Counterpoint: Eliminating Problems Won’t Drive the Presence of Success
One of my favorite definitions of success comes from the great John Wooden. Wooden defines success as a byproduct of how well you do in becoming the best version of yourself. He states:
Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.
If you agree with this definition, even if only a tiny bit, then I offer you a few words of caution in pursuing success in life. Your problems are not the problems holding you back from success. To put it differently, eliminating everything that’s wrong in your life won’t make your life right.
Yes, sometimes you can facilitate addition through the process of subtraction. However, this only works if you replace what you subtract with the right things. If you don’t know what those right things are then eliminating problems won’t get you any closer to success.
Given that, the first step to positive change more often than not starts with addition and not subtraction. Furthermore, knowing what to add comes from knowing your strengths and investing in those strengths. What’s more, if you don’t know how to do this, a solid place to start is with the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment.