A Recipe for Success

Recipe for success

Success. This word means different things to different people – but I imagine that when you read it, you think about how it would feel to achieve your goals, to enjoy yourself, and to be proud of the life you are living.

I believe that finding a recipe for success in life can be relatively simple. That doesn’t mean that it’s easy – but it does mean that it’s achievable. For all of us.

Before You Start: Knowing What You’re Creating

If you try out a new recipe, you’ll want some idea of what you’re expecting at the end. Cookbooks usually have photographs, so you can see how the finished dish should look. Even if there’s no photo, there’s at least a title for the recipe. The lists of ingredients might look similar at a glance, but from the title and photo, you know whether you’re baking muffins versus bread, or making a stew versus a curry.

When you’re formulating your personal recipe for success in life, it’s vital to have a clear definition of what that success looks like for you. “Success” is as individual as we are.

For me, success doesn’t mean a certain bank balance or a fancy car. It means things like:

  • Doing work that I enjoy.
  • Having a sense of freedom and fun in my life – being able to take time out mid-week to spend with family and friends.
  • Making a difference in the world.
  • Being healthy and fit enough to do everything that I want to do.

What does success mean for you? Is it really about a certain amount of money in the bank or a certain figure on the scales?

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you’re trying to create, start figuring out how the following ingredients come into play

Ingredient #1: Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is the first essential ingredient in any recipe for success. Big changes take a lot of work – and you’ll only be motivated to do that work if you’re feeling enthusiastic.

The importance of enthusiasm means that you’ll be more likely to succeed if you:

  • Choose a career that you love – not just the one that makes you the most money.
  • Take your interests seriously. If you love writing comics, don’t dismiss that as being too frivolous to spend your time on.
  • Look for ways to maintain your enthusiasm. That might mean constantly learning new things in a particular area, or trying out different techniques.
  • While you’re feeling particularly enthused, write down all your reasons for working on this particular project or goal. Turn to this as a reminder if your enthusiasm wanes.

Ingredient #2: Time

Time is the second critical component of your recipe for success in life. Any big goal is going to take time. In some cases, that’s simply the hours you put in – for instance, writing a book might take you three hundred hours, which you could spread across a couple of months or a couple of years.

For other goals, the time is relatively fixed. You can’t lose 50lbs in a month, however hard you try – it’s going to take you around a year.

Check that you’re giving yourself enough time. That means:

  • Don’t take on so many projects that you end up rushing or abandoning most of them.
  • Accept that some changes will take a steady commitment over a period of time – like losing weight, getting fit, or getting out of debt.
  • Estimate the time commitment before taking on something new. Sure, you might feel really enthusiastic about your book idea – but is it a realistic project right now?

Ingredient #3: Energy

However much time you have, energy is the third essential ingredient in your recipe for success. I’m sure you’ve experienced this for yourself – perhaps you had a whole afternoon to spend writing your book, but you were feeling drained and tired so you didn’t get anything done.

Obviously, energy is necessary for physical goals (like training for a marathon) – but mental energy is just as important.

Making sure that you have enough energy involves:

  • Giving yourself the downtime that you need to relax and re-energize.
  • Getting enough sleep, and eating sensibly: basic, but important.
  • Paying attention to your emotional state – if your mood is often low, it’s hard to have the energy for your goals.
  • Focusing on your health as a key priority.

Ingredient #4: Support

The final ingredient for success in life is support.

Sadly, it’s not always the case that our nearest and dearest support our goals. You may face resistance from family or close friends – often because they love you. They might be afraid that you’ll fail, or that you’re taking on too much.

When you’re working towards your definition of success, it’s important to find other people who can value it. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they share it (perhaps your dream is to travel the world, and your friend loves her cozy home life) – but they’ll understand why it’s important to you.

If you’re struggling to find support at home or amongst your friends:

  • Look for a club or group to join. If you’re trying to lose weight, for instance, there’s almost certainly a slimming club nearby.
  • Find an online forum where you can get support from like-minded people.
  • Look for a conference or other event that relates to your goal – you’ll get a real buzz from a focused period of time spent in the company of others who share your dreams and ambitions.

Do you have another ingredient to add to this recipe for success in life? Share your thoughts in the comments.

13 thoughts on “A Recipe for Success”

  1. I love how you mentioned doing what you are enthusiastic about and used writing comics as an example. That’s awesome. I think everyone of us has a passion that may seem out of the norm in society’s eyes.

    My favorite ingredient to add to the recipe of success is mentorship. On top of support, you need the guidance from someone who’s been there. Someone who can help you avoid the traps and pits people fall in too often.

    1. Great addition, Bryce – thanks! I’ve had some fantastic mentors myself, with my writing, and I’m now coaching other writers – it’s really interesting being on the other side of the process.

  2. Hi Ali,

    Really nice analogy to cooking. I agree with all the points you mentioned. I was quite confused for a while in my life fortunately I came to discover the road down success, no monetary but personal success. For me personally the most important ingredients are meaning and fun. The biggest success one can achieve is to find work that is worthwhile, meaningful and you have fun doing it. I guess everything else comes out of it. Great post!! Thank you.

  3. Kudos Ali…very insightful.

    However, I’d like to respectfully challenge
    one point you made regarding Ingredient #4
    and Support.

    I’m focusing on the point made about facing
    resistance from close friends.

    It has always been my feeling that those
    friends are working against your grain because
    they want to knock you down a peg or two in
    absence of feeling any concern toward your
    welfare.

    Intrinsically, their mindset is harbored in
    the fact that they are jealous of any personal
    advancement you are trying to manifest. Just
    because their lack of motivation in answering
    to their own “calling” is prevalent, they want to
    bring you down to their level.

    As they say “misery loves company.”

    Maybe I’m coming from a different vantage point
    or maybe I’m off base on this. Am I right or
    wrong?

    Respectfully,

    Kevin Tyler Smith
    Promethean Life

    1. Kevin, I think this definitely can happen (and it sounds like this may have been something you’ve experienced yourself?) I’ve had a little bit of negative feedback from people who I think are just a bit jealous that I’ve dared go after my dreams!

      However, my experience with *close* friends and family is that they’re loving and want to support me, they just don’t always “get” what I do.

      I don’t think you’re wrong. I don’t think I’m wrong, either. I think we’re just looking at this from slightly different angles! (And maybe I’ve been lucky with the friends/family that I have.)

  4. I love your “recipe” and I couldn’t agree more. Support is one ingredient that I’m just starting to accept the need for. When you’re accustomed to always doing things on your own, I think it’s easy to slip into the illusion that you never need help. Well, even the strongest of us need a solid support system.

  5. Thanks for the post. I definitely agree with Enthusiasm and Energy as being essential to success. In fact, with enough of the two anyone can overcome the highest obstacles placed before them. I also agree that equating money to success is one of the biggest mistakes people make in modern day society.

  6. I never thought to compare a plan with a recipe. I love to combine ingredients and make something totally new. I mean combining ingredients that are usually not combined. In years it happened once that it did not taste right.
    Taking your ingredients that are important to live a successful life and adding something which is very different. This makes me think!

    1. Sounds like you cook very intuitively, Mara – I think some people are suited to living that way too, blending together different bits and pieces to create a unique but satisfying life!

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