How can you succeed in what you are pursuing? What is the real meaning of success?
These are the two questions I have been asked multiple times by so many people. I have always believed that success is not a destination that you can reach and say, done, now I can sit back and relax. Success is a journey that you undertake to sustain your growth. You have to constantly evolve, adapt, and change to maintain that growth graph.
Through my personal experiences and my expertise in the field of entrepreneurship, I have been able to identify the key five lessons that every aspiring entrepreneur must remember to pursue the path of success.
Let me share these five crucial life lessons with you in detail.
1. Failures are the stepping stones to success
“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” - Elon Musk.
Failure is an integral and inseparable part of your life and the sooner you embrace it, the easier it would be to get up and try again.
They say he who has never tried anything has never failed. So, never be afraid or ashamed to fail but have the courage to start again. Believe in the process and every time you fail, let it make your desire to succeed stronger than before.
2. Have empathy & be kind
“We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with what the customer needs and we work backwards.” - Jeff Bezos.
People are the essence of any business and you cannot attain sustainable success if you do not think about them, empathize with them. A true entrepreneur is a good leader who understands the inherent need to have empathy, not just for the customers but for the employees, peers, and all other stakeholders.
In fact, the ongoing pandemic is proof that businesses that practice empathy and kindness show more resilience and grow better even under adverse situations because the people trust them, believe in their vision.
3. Patience & persistence are valuable virtues
“Never give up!”
I share this with so many people that whenever you feel bad just remember that Coca Cola only sold 25 bottles in the first year. Imagine, if it would have stopped then.
Similarly, when Nestle brought Maggi to India, for almost 13 years it was a loss-making unit, and now, there’s no corner in India where you cannot enjoy a hot plate of these instant noodles.
So, the third important lesson that you should remind yourself every single day is to be patient, to be persistent in your efforts. Keep yourself focused and stay on the course of action, you will get there, maybe not today, not tomorrow, but definitely one day, at the right time. Have faith and keep at it!
4. Smart is good but being wise is better
“Smartness is knowing Tomato is a fruit but wisdom is not placing it in the fruit basket.”
Do you get it?
You may be very smart but to be wise you need to introspect more and learn from your everyday small and big experiences. Being wise helps you better prioritize your time, efforts, and energies towards things that add value to your business or personal growth and helps you in letting go of the things that don’t.
5. Be optimistic always
“Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.” - Jack Ma.
Due to the pandemic, we all are going through an extremely difficult time in our personal as well as professional lives. It’s the hope that this will also pass that is keeping us sane and going. Isn’t it?
So, that’s the final and the most important lesson for any entrepreneur. Always be optimistic and be hopeful. When you are hopeful you radiate positive energy and positivity is key to nurturing the path of success.
The Key Takeaway
The common thread that runs through all the life lessons is that of doing what you love with everything you got and never back down till you succeed in achieving your goals.
