Hello dear online world, yesterday was my first post from the **Success Collection**. Here I will be writing about different aspects of the path to success. The posts idea is just as a refreshing little tool. Often we know all that but is nice to be reminded and actually do it. The things I will write are ideas I believe in. Take only what you find helpful and forget the rest. Today, I will speak about the following aspects. **PLANNING & SKILLS** ![shutterstock_253988350.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/hpiynhbhq/image/upload/v1520115057/nzcimpw3iqq1hkmukyma.jpg) I was 13 years old and in my first art school when my uncle told me it doesn't matter how good I can draw or paint, If I don't build a brand it all doesn't matter. A brand? I was 13 and had no clue what he was talking about. His words were torns in my little naive artist heart but I could never forget them. In my 3rd art education in the university of arts in Vienna, I was a major in painting but his words were still in my mind so I took a very big part of the classes from the advertising department. I learned a lot. The knowledge helped me later when I created commission projects for big events and clients. My goal was one day not to do only paintings but also a total work of art involving video and photography, so I took also all of the classes from the film & media department. They opened a whole new world in my mind. It all made my study longer but it totally changed my worldview. ![shutterstock_269271728.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/hpiynhbhq/image/upload/v1520114987/rtpxl49ukccnzwsiaehv.jpg) In terms of planning & skills, when you analyze your future path, the things you would like to achieve, I bet there are many elements and skills involved. In my personal view, if there is a skill I would need for more than 3 times, I learn it. It is always easy to say you are not good at this or that, most of those words will be an excuse for not having the patience to invest some time and try it. We all have procrastination in our minds and things we struggle with to move on, believe me I have them too (big time). All of the first nights I spent doing Indesign digital portfolios, editing videos or building a website, were hard and made me sad, angry, confused but also very happy at the end when it worked. Every new thing just takes some time. **There is the 21 hours formula** Researchers have found out, that when a person spends more than 21 hours (not all at once) with a new task, no matter how hard it is, they eventually find some success within and tend to continue. People give up easy if they spend less than 20 hours with a new task. If you will need something for a longer period of time- learn it. We live in times with adobe cloud- with amazing short video tutorials, with easy ways to study new languages on your phone, to find information, tricks and short cuts for everything. The 5 P formula: Perfect (proper) preparation prevents poor performance. ![shutterstock_305135810.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/hpiynhbhq/image/upload/v1520115136/vimcyurumn2dy14cdqud.jpg) Create a list with a plan of the things you would like to reach and mark them with priority levels-A, B, C, D. etc. You can do a list for you career, another one for your private life, one more for your contribution to society (yes, that is an important part of life). Try first to focus on the really important tasks. For each one of them you could make A1, A2, A3, A4 etc. steps. For each under-step you can write down the knowledge you might have to collect, the people who could help you with. One of the best things on the path to success in any direction is to find a mentor. There will be always someone who is a few steps forward, who has more experience and might be willing to give you a hand. Fear is one of our basic bugs in the human system. Don't let it control you. There is nothing you can loose. The more you learn, you read new information, you constantly keep on education yourself, the more richer and better your brain will get. This will keep you very fit. **You will never be fully ready.** **It is hard to know when is the right time, just start, keep on, don't give up, most of all be brave to stand up if you fall.** If you are stuck, sit with smart people and talk about it, a group of people focusing their thoughts together in one direction creates the so called *master-mind*, ideas come easier. Just through talking about it, new plans and options will rise up in your mind. Don’t compare your speed of growth and skills with others. Do so in a healthy way. Look at the great skills others might have, and you wish to reach that level as well. Observe them as an inspiration but don’t let yourself feel small and bad. I knew artists who had fantastic skills, one day they just stopped. Other who were nothing special, on the border of being actually bad, did not give up, it took them 10 years longer but they raised to such greatness and the quality they reached blows my mind. These are my favorite kind of surprises. Don't ever stop growing, learning, expanding your skills of craft & knowledge. They are food for your brain & soul. Don't do what is easy, do what is right for you. **“Life opens up opportunities to you, and you either take them or you stay afraid of taking them.”** – Jim Carrey I hope some of the ideas were helpful. The next step will be online tomorrow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8ky8PDLBRw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqJs_NHjV14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIz17QVVtTs [This was the first success post:](https://steemit.com/life/@bella-volen-art/success-1-the-beginning-motivation) With love & light Bella [Here you can visit my website!](http://www.bella-volen.com) [Here you can explore my online store!](http://www.artgallery-vienna.com) ![2.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/hpiynhbhq/image/upload/v1517346205/mandybbltuxgtcalhm1h.jpg) ![thank you-s.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmS6xzBpswaXerDB6aagufHdWBz5MaddS3XMXQHqK2YK4H/thank%20you-s.jpg) ![artist-steemit.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQLJKKAmTK4voyCwkh83H8B2hJG8UD5iRTWikk4E4CQXa/artist-steemit.jpg)