As the new year approaches many self employed individuals may find themselves thinking about their past year and the year to come. A significant part of this reflective period may be spent on determining your level of success. Everyone has a different idea of what determines success. Whether you reached your goals last year, or are trying to aspire to new ones this year, there are a few basic principles that allow you to reach any level of success no matter what area of your life you’re focusing on. To help illustrate some of these key principles, we’re sharing some of our favorite quotes on the topic. It is our hope that they are as inspiring to you as they are to us.
Passion is a key ingredient to success…
“When a man feels throbbing within him the power to do what he undertakes as well as it can possibly be done, this is happiness, this is success.”
–Orison Swett Marden
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
–Herman Cain
Be ready when opportunity comes knocking…
“The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.”
–Benjamin Disraeli
“Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand.”
— Bruce Barton
You must remain steadfast in your belief and purpose…
“The secret of success is consistency of purpose.”
–-Benjamin Disraeli
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing.”
-–Abraham Lincoln
“Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.”
–John Maxwell
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.”
–Vincent T. Lombardi
Inaction = no movement towards your dreams
“Success is your dreams with work clothes on.”
-–Unknown
“None of the secrets of success will work unless you do.”
–Unknown
Don’t give up…
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
–Thomas Edison
“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.”
–General George Patton
You must go beyond “normal”
“No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction.”
–Charles Kendall Adams
“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be”
–George Sheehan
What best represents success to you?
Do you have a favorite quote that motivates you to push harder towards your goals?
Jennifer Good writes on many topics related to content marketing, social media, leadership, and productivity for leading publications. You can also find her at JenniferGood.com.
