By Wadzanai Nenzou

Success can be defined as many different things. To some success is having a lot of money and financial security. To others success is educating their children and making provision for their families, and yet to others success is simply the achievement of one’s dreams. Whatever the case, all human beings are always in pursuit of a measure of success. To achieve success in any way or form, there are some qualities that are critical and must be looked into.
One of the most important success factors is time management. Time is said to be the most expensive resource in the world since it is fixed and there is no way of going back in time. It is ever moving forward. Having a good time management technique will ensure that you are able to make effective use of your time and through this you will be able to achieve more with your life.

Another critical factor to success is self-discipline. This is often a great hindrance to the success of many people. This is especially the case for people in start-up businesses since so much is required of them at the onset. Self-discipline often involves doing required tasks even when you do not feel like it. Self-discipline will carry you through the rough patches in your life’s journey and will help you achieve your goals.

Being hardworking is another critical success factor. This involves going the extra mile to deliver on your targets. For hardworking individuals, success seems to follow them in all performance related issues in their lives, such as school, work, sports etc. Developing a hardworking mindset conditions you for success. Since you will have achieved different levels of success in the past, the future will become a much more familiar playground.

In order to achieve a measure of success in whatever undertaking, it is important to be goal oriented. It is important to set up goals or targets that you look to achieve within a given time frame. These goals have to be measurable, realistic, and attainable and be of a time sensitive nature. Setting of goals gives you something to work towards and often acts as a benchmark to measure how well or badly you are doing.

When it comes down to it, success is sometimes greatly influenced by one’s attitude. Your attitude greatly defines the kind of outlook you will have on a task or problem. People who have a great attitude, even in the midst of a difficult situation, always seem to rise above it. You attitude is your mindset
and if your mind can be committed to do something, it will deliver, despite the challenges encountered.

Another key critical success factor is that of perseverance. This might seem overrated, but most of the financially successful people in the world today all started with very small businesses. They had big ideas but were limited by their financial situations and sometimes the lack of market. The likes of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi also persevered through a great deal of suffering in order to achieve their goals. Perseverance is therefore critical in carrying you through the rough times and ensures you are faithful enough to see the results.

People have often said the difference between winners and losers is desire. This desire is driven by passion. Having a passion for what you are doing is very important. Often people have started small businesses that did not even break even in the first 2 or 3 years. At this point, they become a labor of love. However, due to the passion associated with the work they do, they are willing to carry on with the business, hoping that things will get better in the mid-term to long-term; and they often do. Passion will help you find a way to do what you want to do and make the necessary sacrifices required to succeed.

Another very critical factor of success is networking. In business, this is widely considered one of the key pillars of success. Networking is about knowing people in every aspect of the society that you can get in touch with. It involves simply building contacts that you can call on at any time to refer or ask for business. Networking is the key in the growth of a company and can help you achieve your goals faster and with less effort.

Planning is one of the most essential factors for success. Planning involves laying down a work plan of the things you want to achieve and working through the strategies and modalities of its execution. It is said that failing to plan is planning to fail. This is very true and is likely the reason for the closure of 2/3 of all businesses in their first 5 years of operation. Planning eliminates surprises and allows you to forecast the direction that you want your life to take.

Finally, it is important to keep yourself in good health. This may involve going to the gym or getting into a dietary program. Keeping your body healthy and prioritizing your health is critical to your success. Remember, a healthy body, healthy mind.

I wish you all the success in the world.