The 3 Critical Success Factors

If I have to choose 3 critical success factors in achieving success in your career, these would be my choices – Belief, Action and Discipline.

Of course, I do not deny that there are other critical factors that can determine one’s career success. My opinion is that if there were such a thing as simplifying the factors that determines success, then these would be the three.

1. Belief

In order for you to achieve anything in your career, in fact your life - you have to first believe. You need to believe in yourself that you can achieve it. You need to have faith in your goals and your path to thatsuccess. Once your mind is convinced that you can do it, nothing is impossible. Belief is the ‘mind and heart’ part of your 3 critical success factors. It is the ‘think and feel’ part of it.

2. Action

Nothing moves until you do something. Believing alone is not going to achieve anything for you. It must be followed up with concrete action. Your plan for career success is nothing unless you act upon it whole-heartedly. When you act upon what you believe, there is focus. And there is energy. That energy propels you to greater heights. Action is the ‘hands and legs’ part of your 3 critical success factors. It is the ‘do’ part of it.

3. Discipline

Action in itself is not enough to increase the chances of success. But disciplined action would do that. One of the main reasons why people fail is that there is no discipline in their action. They give themselves excuses why they cannot consistently follow up on their plans. There is no self-control to their action. You would need some form of sacrifice if you were to achieve a certain degree of success in your career. For example, sacrificing some personal time to do initiatives. That sacrifice takes discipline. Discipline also ensures that you can be persistent. Especially when faced with challenges after challenges in their journey to success.

One of my favourite quotes is by Calvin Coolidge:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

Discipline is the ‘untiring, determined hands and legs’ part of your 3 critical success factors. It is the ‘no excuse, persistently doing and doing’ part of it.

When what you think, feel and do becomes one, there is nothing that can stop you from achieving career success. In fact, these are my 3 critical success factors in life.