A Simple Yet Powerful Definition of Success

There have been a number of definitions of success that have circulated since time immemorial. We have all heard them and they are all valid definitions based on how they resonate with us.  There is, however, one definition that is so simple that even a child can understand it.

Success is doing the things that failures don’t want to do.

It is the simplicity of this statement that makes it so powerful. 

The first three words set a compelling tone:  Success is doing.  As we have mentioned before, successful people take action.  They know that reading about pushups will not make you strong or fit.  They know that talking about starting a business will not bring in any revenue.  They know that thinking about a family will not create one.  Action is a vital part of success.

The rest of the statement is just as powerful: “the things that failures don’t want to do.”  Not the things that failures can’t do, but don’t want to do!  This strongly suggests that successful people are not doing outlandish or particularly difficult things.  That would mean that people could not do them.  That is not the case here.  Failures don’t want to do these things, for whatever reason.  They might be uncomfortable, scared, not motivated enough or merely lazy.  The reasons don’t matter as much as the fact that nothing is being done.

Taken as a whole, this definition of success can really give us hope for the future because it is so simple to understand.  If we want to be successful in a particular field, we need to find people that are already successful in that field and do what they did.  The really encouraging part of this is that while it may not be easy to do those things, the concept itself is not complicated. It may not be easy to make yourself do the actions, but they are probably not beyond the capability of most people.

Naturally, there may be particular reasons that we cannot replicate another successful person’s actions, like wanting to be a basketball player, but not having the size or physical ability, but these are usually quite rare.  Most successful people have simply done things that others don’t want to do.

So, to be successful, take action and do the things that other successful people have done and you will differentiate yourself from most people who simply do not want to do those things.