Here’s what they always tell us. “Go to school, listen to your teacher, finish college and you will be successful.” Sure, the school prepares us for life ahead by teaching us many, many things – from the very basic reading and counting to analysing biological processes, finding the x’s and the y’s, and understanding Plato and Socrates’ philosophy about life.
But not everything can be learned in school. There are several lessons we can only learn by stepping into the real world, especially when it comes to business success.
Don’t be afraid to ask.
You might be the type of student who rarely asks questions or are hesitant to. A lot of people feel they don’t deserve to be heard. But everyone does. You might think you are asking the dumbest question but you never know – it might be the question that can lead to great ideas.
It’s okay to fail.
Getting a failing grade is a big no-no. It’s any student’s biggest fear. No wonder a lot of students will stoop to nearly unspeakable levels just to avoid failing. Yes, we’re talking about cheating, copying and other means of deception. But in real life, you will not be judged by a failing mark on your school card. Your success won’t even depend on it. Your success depends on the failures you’ve gone through and the learning you’ve gained. Success is 90% failure. So stop worrying about failure and stay focused on your results. Expect 90% of what you try to not work. Sometimes you have to learn what doesn’t work in order to find what does.
It is not about the outcome. It’s the journey.
Just because you haven’t reached your goal yet doesn’t mean you’re not going to make it. The most rewarding part of achieving success is not really the success itself, but the hardships and difficulties you have surpassed. Pause and reflect often. Praise yourself for how far you’ve already come. Stay focused on the outcomes you want and respect the process required to create them.
Patience is a virtue.
At school, we all deal with overwhelming deadlines. And we face the same dilemma in real life too. We feel pressured when we think about how time flies by so fast and we haven’t materialised our dreams yet. But it isn’t about when you achieve a dream that matters. What matters more is that you do it. It doesn’t matter if you achieve it at the age of 25 or 65 – the important thing is that you’ve made it. Success doesn’t come easily. But it does come - with hard work and patience.
You need to try, and try and try.
You can’t re-take the same school test over and over again. But in the real world, trying and trying until you master a craft is okay and in fact, encouraged. Don’t be afraid to try and fail over again. Rest if you must, but don’t quit.
Success is not something we get easily. Sometimes, the road towards it is a little bit bumpy and rocky. But that’s okay. As long as you embrace failure, open yourself to new learning every day, focus on the results more than the difficulties and errors, observe patience, and keep trying – you will find your way to success.
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