Have you heard of the types of toughness required for success?

5 mins read

Going back in time, it was during the lockdown that many of us tried learning new activities and incorporating personal changes into our life. You may have tried cooking, learning a new language, or reading that book you always wanted to read but never had time to pick it up. However, many of us also faced the problem of actually committing to these changes. This mostly happened because we choose to live in the bubble of relying on our future selves to do the task, rather than actually trying to take the necessary steps to achieve the said goal in the present. 

Changes are ironically the only things that are permanent in our lives. We often change ourselves to set small yet reasonable goals, in order to walk through life one day at a time. What we don't realize is that these small steps are actually the setting stones to achieving success in our life. 

Moreover, we fail to understand that success doesn't come overnight. And because taking such small steps can seem tedious at times, some of us don’t act upon the changes we’d like to make in our routine. It’s easy to lose motivation when you’re faced with the slog of incremental change instead of a single, triumphant leap to success. 

So, what exactly is the true nature of strength and toughness required for success?

Most of us are happy about merely having goals in life and do not make efforts to actually pursue them. This goes to show that it is easier to quit when you aren’t motivated enough to achieve something. Here’s the trick though. We need to understand that even though committing to changes can be rigorous and disappointing, the end product of achieving your goals is worth it! And all of this demands learning the two types of toughness required for success. Don’t you worry, my friend, we have mentioned below the two below. Have a quick look at them! 

Hope is a risk you need to take

Taking that leap of hope to start something new can be scary. Similarly, holding expectations to achieve results can also lead to disappointments. This goes to say that every small step we take in our journey to commit to a change can raise our fears and anxieties which can consequently lead to a lack of enthusiasm and motivation in anything we do. 

However, it is important that with every baby step we take towards achieving success, we accept the failures and disappointment and move on. This is why committing to change and achieving our goals involve learning two types of toughness required for success: The toughness needed to persevere through the hard work that these small steps demand, and the toughness it takes to accept the humility of the process.

The journey to success is filled with small steps which can often turn out to be a battle between your commitments and your fears. But embracing every step of the way, and learning how to be humble and hopeful is how you stay committed to your goals. 

Develop necessary personal changes

All of us have goals, and in order to successfully achieve them, one must learn how to commit to changes in life. This can only happen by realising the intrinsic importance of the small, precise, well-scaled steps we take towards that goal. But taking one small step at a time can be tiring. This is why one must develop necessary personal changes in their perspective towards the small steps they take. 

Undeniable, you need to learn to delay the gratification received from achieving a goal. If you rush into achieving success, you may end up with nothing at all. We must realize that every step we take is a reminder of how far we have to go, and is a step higher than before, failing from which will lead to a lot more disappointment. So, learn to appreciate every step of the journey, no matter how hard it is.

Also, it is crucial to stay humble about the process. Learn to be respectful of your journey, and the art of setting aside your ego before you set your foot on the next step. Humility and having a healthy ego can pave the way for building the toughness required for success.

Baby steps fuel motivation

Once you've learnt the toughness required for success by learning to persevere through the disappointments, and have harvested humility for the process of change, the only thing left to do is to embrace every small step you make. This falls back on the cardinal rule of incremental change, which states that your approach to small steps will either make or break your motivation.

You can either experience your baby steps as insulting frustrations, or as small and precious achievements. However, if you fail to appreciate the small steps you take and start skipping them, it can reduce your motivation to commit to the changes you want to make. 

So, if you’re struggling with your goals and committing to changes, make sure you harbour the toughness required for success. Teach yourself the skill of persevering through every small step, no matter how difficult it may get. At the same time, find the humility within you to embrace your journey in order to move forward. Stay hopeful, for it’ll drive your journey ahead!

To learn more, you can check out the following links:

1. ‘Success is no Accident' TEDx talk at IIM Amritsar
2. Understanding emotional intelligence can help you get closer to your goals