1. They set goals and follow through on them.
It
is one thing to set a goal and it’s another thing to achieve that goal.
Almost everyone sets goals but only a few possess the guts and
discipline to follow through on those goals. At the beginning of every
year, we all make resolutions about things we want to start or stop
doing. If you look back to the first
day of this year, can you proudly
say that you have achieved 40% of your goals? Anthony Robbins is a very
good example of someone who knows how to follow through on his goals.
This amazing guy went from earning $38,000 to $1 Million in just one
year. The great oil billionaire H.L. Hunt once said that there are only
two real requirements for success: first, he said, is to decide exactly
what is it you want, second is to determine the price you are going to
have to pay and resolve to pay that price. Obey this rule and you will
be successful; ignore it and you will remain a local champion.2. They are consistent.
Malcolm
Gladwell popularized the idea that 10,000 hours of guided practice is
the key to success. While some scientists may not totally agree with
that principle, I believe that there is more truth in it than lies. For
you to become truly excellent at whatever it is you do, you need to be
consistent at it. Cherish every opportunity you have to do what you love
and do it well. All successful people know this secret.
3. They make the best of every situation.
Horatio
G. Spafford had just lost his son to scarlet fever and his lifetime
investments were lost in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. On a trip to
Europe in 1873, his wife and four daughters were involved in a tragic
ship wreck which claimed the life of his four daughters. After the
incident, Horatio’s wife, Anna sent him a telegram to inform him of the
accident. On receiving Anna’s telegram, Horatio immediately left Chicago
to bring his wife home. Sailing across the Atlantic Ocean the captain
of the ship called Horatio to the bridge. He informed Horatio that they
were now passing the spot where his daughters drowned. That night, alone
in his cabin, Horatio Spafford wrote one of the greatest hymns of all
time “It is well with my soul”. He turned adversity into advantage and
for that reason; he became one of the few men of his time that are still
remembered today. If you are going to become successful, you must be
ready and able to make the best of every situation because tough times
will definitely come.
4. They take responsibility for their lives.
Nothing
ever happens to us by chance. Our life today is a reflection of our
past decisions and the choices we make today will shape our future. In
the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” (2006), the story of Chris Gardner
was told. Christopher Paul Gardner’s childhood was marked by poverty,
violence, alcoholism, sexual abuse, and family illiteracy. He didn’t
even know his father and he was taken away from his mother at a very
tender age, as he lived in foster homes for a large part of his
childhood. He is now a CEO, investor, motivational speaker, author, and
philanthropist. In fact, his book spent over twenty weeks on the New York Times
best seller list and has been translated into more than forty
languages. You can see that despite his unfortunate childhood, he didn’t
accept the fate he was handed. He took responsibility for his life and
he resolved to make a difference. He used what he had to get what he
wanted.
5. They form valuable relationships.
Behind
every successful Steve Jobs is a Steve Wozniak and there is a Paul
Allen behind every successful Bill Gates. You need to have people that
will help you achieve your dreams; believe me, you can’t do it alone.
You need mentors, partners, employees, spouse and so on. Some of the
criteria for finding good partners and mentors are compatibility,
experience, similar values, loyalty, and mutual benefit among many
others.
6. They make unusual sacrifices.
A
man was born in 1918; he disappeared from view in 1964 after giving a
four-hour speech at his trial where he was convicted and received a life
sentence. He spent 27 years in prison because he wouldn’t compromise
his political beliefs. Released in 1990, he won a Nobel Peace Prize in
1993, became the president of South Africa in 1994, and has since then
received more than 250 other honors. As you have probably guessed, his
name is Nelson Mandela. He made a huge sacrifice for his nation and he
finally got what he had dreamt about for over three decades.
Let
me tell you another story. In order to generate $1,350 in capital they
used to start Apple, Steve Jobs sold his Volkswagen microbus and Steve
Wozniak sold his Hewlett-Packard calculator. They each made what was
then a big sacrifice but it was really a small price to pay considering
the fact that Apple is currently worth over $80 Billion. You need to
make your own sacrifices now so that people can tell your story in the
years to come.
7. They never give up.
Real
estate mogul Donald Trump is currently worth over $2.7 Billion, not bad
considering the fact that he was previously indebted to the tune of
$900 Million. The world didn’t end for him when he lost all he had and
was bankrupt. He actually borrowed more money and kept trying until he
made it.
Thomas Edison tried over 10,000 times to
make a light bulb before he succeeded. We would probably still be in
darkness now had he given up. The toughest card life deals you and me is
the test of time. Only those with resilience and the willingness to
persevere will pass this test.
8. They take risks.
Every
successful man or woman is a risk taker. When we were children, the
society and the people closest to us shaped our lives. For instance,
your parents probably told you to go to school, finish with good grades
and get a good job. Everything our society preaches to us is get
security and this is why whenever you want to take any big decision in
life or do something out of the ordinary, you get scared. The difference
between a success and a failure is that a failure runs away from his
fears while successful people run towards their fears. “Do one thing
every day that scares you,” said Eleanor Roosevelt. If you don’t take
that advice, you are never going to grow and you can as well forget
about becoming successful.
9. They cherish hard work and discipline.
Brian
Tracy defined self discipline as the ability to make yourself do what
you should do when you should do it whether you feel like it or not. I
write everyday not because writing is so interesting but because I have
to do it if I’m going to succeed as a writer. You need to really develop
this habit because there is no other way to become successful. Rose
Blumkin founded Nebraska Furniture Mart which is now owned by Warren
Buffet. She worked every day at her store till the age of 103; she got
‘work sick’ the only time she took a vacation for about a week. She knew
the value of hard work. To become successful in life, you need to find
what you love doing and do it with all your heart. “With faith,
discipline and selfless devotion is nothing worthwhile that you cannot
achieve,” said Muhammad Ali.
10. They create value.
Value
attracts wealth and attention. Becoming successful can be simply
defined as solving a problem. Find a problem that your skills, passion,
dreams and potential are programmed to solve and solve that problem.
Increasing demand for pizza better and faster access to pizza gave birth
to pizza delivery. Business men and women needed faster means of
transport to business meetings all around the world and boom, the
private jet was made. You have been made to solve a particular problem,
solve that problem and success will be yours.
All
the points mentioned above are just principles and will not make you
successful until you decide to make them habits. Make a decision to
succeed today and nothing can stop you.
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