The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.
Super successful people understand that there are traits, behaviors, and actions they must take in order to succeed.
Their thinking is, “I will do what it takes to get to where I want to go” They know success doesn’t come to them. They have to go out and get it for themselves.
Here are 13 ways super successful people manage to be so successful.
1. Successful people are always prepared.
Prepare for opportunities by creating a comprehensive strategic plan incorporating your vision, values, and goals. This means a strong understanding of the new knowledge environment. To multiply the options available to you and make the most of them, keep learning and becoming better at what you do every day.
2. Successful people speak their mind.
Be consistently candid and honest. Make it a point to speak what’s on your mind without fear of judgment. By speaking the truth and being honest, you can support your words with actions that will help you pursue your success. Simply thinking for yourself can make you unforgettable.
3. Successful people honor their values.
Formulate your own code of conduct based on your most important values, and make sure your conduct is grounded in it. If you value excellence, make everything you do excellent; if it’s teamwork, make everything about doing things together.
4. Successful people harness their mental toughness.
Everyone faces challenges and obstacles. Whatever yours look like, overcome them with hard work, resilience, and tenacity. Surround yourself with good people who can see things from a different perspective and shed light on the darkest of situations. Finally, walk through your fears to make yourself mentally tough. When you do, you will begin to attract more opportunities and be known as someone who can take the heat.
5. Successful people embody their self-assurance.
Be confident in yourself without requiring constant input or feedback from others. Instead, develop the ability to get work done independently without any hand-holding as a path to confidence in your own capabilities and competence. Lead with confidence but ask for help when you need it.
6. Successful people manage their stress.
There will always be something that goes wrong, something that causes stress, something that isn’t working, something that’s upsetting. Learning the stress management techniques that work for you will not only make you successful but help you become a positive example to others.
7. Successful people are constantly pushing past their status quo.
The difference between someone who’s highly successful and someone who’s simply in a position of authority is easy to spot — the highly successful person will continue to work on improving his or her skills. After a certain amount of success, the temptation to maintain the status quo is great, but a commitment to always keep growing, learning, and evolving will always pay off.
8. Successful people successfully maintain their discipline.
The key to a disciplined life is identifying the most important things to you and establishing barriers to protect those things. There will always be people, opportunities, ideas, and distractions coming at you all at once, but by being disciplined and purposeful, you can be open and still stay in control. Knowing what to say yes to and what to turn down can be the difference between success and failure.
9. Successful people are always challenging themselves.
It’s a wonderful thing when you can find a new way to express a concept — to see with fresh eyes and communicate the things most people overlook. Work every day to find new perspectives on challenging ideas and new ways to convey them that bring others on board.
10. Successful people know how to embrace their discomfort.
Learn to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Many people start out with great intentions but are unable to move forward because they fear rejection, failure, or a bruised ego. Find ways to identify and process your fear, leave your comfort zone, and embrace the things that challenge you.
11. Successful people are exemplary conductors of their lives.
Most successful people are adept at planning, coordination, and collaborating — and they got there by building habits of organizing, arranging, systemizing, and scheduling to make things happen. You can start today to do the same, become a conductor, bring together different elements seamlessly and effectively. This will be the hallmark of your success.
12. Successful people are consistently working on their impact.
Influence is about being able to cajole, encourage, and incentivize people. It’s not about elevating yourself but lifting up others. Other forms of power are limited by what you can command or control, but working on your impact allows your ideas to expand far beyond your personal limits.
13. Successful people are always holding themselves to a higher standard.
More than anything else, high standards are a prerequisite for success. You will always have opportunities to cut corners, do things halfway, and show up halfheartedly, but if you hold yourself and others to a higher standard, you’ll be surprised at how much they (and you) can stand out and succeed.
