Success has never deterred Priyanka Chopra from seeking new challenges. Gracing the cover of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People edition, Priyanka said, “I don’t want to have a label. I want to have a legacy.”
The actress has been building that legacy since her Miss World win back in 2000. A Bollywood box-office favorite, Priyanka is now making heads turn with the popular US TV series Quantico and will soon be seen in a major Hollywood film. She’s bagged two National Awards, a People’s Choice Award and a Padma Shri. Did we mention there’s also a hit music album?
It’s taken Priyanka far more than her extraordinary talent to achieve all of this. Her rise to fame and success offers valuable lessons.
Here’s what we can learn from her about growing our career:
Always seize a good opportunity if it comes your way
“America came to me with an opportunity,” Priyanka told The Guardian newspaper recently. A massive star in India, she didn’t have to take it. But she did, choosing an opportunity for self-development over complacency.
The lesson: To succeed and grow as an individual, your perspective and experience must continue to expand.
Set personal goals and work towards achieving them
“I want to be known as someone who has goals and achieves them,” Priyanka said in her Time magazine interview. From the moment she set foot in the Hindi film industry, she has consciously worked towards achieving her highest potential. To fulfill her goals, she has taken risks such as acting in the movie Fashion. People were skeptical because it was a woman-centric film with no male lead, but it went on to achieve box-office success (and won her a National Award). She’s also been open to venturing into new territories and contexts (US show Quantico is her first TV stint) to realize her ambitions.
The lesson: Goal setting is the first step towards success. Without goals, you’ll be unable to achieve anything for yourself.
It is important to have a Plan B
At the beginning of her career, Priyanka gave herself a year-and-a-half to succeed in the Hindi film industry. If things didn’t work, she planned to head back to college. Today, she advises others to “find what you do best and just keep moving”.
The lesson: Successful people always have something to fall back on (a Plan B) when things go wrong or opportunities don’t pan out. Tenacity is essential if you want to lead.
Success comes from hard work
Priyanka’s Baywatch co-star Dwayne Johnson says, “She knows there’s no substitute for hard work.” The actress, who works 16 hours a day, said in an interview to NDTV, “I have made sure that whatever opportunity comes my way, I give my heart and soul to it.”
The lesson: Hard work has always been the key to success. But it’s important you love what you do and success will follow.
Stay grounded
Johnson says Priyanka “wears her success like a T-shirt, not like a tuxedo”. A big global star, her popularity is attributed to how relatable she is.
The lesson: Preserving your authenticity is important if you want to get ahead. Staying grounded is the only way to maintain a sense of equilibrium, and remain a steady and confident presence.
The lesson: Preserving your authenticity is important if you want to get ahead. Staying grounded is the only way to maintain a sense of equilibrium, and remain a steady and confident presence.
