How Do You Handle Success?
written by John Chow
Head on over to TheRatingBlog.com and make money online with Alan Johnson, today’s guest blogger.
I’ve covered the issue of handling failure with my previous guest post and it should be clear that after failing, you shouldn’t let yourself get discouraged, that you should ask yourself a few important questions in order to learn from your mistakes and never repeat them again and that, afterwards, it’s time to get back on the saddle.
So you think that you can handle failure? Alright then, but what about success? A lot of online entrepreneurs end up settling for less and not trying to reach their true potential as a result of the fact that they don’t know how success should be handled.
Success Is a Moving Target
After setting the right goals, developing a winner’s attitude, working towards achieving those goals and learning from mistakes, you may have reached a point when you think that you can consider yourself successful. If you think that you’ve reached your destination, then I am afraid that you are not nearly as successful as you think you are.
Why? Simply because success is not about the destination, it’s all about the journey in itself and being successful comes from knowing that you are on the right track. If you think that, just because you’ve won a few battles here and there, you are somehow above failure, if you actually think that a few victories make you perfect then, my friend, you still have a lot to learn.
There’s nothing wrong with giving yourself credit for your achievements, but never make the mistake of going over-board and becoming blinded by what you think represents success. If you don’t keep your feet on the ground then, rest assured, the reality check you’re facing will make you change your way of thinking.
The Only People Who Don’t Make Mistakes Are The Ones Who Don’t Try
You are never above failure, simply because you are only human and not a robot. Do you think that successful people didn’t make mistakes, do you think that they consider themselves perfect? If so, then you couldn’t be more wrong. Successful people have made far more mistakes than the rest of the crowd and they know it. Do they think they’re perfect? Of course not, even if it may seem that some of them do. In fact, they are well aware of the fact that not being perfect has played an important role in helping them become what they are today. They would not nearly be as successful if not for their attitude towards both failure and success.
Did all rich people retire after making their first million? What about their first billion? No and, once again, no. Not settling for less is what being successful is all about. Every entrepreneur has goals such as “hitting the $x milestone”, but that doesn’t mean that they should stop after reaching them. So you have secured a certain victory? That’s great, reward yourself, celebrate, but afterwards, it’s time to see things in perspective and start setting higher goals. If you’ve managed to reach your first million, it’s clear that you are a person with the potential of taking things to the next level, why would you stop there?
What about you, are you ready to take things to the next level? Do you know how to handle success?
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Nice post Alan, it is very true that a successful person keeps pushing the boundaries. There is no point of quitting or thinking everything is over once you have achieved a goal. Keep pushing and set higher goals.
Thinking that the journey is over simply because you’ve reached what seems to be a destination is definitely a huge mistake.
Alan Johnson
Exactly. When you’re on the path to success, the horizon is never visible. You just have to keep moving forward.
Handling success is one way to your goal and it wont be that easy to archive and it really need a lot of work.
You really want to have a Success Map that has at least 2-3 steps ahead of where you are now.
I don`t know how to handle the success cause I`m still far away from being succesful in blogging world. Setting a higher goals at start is the worst thing you can do, `cause you are expecting to much in start and you may end up being disappointed. My blogging goal is somwhere in the middle. After I reach him, I`ll see what I`m gonna do next!
Good work Alan. You have produced a nice series of articles here for John Chow. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Yeah I just started reading his blog lots of great content over there.
Tom and Sauce The Game, I appreciate your comments and, rest assured, this is only the beginning
Alan Johnson
This post relates to me so much. especially what you said about… “If you think that you’ve reached your destination, then I am afraid that you are not nearly as successful as you think you are.”
People who assume that their job is done after a few victories are definitely not successful, even if they may think that they are, and let’s just say that an inevitable reality check will change their way of thinking
Alan Johnson
Nice Alan! You articles very useful and give more inspirations
Wow very great Article Alan. This was very encouraging for me. I needed that. Today I changed my goals and set higher ones for myself. It actually made me feel happier. It will be allot of work but I know it’s worth it in the long run. I don’t want to settle for less anymore. I want more in life and I know it’s possible if I work hard and do my best and learn from others that have what I want.
~Katie
Glad you have reached this conclusion and I am also glad that you’ve found my article helpful since, in the end, that’s what blogging is all about.
Alan Johnson
John…what does this guy have naked pictures of you in a compromising position? Gawd….please….no more.
It’s definitely great to see that the only person who has had something negative to say wasn’t even able to come up with something negative about the article and has resorted to baseless accusations
Alan Johnson
Wow! This is my read of the day
Keep up the good work!
-Mike
Great post! Most people are so afriad of failure that they choose to avoid what’s possible for them. They entertain more on what they can’t do than what they can do. Failure is part of success and is unavoidable.
~Terry
I couldn’t agree more: if people were to spend the time they waste complaining by doing something useful, they would notice some more than worthwhile improvements.
Alan Johnson
Nice post. Success is best measured not in how many times you win but how many time you fall and rise again to achieve it.
It is really important to continue to refine your goals. Celebrate your wins but quickly review how you can refine those and expand.
You have to build a Success Map that is always 3-5 steps ahead of where you are now. Try to never have a gap from one goal to the next!
Great post Alan…and thanks!
While there is nothing wrong with celebrating victories, one does indeed need to get back on the saddle again, see things in perspective and set higher goals
Alan Johnson
This was a wonderful read, and all of it rang very VERY true! I do agree that the only people who don’t make mistakes are the ones who don’t try. It takes a special kind of person to own a business, or go out on their own in some shape or form. Taking risks is really what it’s all about!
Great work Alan! You’ve won another reader.
In the end, it’s all about risk vs. reward and let’s face it: you cannot expect to see any worthwhile results if you are not willing to take calculated risks when the time comes.
Alan Johnson
PS: welcome to the community
thanks, very usefull
It’s true, it’s almost impossible not to make mistakes. Great post to follow-up the Failure series.
That is why you need to try your best to do what is need to be done so that the mistakes will not be that much or to the least.
I was just turned down for a job I thought I had for sure. So I can use this to start a dialog to increase my relationship with her and maybe improve my services. They say Picasso made the most money and maybe his best work when he was turned down and asked why and what he could do to improve, relentlessly.
One should never give up, even after what you may think represents a disappointment since, in the long run, you will look back and congratulate yourself for having such an attitude.
Alan Johnson
I’m not afraid to fail, I think I actually have a fear of success. Its something I’m working on.
Even robots will encounter failures sometimes. Those who are afraid of failure will never meet success unless they are really lucky in some way. I have to agree that some of us over-celebrated successes. Boasting blog incomes and traffic spikes is still OK with me but I have seen bloggers boasting a Darren Rowse or John Chow visit which I don’t think there is such need.
In the long run, a person who is afraid of failure will never be truly successful, even if he or she may catch a lucky break every once in a while
Alan Johnson
I couldn’t agree more with this article. I was talking to a client of mine a couple of days ago about the same thing. He’s a local Hip-Hop artist who’s starting to create a buzz regionaly. He just bought a Mercedes and he’s starting to act like he’s “THE ISH”. I sat him down and told him that success is not defined by what your posessions are and he must keep striving to be better to truly be successful. I’m gonna tell him about this article. Again…great job!
It’s always great to see others finding your articles useful and you are definitely giving your client some sound advice about not slacking off once things seem like they’re on the right track.
Best wishes,
Alan Johnson
Appreciate the comments since, in the end, a vote of confidence from readers is the only recognition one needs as a blogger.
Best wishes,
Alan Johnson
Nice post man. This would make a strong speech, a strong motivational speech.
I really am not fan of doing business online. Alot of hypes on this industry. However, it pays for the hosting fee of my sites. But its always healthy to have a real job. Jobs which pays for your food, pay your bills and secure your children’s’ future. Net income is relatively proportion to the effort you put in advertising your site. No one is paid more for less they do. Everyone cannot be rich.Face it.. internet marketing is much more complex than you think. You cannot make money just by placing *googs adcents and other revenue generating affiliates without investing your real money before taking your cut.Internet marketing is an art and not just a direct selling approach to the buying public. No one can get reach here. Ask the boss..
You’ve covered how to handle success and how to handle failure. The only thing left is how to handle mediocrity. I’m an expert on that, maybe I could guest post for the topic…
Once you have success on anything then the rest you will need to have a lot of interest to handle it. Creating something to be archive is hard but how you handle it after you had archived your goal is much harder.
“Success Is a Moving Target” - Can’t agree more. What was success for me 3 years back is left long behind.
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Nice post…some great points mentioned here
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Good post but I respectfully disagree. You cant keep setting new goals otherwise you’ll never be satisfied and always be stressed out.
If your point is that once you reach your first goal then set new ones that’s fine. but you shouldn’t just set goals for the sake of achieving.
If you have a million dollars should you stop? Probably not. How about $5 million - maybe. $25 million? You’ve got to stop at some point to enjoy the fruits of your labor and determine- what do you want out of life. It all depends on your
life goals.