In my last post, I stated that to be successful, a person has to be interesting as well as take an interest. I explained very briefly a few ways in which this could be accomplished – namely, reading and getting out there. But how does this make a person successful?

First, let’s assess our definition of success.

What is success?

You might say that it’s being a big CEO. It’s being at the top of the pyramind in your field – the big cheese, the big guy with cars and money and a trophy wife. Or maybe success to you is being able to retire and live in the tropics. Is that what you feel will make you happy?

Certainly, I’d love to be able to retire and live in the tropics! However, I feel that that’s more something that comes after success. As for the other statement, have you ever heard the statement ‘money doesn’t buy happiness’? Unfortunately, it doesn’t. It might be able to give you more perks in life, but I feel that many people fall into the pitfall of money somehow purchasing their happiness for them.

Step one. Take a deep breath.

Now, clear your mind for a moment. What do you enjoy doing the most? What makes you feel fulfilled and happy?

Let’s remake our definition of success. What if you could take one of your hobbies and passions and make it into something that you can do for life? If you love drawing, what if you could find something that you could do to design and create and draw? If you love birds, what if you could take your hobby and support yourself on it? Now, I’m not saying that you should do the thing your school counsellors told you to do with the career test et cetera – no, I’m pressuring you to. They seem silly, but if you want to be truly happy and successful, you will find this success doing something you love. It’s just that simple. It seems idealistic, but try it – take one of those career tests, and try one of the careers they suggested.

Oh, but I’m too old for that. I’m already past my best years; what I want to do requires a college education!

If that’s what you’re saying right now, then stop. Community colleges see students of every age – and many jobs will actually pay for you to go back to school. There are plenty of payment opportunities for people who wish to further their education. take a few classes at the community college, then see about the university. I’m not saying that you can jump into the field of medicine right away, but always work towards your goals, no matter how impossible or how far away they might seem.

Step two. Make a plan.
Having a plan is helpful in many ways. Once you have your goal set for whatever passion you might have, make a plan. Break the problem down into several small, workable steps.

Most importantly, stick to these steps – and have a backup.

Things don’t always work out as planned, and that’s why your plan needs to have a backup. I don’t feel that thinking realistically is about being negative or positive, but rather looking at both the negative and the positive. But do not let thinking about the negative make you too afraid to go forward – you simply must.

Step three. Don’t listen to the can’ts.

Everything has its opponents; think about St George and the Dragon. This timeless tale was told about a person who had a problem – a dragon – which they needed to overcome. For many people, it’s the people telling them what they can or cannot do, or even their own mind telling them what they can or cannot do. When this happens, take a deep breath. Relax. Distract yourself, even. But do not let the can’ts get in your way, because believe me – you will regret it!

It’s much easier said than done, of course. But when you really feel like you can’t do something, look at the reasons why. Does the person who is telling you what you can or can’t do really know you? Or maybe you can even try another tactic – do it just because they said you couldn’t!

Now let’s summarize the important points here.

1. What is success? Success is normally defined as being wealthy – but let’s reassess that. You most likely won’t be any more happy wealthy as you were poor. Success, instead, is being in a place where you are enjoying what you are doing – whether you are a school janitor because you like to give back to your community and love to be around kids, or if being successful to you means raising fifteen breeds of cats.
2. Step One: Find your goal. Figure out what it is about you that you feel most passionate about, and what you want to be doing in the next year, or even in the next ten years. Don’t worry about whether it takes schooling or not – you still have plenty of opportunities for that!
3. Step Two: Make a plan. Once you have your goal, break it down into steps. Figure out how you can make it simple. It doesn’t matter how long it takes for you to carry out each part of The Plan – provided your steps are manageable to you.
4. Step Three: Make a backup. Even the best intentions fail sometimes. While you need to stick to your plan despite the barrage of can’ts, it’s still important for you to know when you need to do something differently.

At this time, it’s best to find out where your support network is. Your support network is the group of people who are going to be there as you make this transformation, and having a strong one will help you when you’re attacked by the can’ts. Whether it’s your family – your parents, your significant other, your siblings, or even your own kids – or your friends, just having people there to talk to will help you. A great support network is one that’s there to catch you when you fall, and is there to celebrate with you when you overcome even the smallest of obstacles.

Now that we have our goal, let’s shift our focus to networking in general, and how to put things in action a bit.