The Elements of Success I don't believe that there is any one recipe for success. Instead, I believe success is the result of a combination of a lot of different factors and not all of them are needed for success. The more factors you have on your side, the more likely you are to succeed, and positive attitude is just one of those factors. Here are seven additional factors that are also important. Knowledge. A strong body of knowledge about the area in which you wish to succeed is often one of the key building blocks of success. You can build this by pushing yourself, read and try out the foundational materials and push yourself into challenging areas to build your knowledge.