Anitha Bennett

Have you wondered what’s the real secret of success? If you think it’s mere good luck, think again! Most successful people are doers who believe in actioning their dreams through perseverance and hard work. As the world-renowned American inventor Thomas Alva Edison famously said: “Success is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

Here are 5 winning ways which will place you on the path of success in academics and your career.

1. Remain positive. Most people are positive when all is well. But when they experience a small setback, they often lose hope and imagine the worst. Successful people see half-full glass rather than halfempty. So train your brain to think and talk positive. Adopting a positive mindset enables children and young people to develop the confidence to overcome obstacles and challenges, and ideate solutions. Obstacles are opportunities to learn from and surge ahead.

2. Get organized. Successful people manage time well. They don’t wait for too long and procrastinate. While their counterparts are drawing up perfect plans, successful people are out on the field implementing less than ideal plans. Invest in a dairy/planner and organise daily schedules. Split difficult tasks into doable chunks.

3. Be focused. Set clear goals and map a path to achieve them. Break goals into weekly, monthly and yearly targets. Clarity and certainty about goals/ vision will enable you to focus on smaller doable tasks and enable methodical plan execution.

4. Find a balance. Strike a balance between interests and life goals. Many people tend to over-invest time, energy and resources on peripheral activities and interests. Introspect and carefully evaluate your aptitude before choosing a higher education study programme and/or career while continuing to pursue extra-curricular interests in free time.

5. Embrace change. Learning from mistakes and accepting new challenges enables children and young people to relearn, adapt and develop into resilient individuals. Be open-minded and accept others’ points of view while being willing to embrace change.