Everyone wants to be successful, but success cannot be achieved unless one acts in accordance with the conditions. Therefore, success is not coincidence, success is in love with effort.
Just as there are conditions for achieving something, there are also conditions for achieving success. If we fulfill these conditions, we will be successful.SuccessfulOne of the conditions of being successful is to immediately start doing the things we cannot do or want to do. So, what should we do to be successful?
KEEP YOUR WORD!
First of all, if a person wants to save himself from the responsibility and captivity of his promise, he should first put on his agenda the things he promised but could not do. If a job is very difficult to do, it should not be given up immediately. If it is tried and it turns out that it cannot be done for now, it should be left for time. Of course, if being busy with what we cannot do prevents us from doing it, it would be more appropriate to be busy with what we can do. “Our aim should be to find ways to make the impossible possible; the possible easy; the easy elegant and enjoyable.” The principles of “Those who want to do something will definitely find a way, but those who do not want to do it will find an excuse.” are important.
YOU CAN’T FIND RIGHT WITHOUT SEEING THE WRONGNESS
A person should see the mistakes they have made and try to fix them. Wrong things are either seen over time with experience, or they are shown to a person by someone, or they may be things that are later revealed to be wrong. As soon as this situation occurs, one should try to fix it immediately and try to do what is right instead. Because it is not possible to replace the wrong with the right without removing it. For example, just as it is useless to apply ointment to a wound without cleaning the inflammation, it is not possible to experience the right without sending the wrong away.
“IT IS WRONG TO SEE SUCCESS AS ENOUGH”
A person should make every effort to reach the goal he has set. Because success is only possible this way. In order to make this permanent, new goals should be set, plans should be made and implementation should be started. It is wrong to see the successes achieved as sufficient, not to accept them as non-existent. The first thing to do for those who do not see them as sufficient and always want to progress is to set a goal. A person who sets a goal has a plan to reach his goal. The plan is made to implement it. A realistic plan is a plan that is made and implemented by considering people, time and opportunities. Of course, the ideal should not be forgotten while making a plan, and reality should never be denied.
THE PROCEDURE OF CRITICISM
We should be open to useful criticisms and constructive warnings on the way to the goal. The usefulness of criticism is possible if the subject of criticism is accurate and its style is in accordance with the procedure. If the subject of criticism and the warning given are appropriate, it is considered a correct warning. Because sometimes an idea can lead an institution or even a society to a beneficial change. A Western thinker says, “Ideas are more powerful than armies.” If the people to be criticized are mature people, they are open to criticism and benefit from criticism. However, since most people are not like this, open criticism can be harmful and sometimes cause hostility.
If it is necessary to criticize a person, first the aspects that will be praised should be mentioned and then the aspects that are wanted to be corrected should be reminded. When criticizing, it is necessary to present the correct idea and thought. It is necessary to express what should be, rather than ruthless criticism, leaving the way open. Sheikh Sadi-i Shirazi says, “If you want to make a great person your friend, criticize him; if you want to make a small person your friend, praise him.”
As one gets closer to the goal, one should not compromise on modesty, one should not praise oneself and should be open to constructive criticism and warnings. The Prophet (pbuh) explains the consequences of being modest and arrogant as follows: “Whoever acts humbly for the sake of Allah, Allah will raise his rank to the highest rank. Whoever acts arrogantly, Allah will lower his rank to the lowest of the low.”[1]
EXPERIENCE IS A DISCIPLINED TEACHER
A person should know how to come back from their mistakes, learn from them and be careful not to repeat them. If we learn from small mistakes, we will prevent making big mistakes, which is an important gain. In order to do this, mistakes must first be identified. If we learn from these mistakes and do not make mistakes again, it will be a great gain. Ibn-i Sina says, “Experience is superior to knowledge.” A western writer uses the expression, “Experience is like a disciplined teacher. It first takes you to the test and then teaches you.”
An experienced person should adopt regular work as a principle while moving towards the goal he has planned. Allah Almighty explains the value of human work as follows: “Let man know that there is nothing for him except his own work. And his work will be seen in the future.”[2]As the saying goes, “No one ever died from working too hard, people just died of sadness from wasting their time.”
DETERMINING THE CORRECT ORDER OF IMPORTANCE
A person should evaluate their time, not waste it and do the tasks they will do according to their importance. Because people cannot have two abilities at the same time. One of these two abilities is the ability to think, the other is the ability to prioritize and do things. When this is the case, in order to achieve results, it is necessary to put the tasks to be done in order and carry them out within a program.
“THE TOMORROWERS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED”
Our Prophet (pbuh) said the following about not postponing what to do: “Those who do tomorrow are doomed.”[3]The tasks to be done must be resolved as soon as possible and decisions must not be postponed so that a useful and productive result can be achieved.
Hazrat Muhammad Parisi expresses laziness and the situation of the lazy with the words, “The heedless people say something out of sheer laziness: Even if tomorrow comes, I will do something. They do not know that today is the tomorrow of yesterday, what did they do today that they will not do tomorrow.”
