It’s great to have ancestors and already successful people to guide us and share their advice on success. Imagine having no one to rely on, or worse, nothing written to lead us to something we all strive for – success. It would be a total disaster.
However we (the new generation) rely on the beautifully combined technology called the Internet, and we can connect and find every sentence ever said or written by the successful people. Just the fact that we can read about other people’s success can make our way much easier.
I’ve found three things highly successful people wish they knew earlier and shared their words with the world, hoping to ease the way of many young and mature people who try to break their way through and find the authentic way to success.
1. “Always be authentic and true to yourself and your beliefs” – Kay Krill, president and CEO of ANN Inc
“The advice I would have given to my college self and any young person entering the workforce today would be to always be authentic and true to yourself and your beliefs. Do not get sidetracked with advice from others that your gut tells you is wrong. By doing this, you will have the clarity of mind to always do the right thing for the business and for yourself.”
We would have to be true to our consciousness all the time. No advice from other people, no fake beliefs and no sidetracking. You know what’s best for you. Keep doing that because other people might know what’s best for them, but your vision and beliefs differ. Share your uniqueness in your own way; don’t let other “guts” take over yours.
2. “Don’t wait for doors to open. Open them yourself” – Denise Morrison, president and CEO of Campbell Soup Company
“If I could give my younger self career advice, it would be this: Don’t wait for doors to open. Open them yourself by being persistent and thinking strategically about your career. Plan your career destination, develop a personal mission statement, and build relationships with sponsors and mentors.
“And above all, network, because networking is working. Your ability will only take you so far. Your relationships will take you the rest of the way.”
Open your own doors. Don’t wait for the automatic sliding doors to open. There is no such a thing in the real world. Work hard and think about your career, upgrade, and take action. Networking is the new way of connecting with people out there. You can’t present your vision only by yourself. You’ve got to find your own ability, build relationships around it, and the path will take you the rest of the way.
3. “Follow your purpose and passion” – Kat Cole, president of Cinnabon
“What I wish I would have known is that everything will change and eventually work out in your career when you follow your purpose and passion. Don’t get too caught up in the ‘plan’ that you have.
“As a mentor once shared with me, especially when you are young, each career move and choice you make won’t be your last, and you can always course correct, so don’t waste too much time overanalyzing the next few steps. Take a risk, be the best at the job that you can be, help others along the way, and the next right thing will present itself.”
Following your purpose and passion is a must. What Kat Cole’s mentor was trying to say is that we need to do things related to our passion or purpose and the way will reveal itself. We all think we have “the big mastermind plan” that is going to be a success, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Don’t get caught in the fantasies of your perfect plan, just take some steps forward and don’t overanalyze the next ones.
Pursue your passion with a passion! Be persistent and don’t let anyone or thing distract you from your mission.
Featured photo credit: Called to Serve / Jeremy Hall via flickr.com
