“See you at the reunion!”

That was the common anticipation echoed in the few words contained in the emails exchanged with my old college mates, ex-colleagues and siblings whom I have not met for the last few years.

In between, we have been too busy with our lives, career or family and understandably, we have little moments to share our ups and downs in life. At the reunion, the usual topic of discussion had cropped up: “How’s life” or to put it indirectly: “Are you successful now?”

Frankly, by the time 10 years have rolled around, the naïve students that we once were would have learnt by now the lessons only experience can teach. Depending on how you have planned your life, college may have either worked or it didn’t. Jobs and career advancement may have happened or they may have not. Love, marriage, children and home would be the order of events that leads to the ultimate succession in life. Or is it?

Just like in any informal reunion or formal meeting with business associates, we want to make sure that we will project a good impression that shouts “Here I am - what do you think?” the moment we walk through the door - what we have become on our own. The attire, make-up, haircut, latest mobile phone and even the companion we bring give us away. We have come looking good and successful.

How do you define success?
From the common viewpoint, a person who is successful is one who has the power to afford all the luxuries in life or the power to rule and command without breaking the laws in acquiring whatever one demands in life. He may be the richest man in the world or the President of the USA. It is not uncommon for people to associate one’s education, credentials, intelligence and good look as factors to define ‘success’.

On the other hand, I like the other version of the definition of success. It is more than the accumulation of wealth for oneself but putting your effort into an arena of action that inspires you and working towards your personal calling. If you have read the real life stories of successful people on earth, for example, Ludwig van Beethoven, Albert Einstein or Bill Gates, you will find that there’s a golden thread that join them together in the same league, and that is, the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and find a way to offer it to others as a form of service. It takes a lot of hard work too but I guess if you work on your passion, everything will fall into place and your work will be a joy. Of course, the fame and fortune that you acquire along the way would be nice too.

What is the S-Factor?

• Goal-setting: Success does not come merely by wishful thinking. We have to determine our goals and put them down in writing to help us spearhead our time and energy in achieving what we want out of life. In this way, we will able to wake up every morning with a sense of purpose and hence, cultivate a continual working attitude towards the realisation of that goal. The goal must be measurable to enable us to check on the progress from time to time. Such assessment is important in enabling us to set higher goals later.

• Unlock your potential: Nowadays, educational programmes for children - which explore the early development of a child - have revolutionised immensely in much sophisticated ways. It is quite obvious that children are getting smarter compared to our earlier generations. Perhaps all this while, human beings have not tapped into their full potential. In fact, only about 10 per cent of our potential is used in our daily lives. Quoting Ed Engstrom, success is tapping into the available potential that we have and making the best use of it. Imagine the greatness that we can achieve if we are able to explore and discover our full potential.

• How do you unlock your potential?

  • Search inside your heart and do an inventory list of your likes and dislikes, skills, talents, wishes and even your idiosyncrasies. This information will help you narrow down your preferred job scopes. Look for a mentor in the field that you wish to work in and learn about the secrets to becoming like that person. Spending time with your mentor will challenge you to work harder and smarter in order to tap into your hidden potential.

  • Be willing to learn and work hard to achieve your goals. A lot of times, we have to go extra miles to perfect a task. Success stories do not happen overnight and in order to reach your full potential, you must be ready to give up all that we are to receive what we can become.

  • Face challenges at work as an opportunity for development of character, for example, perseverance. “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

  • Make your plan: Now, you can chart your course and make plans to achieve your goals. Setting timelines would help you to ensure that you do not deviate from meeting your goals and cause unnecessary delays.

  • Commitment to stick it out: When you are faced with a problem and you find that you are not getting anywhere or making any progress, reassess your goals or plans. Consult your mentor or your reliable contacts for wisdom or advice. Successful people are not quitters. It’s not a matter of losing face but if you are passionate about your work, it means that you will have the will power and determination to stand firm on your commitment because you want it to work badly.

Back to my reunion, it was good and, well, success stories may be few but it is really up to yourself to assess whether you have come around and achieve some of your goals in life and career. And not what other people perceive your achievement to be. Whether it is earning your first million, starting your own business or being the best CEO, the ball is in your court and you are the only person who can stop you from becoming all you can be!