Successful people aren’t successful by accident. They’ve cultivated a set of qualities in themselves that enable them to shoot ahead of the competition and rise above to become the best that they can be. Successful people don’t think that they are like everyone else and are willing to settle for what they have. Successful people are always looking to the future, striving onwards and looking at the long term.
Do you have what it takes to be a success? We’ve looked at some of the world’s most successful people and assessed what traits they have in abundance. If you can develop at least some of these characteristics, then you are well on the way to becoming the best that you can be and a success in life.
Defining success
Before we take a look at being successful, however, it’s first important to define what success is. The answer is really up to you. You may decide that rising to the top of your profession is success or being the best in a particular sport or activity. You might think that bringing up your children to be upstanding citizens is success or you might just think successfulness is simply being happy. Whatever your definition of success, here are the traits that you need to develop….
Drive
Nobody ever became successful without a determination to work hard. Having the drive to work harder than others is essential when you are reaching out for success. Successfulness is all about having a purpose, striving for excellence and being passionate about taking control and driving to get things done.
Self-reliance
Successful people are willing to stand up and be counted and don’t need to count on others to get things done. Successful people are there to make the decisions that count and aren’t afraid to make them. When the chips are down, successful people know that they can rely on themselves, which is comforting to know.
Delegation
People who are at the top of their game may be self reliant and able to shoulder the burden of things on their own, but the really successful ones know the power of delegation. Taking everything on yourself will only leave you on the fast track to a nervous breakdown, so learn how to delegate. Being able to recruit and trust others to do what needs to be done is a rare skill and one that is crucial to be the best you can be.
Patience
“Patience is a virtue” so goes the phrase, and it is. Although modern society is fast paced and dynamic, sometimes good things come to those who wait. Taking a step back sometimes and being patient marks you out as a cut above the average person who demands everything straight away.
Willpower
Anyone can start a project, but it takes a special sort of person to see tasks right through to the end. The ability to see projects through efficiently and without procrastination is crucial to being a success in whatever avenue of life you choose. The world’s highest achievers are those people who have remained focussed on their goals and stayed consistent.
Honesty
You may think that those that have reached the very top of their game have had to be ruthless to make it where they have. There may be some truth in that but, ultimately, honesty is what has got most people who are successful where they are. Integrity is a highly respected attribute and one that will define who you are.
Passion
Whatever it is you want to be successful in, then you need to be passionate about it. There will be times when things get tough, when you want to give up and it is the passion you have that will get you through these moments. There’s a phrase that sums it up. “Life is 10 percent what you experience and 90 percent how you respond to it.”
Optimism
Are you a glass half-full or glass half-empty sort of person? Unless you believe in a better future and believe that you will be successful, then ultimately you’ll find your passion waning and your willpower succumbing to negative thoughts. Be optimistic and it can take you through the tough times and help you enjoy the good times.
Confidence
If you don’t show confidence, then how do you expect people to have confidence in you? Be confident in yourself, have trust in yourself and success is all that more achievable. Sometimes, when you are up against it, and you and the people around you are unsure about the way forward, confidence can be the killer quality that spurs you on. Confidence is infectious and a clear display of confidence can turn things around in an instance.
Whatever you want out of life, cultivate the above qualities and you will find yourself becoming more and more successful.