Success as a noun is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Success is something positive that we desire to have in our own lives. We experience success on a daily basis: working through our to do list, waking up for work, cooking dinner. Every day we accomplish an aim, but greater success comes from the accomplishment of purpose. That sense of accomplishment you get when you finally achieve a goal you've been working towards for so long is a great feeling.
I am a project oriented person rather than a routine oriented person. This means I prefer to work on something for a set period of time, putting in the required effort and watching my progression with an end date in mind. I choose projects over mundane routine because I gain a greater sense of accomplishment when I complete a project rather than completing a routine. What I'm trying to say is that completion of a goal/purpose (although it looks different for everyone) brings about a sense of triumph and is therefore good - it is success.
I started thinking of the patterns for success this morning as I walked to the bus stop on my way to work. I was looking back through my life and examining the areas I had been successful in and I noticed a pattern. Each time something was about to become a great accomplishment of mine, I would go through a season of mental decluttering. What I mean by this is that the things I performed the best in were the things that had my deep focus and attention. Right before my podcast came about I stopped posting on Youtube frequently due to issues with filming equipment. This decluttering gave me more time and energy to focus on Washday Talks and develop it into what it is now - over 60 episodes of content. Now I see the same thing happening with this blog, my phone has broken along with my microphone for recording podcast (so I cannot use a laptop), I can no longer record on Youtube either. All I have left is this blog - this is the prerequisite for success, mental decluttering. My whole focus is being devoted to developing this blog into something I am proud of - my accomplishment. This is my pattern for success, effort and intentionality - a project rather than a routine. A set period of time devoted to the development of this platform, when my mic is fixed and I buy a new phone this period will end and the project will be over. Before this my blog and other activities were routine, now they are becoming a project - something that gives me greater success.
As individuals we must know our own patterns for success and be able to discern the environments apt for high quality accomplishments. I like to plan but I also produce great spontaneous creativity, yet within the latter I also lose focus and quality, therefore I seek to balance the two. My pattern for success is parameters, I let myself run free but I safeguard myself from slip ups through loose plans and principles. You may be the exact opposite, who knows? Get thinking about the areas of your life you have succeeded in, write down your root of success and correlate these accomplishments with other ones. Look for patterns, and once you find them, apply them to your current goals. Success leaves trace marks, there are always patterns waiting to be found.
