Please read further if you are below 40 and you may still go on if you feel you are below 40, at your heart;).

There is a widespread assumption that most of the major rewards of success tend to accumulate after the age of 40 – if you do the rite things before that milestone birthday:).

Now, without wasting much time lets look at those 10 steps that will help you to succeed, before you reach 40.

1. Do your homework

First of all, do your homework. It simply means, you should learn everything you need to know about your career or business before you reach 40.

For example, I learned how to speak in front of a huge group of audience when I was 22. I am currently learning Yoga, meditation, NLP and also exploring other areas of behavioral training, which is my passion and profession. So, by 40 you will have thorough knowledge and skill in your chosen area which will give you the added advantage over your competitors.

2. Photostats are always photostats

Why do you want to copy someone?

Show the world that you are unique by creating your own style.

Before 40, understand what you are comfortable with, whether it’s in the way you dress or the way you talk to people. My current boss, Prathapan has created a simple and comfortable style of dressing for himself. What’s unique about his style is his consistency.You are free to experiment in your 20′s and 30′s, like what I am doing now, but create your own style by the time you are 40.

If a man or women is trying to re-design their style after 40, there would be no one in this world who would look more “insecure” than them.

3. Emotional balance

One sentence which my professor told us during our college days  is still echoing in my heart -

“Guys, you will definitely succeed in your life if you have control over your emotions and the moment your emotions take control of you, then understand that you are losing the battle.” Thank you Mr. Ranjith Pillai for these wonderful lines.

Do you know why he would have said this?

Because, unhappiness is like a disease – it slowly but surely spoils your interest in everything else. I was lucky enough to master the art of NLP which is helping me in having an upper hand over my emotions.

4. A thorough understanding of your negatives

Please accept the things that you may possibly not perform up-to the level of your competitor. If you are not good with numbers then its better not to go for Engineering. Whereas, if you are good with people like me then you can move into HR, Psychology, Training or any other profession that gives you satisfaction.

If you don’t get into the profession you like before 40, then you are asking for 3 decades of unhappiness and possibly not achieving real success as well.

It is also important to focus on the grey areas that may cause problems when you cross 40.

I realized that I was lazy. To counter it I have started blogging and yoga. And whatever I write here is only after applying it in my life..That is the promise that I give to you, my lovely readers of inspiring citizen:).

5. Create the safety net

I have learned a lot from a man named Chinmay Varma. He is the Assistant Vice-President of the company where I currently work. This man has worked his b*t out to create a safety net, which has given him the courage to say, “Gentlemen, I quit”, if the situation demands. However, at the current moment he is thoroughly enjoying his job.

So I would say, keep aside the first half a million dollars you make. The amount can vary depending upon the country where you live in and your living standards. Nothing is so depressing, as absolute dependency – the knowledge that you can’t afford to quit your job or take a risk in changing careers…that you are stuck.

6. Please establish the rite network

Oh yes, establish a great network and not the one which is mediocre. If by 40, you haven’t built a network of friends, or at-least people who rely on you and to whom you can turn, you are in trouble.These are the colleagues for whom you do favors, whose projects you support, whose problems you listen to…and they do the same for you.

And a network is not something that you can establish overnight – it takes years of nurturing. In business as in life, you need a lot of people, spread out in the rite places, whom you can depend on – because they can depend on you.

7. Learn the art of delegation

Delegation is half of success; a person who cannot delegate will find himself fatally handicapped.

By the time you reach 40, you’d better be an expert at it, which means you have to pick the rite people and trust them.

8. Stitch your lips when needed

Yes, honesty is golden, 22 ct, but silence is 24 ct. Any common man would understand that 24 ct is more pure than 22 ct. Please learn when to keep your mouth shut. More careers are aborted by careless talks and careless deeds, than by anything else.

A reputation for keeping secrets far outweighs the easy popularity that spreading gossip may bring you.

9. Work while the world sleeps

Burning the midnight oil is ok at 20, even 30′s, but you should not lose sleep because of learning something new at 40-plus. I am not against your interest to learn new stuff after 40..What I am trying to say is this, if you work hard before 40, you can afford to relax after 40.

10. Loyalty

Simple loyalty won’t get you anywhere. Its impeccable loyalty coupled with integrity that will reap you success.

A reputation for disloyalty is bound to make you unwelcome anywhere in business. Before 40 you build your loyalty and it actually pays off after 40.

And finally, this side of the world will come to an end sooner or later. So keep smiling and keep giving more to people if you want to achieve success before 40.

You may please add to the 10 steps to success, so that your friends can benefit more:).