When we think of success, one of the images that often comes to mind is that of a man (or woman) d A businessman dressed in a suit, standing atop a high-rise building and overlooking the streets below. We associate business with success for several reasons. First, success in business often brings money and wealth. Second, success in business suggests a certain level of competence and aptitude and therefore tends to give rise to higher status and importance. For all these reasons, business and success go hand in hand in our minds and for many, these are the specific heights we aim for. But is commercial success really what you want? How can you go about getting it? And what could you be doing wrong unintentionally that could sabotage your own success? In this guide, we'll take an in-depth look at what it means to succeed in business; and how to go about achieving it. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Be Careful What You Wish For The first thing to remember is that you need to be careful what you wish for. For many, the idea of ​​success in business is very romantic and idealistic. It's something we could spend a lot of time dreaming about. But as is so often the case, the reality is not always what one might have expected. And they might not even really be your dreams. Let me explain. Many of us associate success with business. We've explained this before and it seems logical at first glance. But another reason we keep this association in mind is because we have been trained to think this way. Over the years we have seen images of successful people, almost always wearing suits and wielding power. This is how success is portrayed in movies and books. We think of the movie Limitless or maybe Wolf or Wall Street (although both of those films were actually lessons against seeking power too quickly). Maybe you want to make your parents proud? Perhaps you are considering following in their footsteps? Your grandmother's image of success is also linked to business, after all! But then this can lead to your downfall. If that means you're chasing things that don't really bring you joy. Whether that means you become the head of a large delivery company or a corporate legal team. Maybe that means you become responsible for purchasing. Either way, you may end up taking a stifling job and becoming a “suit” and trying to get rich that way. You will start at the bottom, put in the hard work and work, and work your way up the corporate ladder. But is this really what you want? Not only are you now faced with years, if not decades, of hard work with very little reward, but you'll also be working at something that may not be all that rewarding. Sure, the pay is good when you're in that skyscraper, but do you really want to take on all those responsibilities? And do you feel all that passion for the product or service your business offers? The price of success is often that you end up staying late until 8 or 10 p.m., having to deal with people yelling at you on the phone, and being responsible for millions of dollars. All so that someone can get their boring package delivered on time. Or so that a dubious company can avoid a lawsuit. Is thisreally your image of “success”? And what are you spending this money on? Expensive clothes? A car? Was it all really worth it? In many ways, it's not really a success. And not only that, but if you go this route. If you climb the corporate ladder, work and do your time, you won't be as successful as you could be. Think about any successful businessman. Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk. How many of them started a boring job and then “climbed the ladder”? No: they started passion projects. They were looking for things that no one knew they needed yet. They innovated. Pioneer. They came up with completely new and novel ideas. And because of this, they were able to achieve breakthroughs that no one could have imagined: reaching truly unprecedented heights. The strategy So here is the strategy. Learn to separate “income” from “wealth.” If you read the financial mindset guide, you will see that the two absolutely do not go hand in hand. Then learn to separate your professional status from your personal sense of pride and accomplishment. You know what? If you write a brilliant novel in your spare time and no one reads it, that should be just as rewarding. So, I want you to take some time. To find your passion and follow that path. But do it on the side. And consider your day job for what it is: a necessary evil to help you get by in the meantime. Over time, you can turn this passion into a way to make money. So maybe you go part time. So maybe you go full time. So maybe you'll quit your day job. Why Passion is Crucial to Success When Elon Musk started SpaceX, it wasn't as household a name as it is today. Musk was a relatively unknown name whose mission was to encourage the private sector to venture into space. This is no small task. But you know what? Musk did it. And his explanation, one of his explanations, was that he was aiming big. Many of us think we have to reign in our dreams and goals. We were made to believe that aiming too high would result in disappointment and make us look like fools. But the reality is that aiming high is precisely what you need to do. Because when you aim high, you inspire others. When you have something exciting to say and you're clearly excited about it, people listen. It's so much more inspiring to hear someone tell you they want to go to space than to hear someone say they're a hairdresser (but if that's your passion, there's nothing wrong with that!). If you are reading this, then there is a good chance that you are in the Internet marketing industry. Let's say you are for now. Maybe you're thinking about launching a website, selling an ebook, making money. There are two ways to do this. The first is the cynical path. The way your heart isn't in it. The way you see over and over again. This approach involves searching for the hottest new “niche” on the market. Whether or not this is a niche that interests you doesn't really matter. Then you buy some content, maybe hire someone to write some, maybe pump out some content by just regurgitating what you can already find online. Then you incorporate as much SEO into that content as possible. You do everything you can to make the site sell. You cover it in advertisements. You call it something like "the best fitness site ever." And you wait for the money to arrive.But that won't work. For what? Because there is no passion. If you have a site about animal welfare and you hire the best writer in the world to write for it. If you tell them to write you the newest, most exciting, newest content, you still won't get good results. For what? Because they are not you. They can't speak for you. They don't know your point of view. And they probably don't know the subject very well either. So they will do their research. Learn it thoroughly and try to write something awesome. But it will be safe. Generic and boring content. People will visit the site and see it. The site has no personality. No tone of your own. No “mission statement” or objective. There is no passion or love behind it and therefore no community develops behind it. The site dies. This is why the thousands of low-quality sites never succeed. Think about the sites that are successful. These are sites like the MOZ blog, like Tim Ferriss's Four Hour blog, like Pat Fynn's Smart Passive Income. The edge. The BBC. Forbes. These are sites written by passionate experts. These are sites that have unique and engaging features and brilliant content. And unique, brilliant, brand-specific perspectives. They have high production values, polished design, and thriving YouTube channels. Do you see the difference? Think about the sites you read daily. I bet they are either: A) large teams of enthusiastic professionals OR B) single, passionate individuals. None of them will be spam designed to make a quick buck. None of them will be “too SEO”. You can't create amazing quality unless you're passionate about the subject. You have to love doing it. You have to put everything into it. You must want to spend your free time writing articles, responding to fan mail, and polishing the logo. It doesn’t have to feel like work. If there is no topic for a website that interests you, then being an Internet marketer is not for you. You have to find what you are passionate about. Your calling. This is how you become Elon Musk and not “a tired, overworked, stressed dad who works until he dies early.” Do you see the difference? You can't pretend. You have to love it. Present the picture But I know what you're thinking: It's all well and good to have a dream and a vision, but it also takes skills and an entrepreneurial personality. And it's true. If you want to lead, inspire, and get investment, you have to learn how to show up and be taken seriously. And it's a skill that will help you in every other aspect of your life as well. So how to proceed? The simple starting point is to realize that you are a brand. Your name is your own personal brand and, like any trademark, it is your duty to protect that brand professionally. Do you know how it is so important that a website is spelled correctly, has a good design, pays attention to the smallest details? It's the same with you. You need to present yourself in a way that inspires confidence. You need to make sure that every interaction other people have with you is positive. You need to present the face of a service that people can trust. You need to be confident that you know what you are talking about. To do this, start by behaving professionally. It means you put effort and hard work into everything you do. Whether it’s that annoying 9-5 that you just get through with, or whether it’s a client who is really “small” in your eyes. If you.