--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first and most important step toward…" description: "\"The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.\" — Nelson Boswell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/nelson-boswell-69018_succeed_the-first-and-most-important-step-toward_2989072.jpg" --- # The first and most important step toward success is the… ![“The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.” quote by Nelson Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/nelson-boswell-69018_succeed_the-first-and-most-important-step-toward_2989072.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/nelson-boswell-69018_succeed_the-first-and-most-important-step-toward_2989072.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/nelson-boswell-69018_succeed_the-first-and-most-important-step-toward_2989072.jpg) > “The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.” Nelson Boswell ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Believing in one’s ability to succeed is the essential first step toward achieving success. **In simple terms:** Self‑belief starts success. Key Takeaway Believe you can succeed. Themes confidence success mindset Mood encouraging optimistic Type motivational psychological When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - career advancement - personal development Key Concepts self‑efficacy goal setting Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture realistic confidence? - What steps reinforce belief in success? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can lead to reckless risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [“the first and most important step to success is believe we can succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadhirah-zaib/the-first-and-most-important-step-to-success-is-believe-we-can-succeed/) Nadhirah Zaib > [“The most important step towards success-possible communicating ie One Step Back. Back from the knee-jerk, untrained automatic response that advertisers, politicians, salesmen, con men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-b-thompson/the-most-important-step-towards-success-possible-communicating-ie-one/) Mary B. Thompson > [“It was an amazing feeling, to succeed at something. 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I equate the success of it with a feeling of being chemically changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-like-to-disappear-into-a-role-i-equate-the-success-of-it-with-a-2/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [A win gives one a feeling of self-affirmation, and success - a feeling of self-expression, but only a sensible harmonization between these urges can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oleg-romanishin/a-win-gives-one-a-feeling-of-self-affirmation-and-success-a-feeling/) Oleg Romanishin > [I feel like success to me is about feeling like I have done something in storytelling, where I've gotten close to articulating something intangible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brit-marling/i-feel-like-success-to-me-is-about-feeling-like-i-have-done-something/) [Brit Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brit-marling/) > [I like to disappear into a role. I equate the success of it with a feeling of being chemically changed. That's the only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-like-to-disappear-into-a-role-i-equate-the-success-of-it-with-a/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [The old saying that "success breeds success" has something to it. It's that feeling of confidence that can banish negativity and procrastination and get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-old-saying-that-success-breeds-success-has-something-to-it-it-s/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I don't think you can predict success, but you get a feeling if something's going to be good or bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ineson/i-don-t-think-you-can-predict-success-but-you-get-a-feeling-if/) [Ralph Ineson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ineson/) > [Success is feeling good about the work you do throughout the long, unheralded journey that may or may not wind up at the launch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/success-is-feeling-good-about-the-work-you-do-throughout-the-long/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [When you realise that you possess within your self everything you need to promote your own success, the feeling is one of empowerment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-fixx/when-you-realise-that-you-possess-within-your-self-everything-you/) [Jim Fixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-fixx/) > [When you believe in your self,you have taken first step towards success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/when-you-believe-in-your-self-you-have-taken-first-step-towards/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [To become successful is to recognize every tiny step towards success and then take more of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larina-kase/to-become-successful-is-to-recognize-every-tiny-step-towards-success/) [Larina Kase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larina-kase/) > [The very first step towards success in any occupation is to become interested in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/the-very-first-step-towards-success-in-any-occupation-is-to-become/) [William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/) > [Everybody says Mistake is the first step of success but the real fact is CORRECTION of mistake is the first step of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/everybody-says-mistake-is-the-first-step-of-success-but-the-real-fact/) [Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/) ## More by Nelson Boswell > [The difference between greatness and mediocrity is often how an individual views a mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-boswell/the-difference-between-greatness-and-mediocrity-is-often-how-an/) Nelson Boswell > [Here is the simple but powerful rule... always give people more than they expect to get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-boswell/here-is-the-simple-but-powerful-rule-always-give-people-more-than/) Nelson Boswell > [What we must try to be, of course, is ourselves and wholeheartedly. We must find out what we really are and what we really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-boswell/what-we-must-try-to-be-of-course-is-ourselves-and-wholeheartedly-we/) Nelson Boswell Explore all 4 Nelson Boswell quotes ## More Succeed quotes > [“If you start and persist you will succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/if-you-start-and-persist-you-will-succeed/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [You need to remind people that you vote, you matter, and that they can't succeed without your help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-need-to-remind-people-that-you-vote-you-matter-and-that-they-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. 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Find something new to try, something to change. Count how often it succeeds and how often it doesn’t. Write about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/don-t-let-yourself-be-find-something-new-to-try-something-to-change/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) Browse all 4,851 Succeed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nelson Boswell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-boswell/the-first-and-most-important-step-toward-success-is-the-feeling-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Succeed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-boswell/the-first-and-most-important-step-toward-success-is-the-feeling-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/nelson-boswell-69018_succeed_the-first-and-most-important-step-toward_2989072.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/nelson-boswell-69018_succeed_the-first-and-most-important-step-toward_2989072.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20d/nelson-boswell-69018_succeed_the-first-and-most-important-step-toward_2989072.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The first and most important step toward success is the feeling that we can succeed.” — Nelson Boswell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nelson Boswell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-boswell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The first and most important step...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-boswell/the-first-and-most-important-step-toward-success-is-the-feeling-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-boswell/the-first-and-most-important-step-toward-success-is-the-feeling-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```