There’s no shortage of people in the world out there trying to be successful. There is however, a big gap between those who try and those who succeed.
Napoleon Hill once wrote that the key to success is to use “proven success formulas”. If you study what really successful people do over and over, then you start to do the same things, almost by default you’ll begin to get the same results.
So let’s take a look at what world’s most successful people do. Do they?
- Work themselves into the ground?
- Ignore self-care?
- Jump into the day and start getting “busy”?
- Ignore their goals or never set them at all?
No. They don’t.
But here are 4 things success people DO practice.
#1 Personal Responsibility
They take full responsibility for where they are in life. It’s easy to blame family, friends, peers, situations, location, resources, and more for a perceived lack of success, but the hard reality is, it’s on them.
This can be tough for many of us to accept, but when you do, it will set you free. A quote by Brian Tracy sums it up:
“Success is not an accident. Failure is not an accident either. You are where you are and what you are because of yourself, because of your own thinking and behavior.”
To succeed in a world full of failure, own where you are at, take responsibility for your future, and know you have the power to change any situation or circumstance.
#2 Big Picture Thinking
In today’s world we are bombarded on a daily basis. There is never a shortage of things to do, decisions to make, stuff to organize, and tasks to complete. Taking time to simply sit and think about what we really want in life isn’t a necessity, so it gets pushed aside.
However, the most successful people regularly take time for “big picture” thinking. It’s setting aside time to visualize, meditate, or just ponder what they really want to accomplish in life. It’s letting the junk clear from the mind and allowing their intuition to come through.
Successful people make time in their life, to create their life.
#3 Choose Success
Success is a choice. Successful people know this. But it’s not always an easy one. They know this too.
We come into this world pre-programmed to seek pleasure and avoid pain. This serves us well but only to a point. Sometimes the right decision involves short term pain to get long term pleasure and this has a tremendous effect on our level of success.
Ever lost weight? It’s pretty painful to choose healthy foods in the short term, but as you stick with it the results begin feeling pretty good. Stepping on the scale and seeing your ideal weight is amazing.
Successful people get clear on the ways in which they sabotage themselves, and then begin making the tough choice to choose success in their daily actions. A common saying is: short term pain for long term gain.
Successful people are willing to suffer in the present, so they can savor in the future.
#4 They Set Goals
In the book, Get Smart by Brian Tracy he writes:
“Only about 3 percent of people have clear, specific, written goals and plans that they work on each day. The other 97 percent have hopes, dreams, wishes, and fantasies, but not goals. And the great tragedy is that they don’t know the difference.”
Successful people know exactly how to set and achieve their goals. And they do it for every part of their life. When you are completely clear about what you want, then you can single-mindedly take steps to accomplish it.
Tracy goes on to explain, “Goals are the best antidote to “fuzzy thinking,” which is probably more responsible for frustration and failure than any other factor.”
Successful people have nurtured and developed their goal setting abilities over time until they become the most productive people on the planet.
If you want to learn more about having greater success in life, sign up for our FREE Success Series to celebrate the launch of Success School beginning February 15, 2017.
Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.TM Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the above article. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? We’d love to know what you’re still working on accepting?
I’ve learned to accept my past. I was raised in a sexually abusive home and though I made a commitment to myself long ago not to let that ever hold me back, it still had consequences on my life and choices. I’m still working to accept the fallout from this abuse. Thankfully there are far more good days than bad but every now and then I get thrown a curve ball.
2. What have you learned to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? Are there elements of who you are that you’re still working on to appreciate?
I’ve learned to appreciate many things about myself including my strength of character, will, determination, talent, smarts, humor, and just all around good nature. I’m working to appreciate my sense of getting things done, like yesterday. Mostly it’s a gift except when I launch into the work too quickly without doing enough pre-planning!
3. What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? Tell us what makes YOU most proud? Please share the goals and dreams that you still have?
I’m most proud of my 3 beautiful kids, super awesome husband, and the career I’ve created for myself. I truly love every aspect of my life and I’ve worked hard to get here. I’m most proud when my kids do something really awesome, just because, and when my clients get amazing results from my coaching. Moving forward each day, I will always have dreams and goals. Right now I’m working to take my company to the million dollar mark, lose those last 5 pounds, and ride my horse Hockey a LOT more!
4. We all have imperfections, so we think, right? The truth–we are all perfectly imperfect. This may be challenging, but what are your not-so-perfect ways? What imperfections and quirks create who you are–your Identity?
Sometimes I get caught up in work a bit too much and forget to take care of myself. I also tend to put others first so it can drain my energy. I’ve gotten better over the years. I’m a risk taker and couch snuggler. I love to ride the motorcycle with my husband and try not to get bucked off my horse. I also love to just sit by the fire and read on a rainy day. I’m into yoga and cheeseburgers. I curse like too much. I love and live with all my might.
5. “I Love My…” is an outlet for you to express and appreciate all the positive traits that make you…well… YOU! Sharing what you love about yourself will make you smile, feel empowered, and uplift your spirit and soul. (we assure you!) Identity challenges you to complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I love my EVERYTHING!
