1.) Aspirations
2.) Capability
3.) Opportunity
4.) Perspiration
5.) Happiness
Let’s discuss each one in detail:

1. Aspiration:
Wanting to reach somewhere is the first step towards achieving something. Without an aspiration, you are wandering in the woods without an end goal. You might or might not succeed. Aspiration makes you a good wanderer, with a compass for life. It provides you with a purpose to work hard towards.

An individual can either have:

Long term aspiration- Defining what you want to achieve in the next 10 to 30 years helps you to be in the right place at the right time. The farther you see, the better your focus will be! I wished to be a CEO before the age of 40, and it happened because I had an aspiration.

Short term aspiration- These days youngsters define what they want to achieve in the next few years, say 5, and then work towards it.

Whether long or short term, have an aspiration. No aspiration=no motivation.

As they say, it all starts with a dream! So, fix your aspirations and work towards them in a focused manner.

You will be what you think you will be.

2. Capability:
Without capability, an aspiration is nothing more than a misplaced expectation. It is imperative to work on your capabilities and build them as required to achieve your aspiration. If the gap between the two is too wide, then it’s time to reset your aspirations. Sometimes realigning your expectations goes a long way!

Remember, there are only 2 options: either build your capability or realign your aspiration.

3. Opportunity:
The only component in the framework that is not completely under your control is opportunity. Having aspiration and capability and no opportunity can cause frustration. However, you can work towards maximizing the chances of getting it. You should always focus on building context, networking and improving credibility to create opportunities for yourself.

In case you are a founder, always actively gather information on your prospective clients and their needs, actively engaging in meetings and building proper context to land an opportunity.

If you are an employee, improve your visibility with your managers and leaders and showcase your talent and capabilities. The final decision rests in the hands of your client/employer.

It does not matter what you want. It does not matter what you get. What matters is what you make out of what you get. You can always realign your aspirations and capabilities based on the opportunity you get!

4. Perspiration:
Without hard work, all you have is a missed opportunity. There is no substitute for hard work, not even smart work. Both smart work and hard work go hand in hand. A lot of youngsters feel disheartened when they are unable to bag the desired opportunity. Sometimes to achieve an aspiration, you must realign your expectations and capabilities and that’s alright!

Once you have the desired opportunity, work hard. If the opportunity is not as per your expectations, work even harder! There is something big in store for you.

5. Happiness:
Be happy with what you have! Leaders of my age mostly leverage their wisdom to add value and reduce the number of hours they work for. But I chose to build W.E.-Matter and put in extra number like freshers.

All of us make choices.

You don’t know where you might end up, but once you do, make sure you don’t complain about it. Cribbing and complaining further reduces your chances of succeeding.

Hence, be satisfied with your choices or forced choices, and wherever you end up, work with passion and perseverance!

This is my go-to and very realistic formula for success. Careers, just like life, can be unpredictable. But with these five pillars in place, you are bound to succeed!

How have you managed to succeed in the corporate world? Share your stories in the comments below. Let’s guide the youngsters for a better career tomorrow!