7 Ways to be Successful

Vocabulary (Ans. key)

1. Distraction (G)
2. Pursue (A)
3. Vivid (J)
4. Highly-driven (I)
5. Failure (F)
6. Shattered (B)
7. Comfort Zone (L)
8. Investment (C)
9. Reckless (D)
10. Take a leap (K)
11. Attempt (E)
12. Focus (H)

A. to try to achieve something over a long period of time

B. to completely destroy someone's hopes, beliefs, or confidence
C. when you spend a large amount of time, energy, emotion on something
D. not caring or worrying about the bad or dangerous results
E. trying to do something, especially something difficult
F. an inability to accomplish goals, e.g., in life, work, or relationships
G. something that stops you paying attention to what you are doing
H. to give special attention to one particular person or thing
I. to have a lot of motivation
J. very clear, seeming real
K. go for something, take a chance
L. the range of activities or situations that you feel happy and confident in

Fill in the blanks (Ans. key)

Almost everyone wants to be successful, but it's easier said than done. There are so many (A) distractions in
life that it can be challenging to accomplish one's goals. By keeping the following advice in mind, however,
you can dramatically increase your chances of becoming successful in whatever you choose to (B) pursue.
1. Imagine yourself being successful. Einstein said, the imagination is more important than knowledge. In
other words, the more (C) vivid and accurate your image of success, the easier it is to become successful.
2. Surround yourself with other people who're working hard for success. When surrounded by people who
are (D) highly-driven, it's encouraging.
3. Avoid distractions. Whenever you are doing something that isn't useful or productive, imagine your
dreams being (E) shattered.
4. Set a time frame for when you expect to accomplish your goal. If you don't plan to achieve your dreams,
then you are planning for (F) failure.
5. Take risks. Step out of your (G) comfort zone. Successful people think big and act big. It can be a scary
thing to do, but without making an (H) investment in education or a small business, for example, one's
plans will go nowhere fast. That said, don't be (I) reckless . Study the risks vs. rewards before you (J) take
a leap of faith.
6. Be persistent. Don't give up. If the first (K) attempt doesn't work, don't quit. Instead, keep in mind the
following sentence: "If you don't give up, you cannot fail".
7. Remove fear and doubt from your way of thinking, and (L) focus on the positives in every situation.
Optimism allows one to stay focused on the goal. Remember, you can be your own best friend or your
own worst enemy.

Additional Discussion Questions

1. Describe a successful person.
2. Is your idea of success the same as your parents idea of success?
3. Do you think people focus too much on appearing to be successful?
4. Why is money the most common way of judging success?
5. Can money buy happiness?
6. How much pressure do your parents put on you to be successful?
7. How much pressure will you put on your children to be successful?
8. Failure
9. Have there been any failures that made your life better?
10. Is there a right time to give up and stop trying? Or should you never give up?
11. Can you think of any famous people who failed spectacularly at something?
12. Talk about a time you failed at something you tried. Dont talk about anything that will make
you uncomfortable or embarrassed.
13. Can you think of any famous quotes or idioms about success or failure?

7 Ways to be Successful

Vocabulary
1. Distraction _____
2. Pursue _____
3. Vivid ______
4. Highly-driven ______
5. Failure ______
6. Shattered ________
7. Comfort Zone ______
8. Investment_______
9. Reckless________
10. Take a leap_______
11. Attempt _______
12. Focus _______

A. to try to achieve something over a long period of time

B. to completely destroy someone's hopes, beliefs, or confidence
C. when you spend a large amount of time, energy, emotion on something
D. not caring or worrying about the bad or dangerous results
E. trying to do something, especially something difficult
F. an inability to accomplish goals, e.g., in life, work, or relationships
G. something that stops you from paying attention to what you are doing
H. to give special attention to one particular person or thing
I. to have a lot of motivation
J. very clear, seeming real
K. go for something, take a chance
L. the range of activities or situations that you feel happy and confident in

Fill in the blanks

Almost everyone wants to be successful, but it's easier said than done. There are so many
(A)__________________ in life that it can be challenging to accomplish one's goals. By keeping the
following advice in mind, however, you can dramatically increase your chances of becoming successful in
whatever you choose to (B) ____________________.
1. Imagine yourself being successful. Einstein said, the imagination is more important than knowledge. In
other words, the more (C)_________________ and accurate your image of success, the easier it is to
become successful.
2. Surround yourself with other people who're working hard for success. When surrounded by people who
are (D)________________________, it's encouraging.
3. Avoid distractions. Whenever you are doing something that isn't useful or productive, imagine your
dreams being (E) _____________________________.
4. Set a time frame for when you expect to accomplish your goal. If you don't plan to achieve your dreams,
then you are planning for (F)______________________.
5. Take risks. Step out of your (G) ______________________. Successful people think big and act big. It
can be a scary thing to do, but without making an (H)___________________ in education or a small
business, for example, one's plans will go nowhere fast. That said, don't be (I)________________. Study
the risks vs. rewards before you (J) ___________________________ of faith.
6. Be persistent. Don't give up. If the first (K) _____________ doesn't work, don't quit. Instead, keep in
mind the following sentence: "If you don't give up, you cannot fail".
7. Remove fear and doubt from your way of thinking, and (L)__________________on the positives in every
situation. Optimism allows one to stay focused on the goal. Remember, you can be your own best friend
or your own worst enemy.

Discussion:
1. Which of the "7 ways" resonates most with you, and why?
2. Describe an example of when you had a difficult time being successful, but then succeeded.
3. For you, which is the most important item? Which is the least important? Why?
4. If you can, think of an eighth item and share it with the class.
What do you think about the following statements?
Useful phrases for answering:
I couldn't agree more, in that...
I think there's (some / a lot of) truth to that, because...
I think that's (completely) wrong, because....
1. Money is the best measure of success.
2. Happiness is the best measure of success. Do whatever makes you feel good.
3. Finding a good partner is the best measure of success. Having a beautiful, interesting, and fashionable
boyfriend or girlfriend means we must be successful.
4. Success is winning at whatever you decide to do.
5. Success is conquering oneself and having control of all emotions and desires.
6. Success is earning the respect of other people.
Discuss these questions with your partner:
1. What is your biggest success in life? What small successes do you have every day?
2. Would you sacrifice happiness, love, or family for professional success? Why/Why not?
3. Who do you think are the three most successful people in history? Why do you consider them the most
successful?