“Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run—in the long-run, I say!—success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it”― Viktor E. Frankl
“Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run—in the long-run, I say!—success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it” (Viktor E. Frankl)
Sometimes, when you think too directly or too much about something you wish for, you end up making it more difficult to attain it. By thinking about it too much or too self-consciously you actually reduce your chances of reaching your goal. . The way you think about and approach success can actually interfere with your chances of achieving it.
Success is a cumulative byproduct of your actions. It is an unintended side effect of the way you do things, of your efforts, values and motivations.
You don’t become successful by being preoccupied with the idea of success itself, but instead by doing things that you value, that you are committed to, and that interest and motivate you in their own right, and not simply because they will have the hoped-for end result of making you “successful.”
There are distinct conditions that underlie success, and out of which success arises; and these conditions are described by the qualities of your actions.
- Are your actions motivated by a personal and sincere interest in what you are doing?
- Are they based on and supported by worthwhile values?
- Are they energized by enthusiasm, dedication and commitment?
If you create the conditions, then in the long run the chances are quite good that “success will follow.”
Getting Personal
Have you ever been able to reach a goal , but at the end you did not feel successful? If so, briefly explain.
Have you ever failed to reach a goal, but at the end you still felt that you had been successful? If so, briefly explain.
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” (Henry David Thoreau, American essayist, naturalist)
“Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it… Success is shy – it won’t come out while you’re watching.” (Tennessee Williams, American playwright)
What does success mean to you? Read on:
