11 Ways the Most
Successful People Differ From Everyone Else
It's all about having the discipline to do the
same simple things every day.
How a person
defines success is a subjective thing, but likely involves some combination of financial
independence, loving relationships, a solid education, and a rewarding career. Over the years, I have been fortunate to interview hundreds of
founders and executives who fit this bill. Collectively, they tend to exhibit a
handful of habits that set them apart from average achievers.
1. They keep a to-do list.
It's not
rocket science, but a great many of the high-achieving individuals I've written
about keep track of what needs to get done every day. Putting these things to
paper (or screen) keeps them front and center, where they are more likely to be
accomplished. "Each evening, I write a to-do list, organized by order of
importance, and I make sure to accomplish the first two items at the start of
the next day," says Nicole Smartt, author of From
Receptionist to Boss and shareholder and vice
president of Star Staffing, which is included on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing
companies.
2. They keep their minds uncluttered.
Successful
people don't ruminate on negative experiences or conversations, but learn and
adjust as needed and concentrate on what's happening in the here and now. Researchers have found that mindfulness is the best antidote to brooding,
self-criticism, and negative emotions--all of which are counterproductive to
success.
3. They take risks.
Taking risks
often leads to failure, but successful people learn from their mistakes to
become better versions of themselves. "You may think you know what your
next step should be, but when you take it and fail, the lesson you learn
ultimately ends up being what was standing between you and success,"
says Mattias Lepp, founder of indoor gardening solutions company Click and Grow.
4. They can make decisions without having all
the data.
While
information has its place, often 100 percent certainty isn't possible, at least
if moving forward is the desired result. "I rarely find that I have all
the information I want to make a truly informed decision," says
Mark Gainey, co-founder and CEO of Strava, a social network for athletes.
"And while it's never good to make a decision in a vacuum, I have found
that luck favors the person willing to make a decision with an incomplete set
of data rather than being greedy and waiting too long for all the information
to surface."
5. They're generous.
In a way, this is like investing in good
karma. Think of the miserly people you know. Are they the first people who come
to mind in terms of people you want to help?
6. They exercise every day.
Take a look at
the biggest names in business and you'll see people who work on staying fit.
People like Mark Cuban, Elon Musk, and Tim Cook spend their valuable time burning calories and building
muscle. Successful people understand that the
discipline of fitness is a potent stress reliever, mind declutterer, and way to
subconsciously solve difficult problems.
7. They expect good things to happen.
Richard
Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire in England, has
conducted research working with hundreds of exceptionally lucky and unlucky
people. One trait of the former group: They expect good fortune. "These expectations
become self-fulfilling prophecies by helping lucky people persist in the face
of failure, and shape their interactions with others in a positive way,"
he writes.
8. They take quiet time every day.
Whether it's
meditation or prayer, successful people take time to still their minds.
"When we look beyond the headlines and history books at the personal
habits of great historical figures, we see a pattern of self-imposed
solitude," says Dr. Randall Bell, author of Me We Be Do: The Four Cornerstones of Success.
"It allows us to see the bigger picture. In practice, cultivating this
habit means completely turning off all technology for part of each day."
9. They count their blessings.
Complainers
are not winners. "Devoting your first five or 10 minutes of every day to
being grateful for the new day in front of you and the abilities, gifts, and
talents that you have been blessed with to create your own destiny and wealth
truly makes a difference in long-term success," says Aurea McGarry,
Emmy Award-winning TV show host, producer, and director, CEO and founder of
Live Your Legacy Summits, and president and founder of Legacy Maker
Entrepreneur coaching systems, which has trained more than a million
entrepreneurs nationwide. "It's a true statement that it's not happy
people who are grateful, but grateful people who are happy. Happiness is part
of success and if you're happy, you will be much more productive and it will be
contagious to those who work with you and are helping you achieve your goals in
your business."
10. They work on getting smarter.
Whether
it's reading or listening to podcasts, successful people continually work on self-improvement
by accessing the wisdom of others. Connor Wilson, co-founder and COO of Thursday Boot Company, a premium men's and women's boots and accessories brand, reads
history. "It's a conscious way to slow down, reflect on the big picture,
and learn about how decisions are made in the real world," he says.
"It's also a way to stay personally inspired. Human history is full of
individuals who transformed the world through little more than grit and imagination.
That's a great regular reminder for anyone trying to do the same."
11. They invest heavily in relationships.
A fascinating
75-year longitudinal
study of 268 Harvard undergraduate men found
the most powerful factor associated with health and happiness in old age: the
warmth of a person's relationships. Truly successful people do not achieve
great things by prioritizing work over family. Rather, they tend to banish
devices from the dinner table where they find themselves most evenings.
By Christina
DesMarais
http://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/11-ways-the-most-successful-people-differ-from-everyone-else.html
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