Will Power: Seven Will Based Qualities Of Success

Everybody has potentials for success, the surrounding factors notwithstanding. However, base on prevailing realities, greater percentage of global population are not successful. Which means having potentials is not enough. It is one thing to have a potential. It is another thing to have the will power and motivation to explore and fulfill such potentials.

The difference in people’s outcomes is not a function of difference in abilities, race, country, background, gender, formal education, social class or other physical factors. But difference in will power, personalities, attitudes, mind sets and other inner qualities.

John Maxwell once said “successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potentials.”

Highlighted below are seven top will based qualities of success that have worked for most successful people all around the world without discrimination.

1. Vision

Vision is the imaginary picture of the desired future backed by personal conviction. It is the first element that channel the course for other elements of success. Vision is the foundation upon which the entire structure of success is laid. Vision determines the mission statement, policies, decision making, plan, focus, strategy and action. To succeed in life or business, you must first discover what you really want to achieve.

This is why there is no successful organization without a vision statement. Lack of vision is one of the top causes of business failure. According to 2014 Turnaround Management Society (TMS) survey, lack of vision accounted for 51.41% of the common internal causes of corporate crisis.

Frank Gaines said, “only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible.” Vision is to life what the sunlight is to the world. Without the sun the world cannot function. Lack of vision causes a man to become stranded and grounded. Without vision man lives in darkness. In darkness motion is hampered, progress is undermined.

2. Goal Setting

A vision without goals is only a wish. People with written goals are said to be more likely to achieve success than people without goals. Goal setting is common habit among the rich. 80% of wealthy focus on accomplishing specific goals compared to just 12% of the poor (richhabits.net).

Lack of or inappropriate goals was responsible for 15.15% of the common internal causes of corporate crisis (Turnaround Management Society (TMS) survey, 2014).

Goal setting helps to focus. Life is like a crossroad not an express. One cannot but wander without specific direction.

The impact of goal settings cannot be better described than using the effects of normal and focused sunlight. While unfocused sunlight does nothing to a piece of paper, the focused sunlight from a converging lens sets it ablaze. The greater your focus the higher your level of impact. Specific, achievable and time bound goals engender a life of success.

3. Determination

This is a positive emotion that makes it possible to do what needs to be done even in the face of discouragement and opposition. To achieve success, vision or desire is not enough. Your vision will be tested and resisted. Desire will fail. It is determination that sustains the momentum of vision and desire for them to stand the test of time.

Determination is said to promote confidence, action, perseverance and goal mastery. Studies have linked determination to increases in physical health and mental well being (Wikipedia). Abraham Lincoln wrote, “always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.”

4. Hard work

There is an African saying, “work does not kill, it is poverty that kills.” Thomas Edison said, “genius is 10% inspiration and 90% hard work.” Life is tough, if it is not many would be successful. Business is difficult, if it is not only few businesses will fail. Anything hard to accomplish requires a stick approach.

Kemmons Wilson, the founder of Holiday Inns was asked if there was a key to his company’s success. This is what he said, “I believe, to be successful, that you have to work at least a half a day. It doesn’t make any difference which half, the first or the last twelve hours.”

Below is the result of a survey of the total numbers of hours devoted to work per week by some successful online entrepreneurs as compiled by Daniel Scocco of Daily Blog Tips.

· Darren Rowse- 60–65 hrs.

· Rand Fishkin- 55–70 hrs.

· Aaron Wall- 90–100 hrs.

· Niel Patel- 60–80 hrs.

· Chris Pearson- 30–50 hrs.

· Shawn Collins- 60 hrs.

· Jonathan Volk- 60 hrs.

· Dan Schawbel- 110 hrs.

· Chris Garret- 50–90 hrs.

· Collins Ta’eed- 40–60 hrs.

· Trent Hamm- 40–45 hrs.

5. Optimism

This is a mental attitude of expecting the best possible outcome from any given situation. Optimism is best illustrated by a glass half filled. The glass can either be seen as half full or half empty. These two views are similar literally but in terms of personal disposition they are not. To see the glass as been half full is optimistic and positive while seeing the glass half empty is pessimistic and negative.

There is always a positive aspect to every situation, condition and occurrence. Optimistic people seek positivity in every situation they find themselves, and that is what they experience.

Optimists are said to be happier, less depressed, less stressed, healthier and more attractive. Optimism has also been associated with productivity, profitability and success (Greenberg & Arakawa, 2006). Pessimism has been linked with depression, stress and anxiety (Kamen & Seligman, 1987). More often than not, it is what we expect that happen to us. Always be positive no matter what.

6. Resilience

This is the ability to adapt well in adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or stress. The ability to recover quickly from depression, illness or misfortune. There is no one without his/her fair share of setbacks in life, rich or poor. Tragedies can crush or develop, depending on the abilities of those who are involved to handle crises well.

Resilient people feel the pain, grief, frustration and anger like everyone else. But their hardiness, confidence, resourcefulness, flexibility, optimism, sense of purpose and positive response to the help and counsel from others, enable them to find a way forward, turn the adversity to an advantage, and come out even stronger and better.

7. Persistence

Every man is ordained to succeed. Therefore, no one is expected to quit until success is attained, no matter how long it takes. Some of the most talented athletes never made the team. Best actors never made it to the stage. Most credible politicians never got elected. And the best singers never heard. All because they relented.

Ben Horowitz wrote, “ Whenever I meet a successful CEOs, I ask them how they did it. The great CEOs tend to be remarkably consistent in their answers. They all said, ‘I didn’t quit’.”

It took McDonald’s hamburger chain 22 years to make its first billion dollars. For Standard Oil, it took 25 years. It took IBM 46 years. For Xerox, it took 66 years. It took Microsoft 15 years (encyclopedia.com).

Persistence is so much important to success that Napoleon Hill concluded, “truly, if one has persistence, one can get along very well without many other qualities.” Johni Pangalila put it this way, “there are so many ways to fail but only one way to succeed: NEVER GIVE UP!”

As important as the virtue of persistence seems to be, it must be purpose driven. You must be convinced beyond doubts you are on the right path. Because you may be riding on a dead horse without knowing. Be flexible, explore different options. There are many approaches to a thing, there are various routes to the same destination.

success is first who you are, then what you do. With the above qualities success becomes possible and predictable. With efforts success will happen in a matter of time.