What is success, how should we define it? It could be a reference to small life successes or success in life as a whole. Ultimately, we all have differing perspectives on success and what it means to each of us. Whatever the answer may be, I find it agreeable to consider it as the opposite of failure. Its subjectivity causes some of us to doubt our capabilities in life, especially when we compare our circumstances to someone else. By no means is this a healthy mindset. Despite this mindset, I’ve created a list of lies about success that our minds anxiously hold.

1. Success can only be achieved through high potential

It’s false to believe that you don’t have the potential to succeed in any particular part of life. You don’t need to be incredibly sophisticated or have already done well in life to succeed. You simply have to give your best effort and continue making progress towards what you believe is success.

2. Success must be achieved alone

We should not have to think that our success is supposed to be self-motivated. It’s okay to receive help and instruction by accepting our situational ignorance. Our pride should not turn away a helping hand toward success.

3. If you don’t succeed you have no purpose

Even if we fail we still have purpose. Maybe your purpose requires you to fail and improve in light of it? For me, I succeeded through my failure because of the transition it made in my life. I took my failure in the form of a lesson, which helped me to accept my reality.

4. Failure is not an option

I used to believe that if I failed at something I would never succeed. I adapted my behavior to avoid all possibilities of failure, which only made me stubborn, angry, and selfish. Like I mentioned before, failure allowed me to learn from my mistakes.

5. Everything must go according to plan

If you expect everything to work perfectly like I did, you won’t easily reach success. Sometimes we have to accept the changes in our life and adapt according to the situation, rather than adapting our behavior to avoid the situation.

6. Perfection guarantees success

As a perfectionist myself, I will say with confidence that perfectionism leads you towards doubt and indecision. Your road will inevitably be met with two rights and no wrongs. Which one of the two perfect scenarios will you take? It’s up for you to decide, but even then, it doesn’t guarantee success.

7. Success leads to happiness

The people you who think are successful are not always happy. It’s a pessimistic truth that shouldn’t deceive us when we try to aim for success. Separate happiness from success and let happiness be the motivator towards it.

8. Success is limited to those who are special

Everyone is special and unique. Not one person has a “superior chance” toward your vision of success.

9. If you’re not successful you’re always failing

Even if it were true, you’d have more opportunity than anyone else to learn from your failures. I only succeeded in various situations because of my response to failure. I observed what I did wrong, what I could do better, and continued to try.

10. Your ability to succeed defines who you are

The only thing that defines who you are is what you do and say. If you fail, you are not a failure.

11. You will never succeed

By now you should know that everyone has potential to succeed in whatever way they see fit.