Instead, they are a result of many factors including willingness to adapt, a willingness to work and an unshakeable belief in oneself. In addition to these three important characteristics:
1. Build and maintain success habits. Indisputably, the
most successful people in life have developed and continue to
maintain good habits. These habits include: taking care of health
both physical and mental; engaging in self-discipline and
integrity and upholding a productive attitude.
Tip: Most successful people track their habits. Knowing
where and how much time they spend on a particular habit helps
them prioritize better and spend their time more wisely.
See Article: 7
Power Habits That Will Improve Your Life Immediately
2. Set goals. Decide what you want and go after it! In
order to get what you want in life you must set goals. In the
course of setting your goals, devise an action plan and then
resolve to accomplish something each day to move towards it.
As the famous eastern philosopher Lao
Tzu put forth: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with
a single step."
In 1970, Dr. Edward Banfield of Harvard University, after
extensive studies on success and priority setting, wrote that the
most important determinant of personal and financial success is
having a "long-term perspective"(i.e. setting goals). He found
that the longer a person took in planning and acting, the more
likely it was that he/she would achieve personal and career
success.
For more on setting goals enjoy article: Effective
Goal
Setting
3. Learn from others. None of us has the time or will be
around long enough to figure everything out for ourselves. There
are so many wise and experienced teachers, both past and present,
who have the expertise to guide us through our journey to
success.Learn, read and study the works of others to enrich your
own understanding of what you need to know in order to get where
you want to be.
4. Be flexible. Rarely in life do things go according to plan, therefore cultivating psychological flexibility is a must for any type of success. It is crucial, on the road to success, to be able to re-evaluate and readjust your plans when conditions you have no control over change.
To that end flexibility keeps you from getting stuck. It helps you brainstorm and opens you up to more possibilities and opportunities. It helps deal with change and uncertainty.
Indeed, there are many unpredictable and unforeseeable
circumstances that present themselves on the road to success so
the ability to be flexible is invaluable.
5. Believe in yourself. Unfortunately, when you don't believe in yourself and your potential, it is unlikely that anyone else will either. Unknowingly, negative thoughts you may have about yourself and your abilities reveal themselves in your behavior and body language. As a consequence, this tends to hinder your efforts.
Similarly, when you don't believe in yourself rather than
controlling an event and your role in it, you become controlled by
the circumstances. Fortunately, there are many ways you can
cultivate belief in yourself including remembering past
accomplishments (we all have some), working hard, and
understanding that success does not happen overnight. Equally
important is maintaining a positive and optimistic attitude.
6. Never give up. In the words of Winston Churchill;
"Never, never, never give up!" Know that anything worthwhile is
not easy to come by. More often than not, achieving success is an
uphill battle of challenges, adversity and obstacles.
As I cite in my article, "The
Power
of Persistence," the important quote by Calvin
Coolidge says it all:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race."
7. Be respectful and considerate of others.First of all, there is no substitute for the Golden Rule. Secondly, if we want to build or have success in any type of relationship, whether it's personal, business or otherwise, we must respect and be considerate of others.
Certainly, no one wants to deal with a know-it-all, bully or
self-centered person. Likewise, in any relationship, you there
must be reciprocal giving, sharing and support. Indeed, good
relationships are the hallmarks of a successful career and a
well-balanced life.
The above 7 keys to success are fundamental to long term and sustainable success. Study them, acquire them and you will be well on your way!
Related:
Success
In
Sports and In Life
Success
Quotes
Effective
Goal
Setting
Self-Discipline
the
Foundation for Success