1. THE PATH TO SUCCESS 1
An Intrinsic Look at the Path to Success
Brandon Fischer
Pennsylvania State University
2. THE PATH TO SUCCESS 2
An Intrinsic Look at the Path to Success
Research suggests that the difference between those who are successful and those who
plateau and never reach their full potential, lies with their level of internal motivation and
unwavering dedication to become valuable (Bohannon, 204). What difference, then, is there
between an iconic figure such as Elon Musk and your average white collar worker, and what can
we do to ensure we reach our highest potential? The first step, it seems, lies with how we align
our goals and set our mindset towards the achievement of greatness.
One of the keys to success is realizing that we are directly responsible for where we end
up in life. The internal locus of control refers to the concept that we are wholly responsible for
our future through our hard work and dedication (Fournier, 2016). So if we are in control of
where we end up in life, it would make sense that the practicing of positive and success focused
behaviors has a direct correlation to how closely we achieve our goals. We must envision where
we want to be both personally and professionally, and then we need to have the discipline and
determination to follow through. The unrelenting dedication to success is one of the major
differences between the extremely successful and those who achieve mediocrity.
The establishment of clear and concise goals to guide us down the path is crucial to us
arriving at where we want to end up in life. Our goals need to be measurable as well as
attainable, we should hold ourselves accountable with consistent self-assessments. Sharing our
goals with friends and family, however, may be at the detriment of our willingness to see them
through. Research shows the social recognition of our goals will actually cause us to feel as
though we have already accomplished them and can reduce our desire to follow them through
(Reilly, 2013). I experienced this first hand when deciding to go back to school. I spent six years
procrastinating the completion of my associate's degree. I would report the fact I was two classes
3. THE PATH TO SUCCESS 3
away from finishing it at career development meetings, and the recognition that I was so close
was enough for me to feel accomplished. It wasn't until I had a value based incentive that I
actually finished the degree, I was up for a promotion board and the degree was a career
enhancer that made me more competitive with my peers.
So if we know that having determination and clear goals is a primary step in our path to
success, would following our passion make it that much easier? To analyze this further we need
to differentiate between the things we enjoy doing and the things we are good at. One point of
view posed by Georgetown University professor Cal Newport that I found quite interesting was
the idea that "passion is a side effect of mastery" (as cited in Zhang, 2014). I find this concept
quite enlightening, we should pursue what we are good at to the point of mastery and at that
point it becomes our passion. This makes sense when you think about how many professionals
who are at the top of their field enjoy their job. I can directly relate to this concept with my role
at my current duty station. Upon my arrival I was immediately overwhelmed with the amount of
information I was required to commit to memory, but after eighteen months of long hours and
hard work I quickly rose to the top of my profession. Once I stopped to look around I realized I
was now the one doing the training and setting the standard which gave me a great sense of
professional accomplishment.
It appears that success is in each and every one of us just waiting to be cultivated. But
simply because we have the potential is not enough, we need to truly want to be the best versions
of ourselves, and we need to have the self-control to put in the hard work up front because
nothing in life comes for free. We need not fear failure as doing so will keep us from taking
risks, and risks are a crucial part of the growth process. We have all fallen at some point, but it is
4. THE PATH TO SUCCESS 4
how we get back up and charge forward that matters. I will close with a quote by Norman
Vincent Peale, “shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”.
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References
Bohannon, J. (2014, July 1). One type of motivation may be key to success. Retrieved January
19, 2017, from http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/07/one-type-motivation-may-be-
key-success
Fournier, G. (2016). Locus of control. In Psych Central. Retrieved January 19, 2017, from
http://psychcentral.com/encyclopedia/locus-of-control/
Reilly, K. (2013, April 5). When telling others about your goals compromises them. Retrieved
January 19, 2017, from http://berkeleysciencereview.com/when-telling-others-about-
your-goals-compromises-them/
Zhang, M. (2014, July 17). How to become so good they can't ignore you. Retrieved January 19,
2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/become-so-good-they-cant-ignore-you-2014-
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