What does success mean to you? Each person who wants to be successful has their own personal definition of what success will mean in their life. Some want a quality education. Some want a specific job. Some want to focus on family. However, just because everyone defines their own success differently does not mean everyone cannot achieve success going by the same advice and principles.
Author Napoleon Hill had a lot to say about success in terms of business, life and finances. Here are some of his best quotes to help you find success even when you think it is too late or too challenging for you to achieve.
“One of the best things that can happen to you is to meet with problems, circumstances, and incidents that force you to think, because without a motive, you might not do much thinking anyway.”
We cannot live a successful, fulfilling life without ever having to come face to face with problems and unfavorable situations. Those experiences are the stepping stones that lead us to growth and wisdom. As tough as they may be, we need to do the best we can to embrace them and keep moving forward.
“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.”
Many of us fall for the misconception that only people who do big things are considered to be successful. Not everyone has the capability to do great things, at least not right now. That does not mean you cannot find success or make a difference in the world. It simply means you must start off by doing small things that matter significantly, even if it doesn’t seem like it at first.
“Whatever it is that you lack in education, or knowledge, or influence, you can always obtain it through somebody who has it. Exchange of favors and exchange of knowledge is one of the greatest exchanges in the world.”
Business, and life in general, is almost never a solitary effort. Team work, even in its simplest form, will always eventually lead to something greater than could be achieved alone. This is especially the case when it comes to knowledge. Never be afraid to ask a colleague or other expert for their insight. Just because you do not know something does not mean you cannot partner with someone else to spread that knowledge to others.
“Set aside a definite amount for investment, even if it’s only as small as a dollar a week or even 50 cents a week. It’s not the amount that’s important, it’s the habit of being resourceful and frugal.”
Regardless of what you may have heard, anyone and everyone is capable of investing their money. Even younger millennials can start investing their money when they think they don’t have the excess funds to do so. Investing has more benefits than are often pointed out. Instead of spending extra money on things you do not need to purchase, give it to something that will return that amount in greater amounts than you originally gave up.
“If you want the mind to pick up an idea and to form a habit so that the mind will automatically act upon that idea, you’ve got to tell the mind what you want, over and over and over again.”
If there is something in your life that you want to change, you need to form a habit. The only way to form a habit is to somehow convince yourself to repeat the same behaviors over and over again until they become almost automatic. The best way to do this is to constantly remind yourself what your end goal is. Repeat that goal to yourself over and over again until it becomes a psychological association.
“Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.”
Goal setting is not just something experts tell you to do because it sounds like good advice. Having something very specific to work toward is what carries many aspiring business owners from the planning stage all the way to the ultimate success circle. Setting business goals is your bridge to ultimate success, whether you think it is essential to sit down and list out your goals or not. Once you have a goal, it will be much harder for you to change your mind and turn back. There will be much less resistance, and a lot fewer people trying to tell you that you cannot do something.
“Be careful what you set your heart upon because, if you set your heart on anything and stand by that decision, you’re going to get it.”
Want is a very powerful thing. The moment you decide you want to do something or see something or achieve something, sometimes there are very few things you are going to allow to stand in your way until your goal has been accomplished. So make sure that the things you are promising yourself are good, worthwhile things to begin with. Determination is much harder to break once you start something, which is why getting started is often one of the hardest parts of running a business. Set your heart on something and go after it with all your strength.
“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure.”
Perhaps you are in a bad place right now. You have been working harder than you ever have before, to no avail. Perhaps you have failed, and discouragement threatens to overtake you. Failure is an important, if not essential, part of success in business. You have to fail, maybe once, maybe three times. Success lies beyond those failures. You cannot reach success without first experiencing the bitter aftertaste of failure.
Whatever success means to you, never let yourself doubt that it is possible in your life. Obstacles such as failure, lack of knowledge, determination and more are only objects that are meant to be jumped over. Success comes later. Be patient, and keep working hard now so that you can get to where you want to be.
