Oprah, Raymond Ackerman and Sol Kerzner are successful in their own right. And you may dream of following in their footsteps. You may desire to build a successful business, write a book or get a degree. And it’s possible for you to achieve your dreams. Because you have the same hours in a day as the people you admire. You just need to ensure you possess some of their qualities too.

Here are a 10 ways you can make a success of your life.

Game plan

As a student, you’ll juggle your studies, social life and maybe a part time job. And you might find it hard to find a balance. Which is why you need to learn to plan ahead.  There is a direct link between your preparation and level of performance. Planning ahead on how you’ll tackle each week can make life easier. You can schedule study times, gym session and when you’ll take breaks.

Eliminate fear

What would you accomplish if you knew you wouldn’t fail? The answer could be climbing Kilimanjaro or starting a new business. But the problem is you’re too scared to take the leap. Fear paralyses people and stops them from achieving their life goals. And they end up not reaching their greatest potential because they didn’t take a few risks. You need to eliminate fear in order to succeed in life.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

You shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes in life. Don’t let a few blunders stop you from reaching your greatest potential. After all, some of life’s best inventions came from making a few errors.

Chocolate chip cookies

Ruth Graves Wakefield, who was an American chef, invented chocolate chip cookies by mistake. She wanted to make chocolate cookies, so she put chocolate pieces into the cookie dough, thinking it would melt, but they didn’t. And because of that little error in judgement, we now have chocolate chip cookies.

Potato chips

One day a customer walked into a restaurant and ordered fried chips. But the customer kept sending them back because he wanted them to be thinner and more crispy. The chef got tired of having the plate sent back. And he eventually cut them into thin slices and fried them until they were really hard. But to his surprise the customer really enjoyed them. Just like that, potato chips were born.

Practice discipline

What you do today will greatly impact on whether you’ll fulfil your dreams or not. And the best preparation for your future is to practice self-discipline. When you’re disciplined you’ll be able to make a few sacrifices in order to get the desired outcome. You could use the out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach. Eliminate any distractions which could be hindering your progress. For example, if you want to hit the books, switch off your phone so you won’t be interrupted by phone calls and text messages.

Comfort zone

They say real life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Most people fear trying something new because they’re scared of the unknown. If you’re a person who likes to play it safe and always do the predictable thing then you may miss out on opportunities.

Learn from failure

In the words of Rocky Balboa, “Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up”. In life, you’ll come across hurdles which may momentarily cause you to fall. But the goal is to pick yourself up instead of staying down. Your greatest lessons will often come from failures and overcoming them will make you stronger.

Be optimistic

Two people who are facing the exact circumstance can have opposite perceptions. For example, If two people look at a picture one may see a storm brewing and the other could see the sun coming out of the storm. Your perceptions of the challenges you face in life could impact you. You need to have a positive attitude in order to get ahead in life.

Learn to be persistent

If you’re a person who gives up too quickly in life then you might not reach your dreams. You need to have willpower and perseverance in order to succeed.

People who make it in life, learn to overcome hurdles which come their way. They don’t let obstacles deter them.

People’s opinions

If you care about what other people think then you’ll be a prisoner to their opinion. If you find yourself always searching for constant validation then you might be creating an unhealthy pattern which could be crippling to your success. For example, you may want to pursue a music career but you fear what people will say if you fail. If you don’t take the chance, you could miss out on a great music career.

Don’t be lazy

Sleep deprivation and a poor diet could be making you lazy. Laziness has instant gratification but could hinder your progress. You could find yourself wishing you started your assignment ages ago. You need have good planning and hard work in order to prosper in life. Whether you are studying an HR management course or finance course, you’ll need to work hard in order to do well at school.

The road to success is not a straight one. It’s fraught with kerbs, speed bumps and roadblocks. But if you work hard, plan ahead and are disciplined, you’ll reach your dreams.