Have you ever wondered why some people almost always succeed in whatever they do? That they seem to take on an endeavor, set a goal and almost certainly will be successful in it? If so, there must be some keys or principles that we can learn from these successful people to be successful ourselves.

With this in mind, I did a little research and found countless books and researches on this subject, myriads of articles written about it, plenty of blogs discussing it … you get the picture: there is an immense interest on this subject!

The interesting thing, however, is this: there are multitudes of suggested keys to success, seemingly endless principles to it. There are 7 keys, 5 keys, 3 keys etc. to success available; similarly, different number of tips to success; and of course, several principles to it. Yes, some of them may overlap but essentially there is no single one-size-fits-all set of keys or principles.

So how does one know which to follow? That’s when it hit me; these guides are given or written based on the experiences of successful people with different backgrounds, thriving in different environments, and basically different in who-they-are. And remember, all of us are different in our own way. So the key to unlocking your keys to success is self-awareness – knowing who you are, how you naturally behave and what drives you.

What do I mean by who-you-are? This refers to what you innately enjoy doing, how you naturally feel and think.

Warren Buffet once said this when he was asked what the best possible investment someone could make: “Invest in yourself”. Very true indeed but the question is what part of yourself to invest in?

In current internet age, information are abound telling you what you need to be, what you have to do, how you should live your life, what choices to make, and so forth. Without knowing your true self or being, you are more likely than not to take on endeavors you do not love, and it is difficult to thrive in what you do not enjoy.

In the book, “Well Being” by Tom Rath and Jim Harter, it mentions “If you don’t have the opportunity to regularly do something you enjoy – even if it’s more of a passion or interest than something you get paid to do – the odds of your having high wellbeing in other areas diminish rapidly. People with high Career Wellbeing are more than twice as likely to be thriving in their lives overall.”

Thus, it is important to first be aware of how you innately feel and think, and what you truly enjoy.

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. – Albert Schweitzer

How You Naturally Behave

All of us react differently to situations, approach problems in different manner and interact with people in our own unique way. Based on the feedback from some of the successful people, the approach given to achieve success are just as different.

Alex Graham Bell said, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

While Benjamin Disraeli said, “One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.”

And Marva Collins claimed, “Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.”

Whereas Monika Chiang, an American fashion designer & businesswoman based in New York City, said this, “I think there are those individuals who are intimidated by really smart, talented people. But for me, surrounding yourself with great talent is the key to success.”

And John D. Rockefeller said, “If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.”

All the above works. However, not all will work for everyone. Knowing your natural behavioral style will allow you to identify what works best for you.

What Drives You

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but a rather in a lack of will. – Vincent T. Lombardi

Will, synonymous with desire, determination, resolve, is the force that keeps you going; and behind that force is an invisible hand driving it – that which motivates and drives you. It could be striving for efficiency, productivity, altruism, power, freedom, peace, or simply knowledge etc. All of us are motivated differently. Knowing what drives put you in a good position to face up to failure, and continue to go at it.

In truth, no one better than yourself is able to unlock the first key towards that elusive set of keys to success.

The first step is to take it – Be Self-Aware.

By Tang Chun Hoe

* Find out how you can discover your own strengths and crack your own success codes in the Strengths Discovery Program .