From the beginning man aspired to be great. If you're a religious person and you think about it, you could say another reason why our first parents were disobedient was that they aspired to be greater than they were. Now, this is not to say all desires for greatness are in themselves wrong, but rather to highlight why we place such a premium on greatness today; after all, we are our parents' children. People nowadays have numerous goals, but at the top of their list is success, which, according to common belief, leads to greatness in some way.

We say "in some form" because greatness apart from having a dictionary definition- "the quality of being distinguished, or eminent"- means different things to different people. To some, it means having a lot of money or being regarded as high status. Again, perhaps uncommon, to others being a dictator is greatness, they are great when they are feared by people. Still, some translate greatness to having fame and popularity, becoming well-known. To other people, greatness is achieved by giving back to society and trying to make the world better by having them in it. Yet again, others see that they have achieved greatness by having a good standing with God and being humble in every situation. If we try to mention everyone's meaning of greatness then this post won't ever end.

Yes we all want to be great in life and we do have the potential for greatness in whatever way we decide to, but the path to greatness isn't smooth sailing, just like every other thing in life. If it were so simple, we wouldn't be here writing this trust me! 

Road-blocks to Greatness

Many challenges prevent us from achieving greatness and that's why not everyone at the end of it all can proudly say they've lived a good and fulfilled life. 

• Barriers that prevent one from being great in life could begin with self-doubt and fear. Yes, you want to be great but you struggle to believe that you actually can be, you're afraid of what's ahead and that's the first way you kill yourself from even taking actionable steps towards your desire. "It all starts with the mind," as the saying goes.
• Anyone can be great but age can become a limiting factor to you if you allow it to define who you are and what you can do.
• Letting other people's opinions of greatness cloud your views can also be a hindrance to achieving it. No matter how glorious it seems it's not how YOU define greatness.
• Toxic company, over-commitment or lack of it, Life changes, procrastination, doing too much alone, skipping the development of life skills you need and not recovering from your failures are also other barriers that could prevent you from achieving greatness in life.

Despite all these challenges, there are still many people out there we look at as having achieved greatness, what did they do?

How To Be Great In Life

1. Answer the question above. Find out what people who have achieved the greatness you desire did to get to where they are. There's nothing better than a reference or role model when you're clueless. While their challenges might not be the same as yours, there'll always be something in their story or journey that can help you on your path to greatness.
2. Pick the barriers that apply to you and work your way around them. Start with learning how to overcome your fears if you have any and building your self-confidence. 
3. Make workable plans for achieving your greatness. Don't just say I want to make it in life or my goal is to make the world a better place and leave it at that. Think about how and be specific. Set smart goals and objectives.
4. Don't be all talk and dreams, act. You can aspire for greatness all you want but if you don't do anything, if you don't take action, it will always remain an aspiration.
5. Be consistent. Determination, strong will and help from others are important to carry out this step successfully. You can begin to carry out your plans, but after a while return to your previous habit when you're not consistent. Review the steps you take and make sure you're not falling off track. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you're in need of it.
6. Pay attention to your associates. You're only as good as the people you surround yourself with. So flock with people who have the same goals as you and are actively working to achieve them. Your actions motivate each other.
7. Realize what you want and what you can do. The sooner you do the happier you'll be and what other people say won't have you rethinking your whole life and choices. You'll have focus and you won't be wavered easily by others' unwarranted opinions if they're not in your best interest.

Conclusion

The biggest tips here are realizing your definition of greatness and finally putting in the work to achieve that. You can read these and many more suggestions and yet be the same person you are now. In the end, it's the actions you take, not the desire, that'll determine if you become great in life or not.

How do you define greatness? Let us know in the comment section. 

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