7 Habits of Success

Becoming successful is a general desire that most people have had since childhood. We all want to succeed and end up living out our dreams but do we really even know how? When reading about the success stories of numerous actors, writers, musicians, entrepreneurs, and politicians, there are a few consistent trends that directly contributed to their overall success. Each person’s journey is unique but there are 7 key elements that seem to be imperative in ones journey to succeed.

Set goals but not limits. One of the most important habits that anyone looking to be successful must have, is the habit of making goals and writing them down. When you write down specifically what you want, you make it clear to yourself what it is that you are working towards. Many of us tend to set goals for ourselves but the goals don’t reflect our true desires. Don’t limit yourself to what you think is possible or practical. Set goals as big as your imagination allows you to and just watch where you end up. Also, when making goals for yourself, share them with people you trust so that you can be held accountable for accomplishing each one.

Stop being afraid of failure. During a leadership conference I attended six years ago, one keynote speaker asked each person in the room to write down what we ultimately wanted to do with our lives. After each of us wrote down our answers, he told us to write down what we would do with our lives if we knew we wouldn’t fail or ever be rejected. As a collective “hmmm” came over the crowd, practically everyone admitted that their two answers were very different from one another. Fear is the most psychologically crippling aspect of the mind. I call it “success’s kryptonite.” If you disallow yourself to think that failure is something that must be avoided at all costs, you won’t be afraid of it. It’s natural to not enjoy the feeling of rejection, but if you know that rejection doesn’t ever mean the end of the road, only a detour, the possibility of it won’t cripple you in making progressive decisions.

Know yourself and know what you want. A common mistake that many people make is attempting to find their purpose or future career by just going around trying different things until one feels good enough to hold on to. Good luck with that. One way to totally cut that random process out of your journey is to really get to know yourself, understand your true potential and desire. The more we evaluate ourselves and think with an introspective mindset, the better we’ll understand what we love to do, how well we can do those things, and what careers compliment us best.

Don’t wish, don’t hope, just KNOW. Being hopeful that you’ll be a successful artist, musician, or businessman is very swell, but hope can lead to complacency and uncertainty. Leave no room for that. If you KNOW that you will be a successful artist, you will do everything that you know is necessary to get there. Maintaining an attitude of persistence and refusing to take no for an answer stems from the knowledge that one will obtain their goal. That end result, that level of success is already yours. Rhonda Byrne’s “The Secret” compares goals and success (whatever it is in life that you truly want) to a check in the mail that you haven’t yet received. You know that money is already yours and that it’s on its way to you so you don’t worry about whether or not it’s going to really get to you or how it’s going to get to you… because you KNOW it will.

Network, network, network. Whoever said “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” probably wasn’t a genius or anything, just a realist. When you look at any successful person’s journey it’s impossible to ignore the fact that the person got where they are because they knew someone who was able to help them and steer them in the right direction. No matter what it is that any of us wants to become, there’s someone out there who is already doing it and can help us get there ourselves. It’s our job to find those people and other like-minded individuals who will help guide and motivate us to success.

Surround yourself with positive people. Another very important step to getting where you want to be in life is making sure that you’re not being held back by anyone else’s negativity. Negativity is contagious and if you allow someone who is infected by it pass it onto you, it’ll be nearly impossible to focus on a vision of success and rid your mind of doubt. If there is anyone in your circle that doesn’t contribute to your overall happiness and progress in some way, reconsider their purpose in your life. Surrounding yourself with those who will uplift you and support you will not only make it easier to focus on your personal success, but it will make it easier to dismiss the hate that comes your way.

Do what you love, love what you do. The same keynote speaker that I mentioned earlier who asked the question about fear later asked us “If money weren’t an issue, if you didn’t have to worry about finances at all, what career or profession would you choose?” It made me think about what I had a true passion for. Many people get into certain careers solely for the purpose of making money, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if money is the only motivation one may find himself unhappy in the long run. There is a terrible misconception that you must sacrifice personal contentment in order to make money in this world but truly successful people know how far this is from the truth. Having a passion for what you do will make you care about the quality of work you put in and will lead to success in your particular area of work. When you’re good enough at what you do, there will be money to be made.

Although every person’s definition of success is different, trust that any definition is attainable. Incorporating these 7 habits combined with focus and drive is a sure bet to a flourishing future. Set big goals, get rid of fear of failure, and know yourself well in order to take those necessary first few steps toward the life you want. Once you gain a strong knowledge that success is already yours, you will have the confidence to put all your energy into your goals. Remember to NETWORK and form a team of positivity because the people you associate with will reflect what your future will hold. If you associate with successful people, the chance of you obtaining that same success will increase immensely. Finally, do what you love. Your happiness should never be the price you pay in order to make money. Successful people make plenty of sacrifices throughout their journeys but never forget that ultimate contentment is yours to keep.

Until next time folks...