that make the most of your writing skills.
The same goes for your
personal life. If you’re funny, use your witty personality to draw
people to you. Don’t worry about the fact that you can’t play the
guitar, as that’s not you anyway. Be true to yourself, and let
someone else handle the things you’re not good at.
Make Specific Goals
Many people around the
new year decide that they want to lose weight. This is a noble goal,
but they’re setting themselves up for failure. Why? Because they’re
not being specific enough.
‘I want to lose weight’
is a goal, but it’s not a very good one as it’s not specific. Think
about how much you want to lose. Maybe you have a goal weight in
mind, or you have an item of clothing you want to fit back into. Use
this goal instead, as it gives you an end point to look towards.
You can use this in work
too. Say you want to get promoted. Look at what you’ll need to do to
obtain that promotion, and how long this will take you. With this
information to hand, you can start making plans to get ahead.
Be Willing To
Persevere
Things aren’t always
going to go your way. Sadly, things go wrong, and you’ll be left to
deal with them. When you’re working towards long term goals, then it
can feel difficult to keep going.
However, don’t allow
yourself to give up. A setback is just that, a setback. It doesn’t
mean that you can’t pick yourself up and carry on. Try your best to
keep going.
For example, content
writer Alexis G. Hernandez at Academized
says, “I was working at what I thought was my dream job, when I
was made redundant. I thought that was the end of my career, and I
was heartbroken. However, I soon found myself a new job in my current
role, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Build Up Your
Willpower
Your willpower is just
like a muscle, in that the more you use it the stronger it becomes.
If you want to make real changes, you’ll need to build up that
willpower in order to make sure you succeed. Start practicing now,
before you start making major changes for your life.
For example, you may
decide to start by giving up junk food. Focus on this goal first, and
give yourself strategies for when you want to cave and give up. By
doing this one small change, you’re building yourself up for bigger
ones.
If you do go back to bad
habits though, don’t beat yourself up about it. Willpower is a finite
resource, and sometimes you will need to give in. Just pick yourself
up and start again tomorrow. You’ll see that you’ll get better at it
as time goes on.
Remember You Can’t
Please Everybody
The biggest secret to
happiness is knowing that you just can’t please everyone. If you try
and do so, you’ll end up stretching yourself too thin, making
everything harder for yourself.
Instead, remember that
you can’t please everyone, and you shouldn’t try to. Build up
relationships with the people that matter the most to you, and take
care of them. It’s all about keeping yourself happy, and not worrying
what others think.
There you have it, there
are the simple rules to success that you don’t get taught at school.
Try putting them to use now, to try and improve your life. You’ll see
a real change almost right away.