The world is filled with successful people. There are people around us continually accomplishing their goals and making their dreams come true. We may even be one of those successful people or maybe at one point or another we at least had our own taste of success … and how sweet it was.
Success is great. It is so rewarding and fulfilling to set a goal, work hard at something and then see what we have been working toward come to fruition. Success is something we want to taste over and over again and it is something we try to replicate in all aspects of our life.
There are many people who have flashes of success from time to time. However, there are also people continually experiencing success after success. They have figured out how to repeatedly create success in all aspects of their lives. They have what people describe as the “Midas touch” and although they have experienced failures, the vast majority of the time, they successfully accomplish whatever it is they go after.
If we look at people who are continually experiencing success, we can notice things they have in common. And, we should take note of these commonalities and always ensure we are applying them in our own lives.
Although there are by all means more, these are 10 of the most important traits and beliefs of successful people (in no particular order)
10 Important Traits and Beliefs of Successful People
1. Focused on the Now. They set goals and envision success, but they are always focused on the step right in front of them and giving it everything they can. They don’t obsess about tomorrow and instead concentrate on doing whatever they are doing today with the utmost attention and quality.
2. Nothing is More Important than the Journey. Successful people don’t allow their desire for success to overshadow their appreciation for the journey and everything they are learning along the way. They know ultimately there is something much bigger going on behind the scenes and they appreciate the ways they are growing and all the things they are learning about themselves and life. They know with absolute certainty the validity of the truism that the journey is more important than the destination.
3. Don’t Push too Hard. It can seem natural that if we really want something, we should work harder and harder and do whatever we can to push things to go our way. People who continually experience success do the opposite. They never push too hard and they allow things to flow naturally. It is not that they don’t do everything they can to succeed, but rather they understand the best results are always achieved when you are at ease.
4. Appreciate the Little Steps and the Quantum Leaps. Successful people understand the quote by Thomas Troward that “everything proceeds by an orderly sequence of growth”. They understand every step will not be a quantum leap forward and although they love quantum leaps, they appreciate each and every little step they take along the way.
5. Look for Lessons. Successful people are always on the lookout for lessons they will learn along the way. They integrate the lessons they have learned in the past into what they are currently doing and are always wanting and willing to learn more and more.
6. Embrace the challenges. They understand that challenges and obstacles are an important part of the process. They don’t resent any issues or challenges that come their way and always look at them as a necessary part of their journey and an opportunity to make the changes that are needed.
7. Disciplined. People who are continually successful know they have to be diligent and committed to doing the things they need to each and every day. They take breaks and unplug when necessary in order to positively re-energize, but they are also extremely disciplined and on task 95% of the time.
8. Passionate. Successful people have a strong sense of passion for whatever it is they want to accomplish it. They are really interested and energized about what they are working toward and they continually pour their positive energy into it.
9. Flexible and Welcoming of Uncertainty. They set a goal, create a plan and work hard, but are flexible enough to allow things to evolve. They understand and appreciate the fact that things have to happen in their own way. They are not rattled by the lack of certainty and understand that some things may not go exactly as they planned.
10. Kind, Considerate, Helpful, Loving, Friendly, etc. People who are always realizing success are just good people. They always have the most positive energy flowing in their lives and they have a genuine love and appreciation for everything around them. They love life and making other people happy. They enjoy what they do, they laugh, they smile, and they are able to see the alternaview even when it is buried under an undesired circumstance.
…that is the alternaview.
Hi Sibyl,
Great post. I think that everyone needs to define success for themselves. It is an individual thing. Some may only find themselves successfull if they have the big house and fancy car. I know plenty of these people. For me success is living life on my own terms and not compare and compete with anyone. I see my journey as sacred and it’s not about anyone else. Success is a perception. I love what you say about passion! When we are enthusiastic about what we do that alone is success! Thanks so much for your insight Sibyl!
Well, I’ve read a lot of these success and one beautiful story is that of Steve Jobs. He learned that our failures and time kicks are the best time of our lives, in fact, the most creative. They turn us around and make us creative. I am so happy he was kicked out of Apple that day, because I could have never enjoyed Toy Story, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo and all those super movies I love today
Hi Sibyl: I think the study of successful people is a brilliant way to learn what it takes to be successful. I do this ALL THE TIME…literally! I also believe that some of the greatest learnings are from our direct failures (and others). I was talking to my wife about this just this past Saturday, and then Sunday a show called Master Class (on Oprah’s new network “OWN”) came on featuring Sean Carter (Jay-Z). One of the things that stood out to me was that he said…(paraphrased) “with all the success that I’ve achieved, I haven’t found a way to learn anything from it. I’ve only been able to learn from the failures, which have transcended me into success”.
Given the subject, I thought I’d share that. Happy New Year! Peace.
Sibyl,
#2 was a real eye opener for me. So many time we get so focused on the destination that we fail to take a moment and take in the views. What is the purpose of taking the scenic route in life to ignore the beauty as we pass it. There are landscapes of lessons learned, sunrises of small accomplishments, and endless skys of possiblities along the way. I thank you for bringing this important point to my attention. The other 9 were good as well.
I have also learned that proper time management is extremely important for anyone who plans on having any level of success. As a blogger I am confident that you can relate to that. Managing your time appropriately is really, really, really, important.
Look for lessons! I love that one!
I think we can use life to teach and inspire us. We can study the lives of successful entrepreneurs or study the way top athletes prepare for the game or how artists find their inspiration.
I’m gonna keep hunting for those lessons.
Thx Sibyl!
What a list…thank you!
Like Frank, #2 and #9 reminded me of the importance of practicing “what is.” Purpose-filled people seem to hold the balance between having a clear idea of the greater journey AND knowing that daily circumstances, which initially may look like detours, are merely part of the long, winding, and even exciting journey of life. They aren’t swayed from their mission, just aware of the possibilities. I’m learning…
Yes indeed, Sybil. It is no accident. Successful people are successful for a reason. The good news is that we all have everything we need to be ridiculously successful within. Just as you say in #4 there is also a sequence of mind-steps that were taken in the minds of successful folks who bring miracles into the world … And each step was mastered by these ordinary folks (they’re just like you and me) before going onto the next step.
Hi Sibyl!
This is a great list of traits! I think the one that struck me the most was that they don’t push too hard. I certainly tend to fall into thinking that it has to be hard, that I have to push through stuff to get to where I want to be. But WHY does it have to be hard? Where did I come up with that idea? lol.
It’s so great to be reminded that it doesn’t have to be that way, that it can indeed be easy and I can go with the flow and enjoy the process, instead of trying to fight my way upstream.
Hey Jess: Thanks for the comment and I think many of us know what you are referring to when you talk about thinking you have to push so hard. I think it seems that we have to “make things happen” and that means we have to push and move things in such a way that they will fall into place the way we want. The reality however is that when we can just detach from the outcome and let things evolve naturally and the way they should is when we have the most success. Thanks again for the comment.
Awesome article Sibyl! One trait that stands out to me of successful people is how they view setbacks or obstacles as challenges to rise to. Successful people are often optimistic and able to handle adversity. I think many of the above mentioned traits relate to this in a way – noticing small progress while still focusing on a bigger picture and looking for lessons. Really great stuff! Thanks!
Joe: So true. I think that successful people just have a way of seeing the world in a positive way and seeing everything that they do in the best light. The reality is that there are always going to be obstacles and challenges that come our way, but if we classify them appropriately and look at the as opportunities instead of barriers, we really set ourselves up to always succeed. Thanks for the great comment and stopping by. Much appreciated.
Hi Sibyl,
There is so much we have to learn in life that it can be overwhelming if we tried to do everything ourselves. But if we leveraged on the successes of others, we would indeed get further than we would on our own steam. Taking note of the commonalities of why people succeed is a great way to create that success in our own lives. Here are the ideas I got while reading through your 10 traits and beliefs.
4. Appreciate the Little Steps and the Quantum Leaps
The law of process is extremely important in our life journey. If we try to skip steps and take shortcuts, we only end up with needless problems that we have to double back to correct. Do something well and do it right the first time if possible. We have to take every measure to ensure that the foundations for our success are rock solid.
5. Look for Lessons
Every mistake we make or failure we encounter are lessons, vital lessons that we have to learn to grow. In education, we have to proceed step by step at each level before we can go on to the next. It is the same with life and success. Unless we learn from our mistakes, we will not have the foundation necessary to make it to the bigger lessons and success that await us down the road.
9. Flexible and Welcoming of Uncertainty
The best laid plans rarely go as plan. Man proposes, heaven disposes. There is bound to be a certain amount of uncertainty in life. As far as possible, having plans provide much needed guidelines to channel our energies. But we must be flexible enough to realize that not everything will go as plan and to adapt as the times demand. Only by being like water, can we hope to handle the challenges we face.
Thank you for sharing this lovely article!
Irving the Vizier
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment and sharing your thoughts. I really appreciated what you said about the best plans rarely going as plan. I think that is such an important realization and it allows us to really give things the freedom and space they need to develop and evolve in their own way. I am so glad that you dropped by the alternaview and thanks again for sharing your wisdom here. I really appreciate it.
Hi Sibyl – Happy New Year
I agree totally with what you said – great points. One other point that I always keep in minds is – successful people “ship it”. They get into action even if things are not quite perfect yet. They know that all the thinking in the world won’t produce results if they never do something about it
Anita: Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the comment. It is always great to hear from you. I totally agree with what you said about successful people getting into action. I love that term “ship it”. That is really a good one. If you want success, you really do have to do something more than just think and dream. Great point. Thanks again for stopping by.
I like your list of attributes and I think they ring true.
On #10, Edward de Bono might frame it as having a beautiful mind, or Tim Sanders might frame it as the likeability factor.
On #9, I think it flows from confidence, competence, and curiousity. At Microsoft, we instill the value as “takes on big challenges” and ability to deal with ambiguity.
On #8, I’ve never seen anybody do great things without passion. Passion is the juice that makes things happen.
On #3, I’ve typically seen the opposite — to either break through inertia, a Dip, or a personal barrier … just beyond where other people stop … like the difference that makes the difference. That said, I see successful people pushing harder where their strength and passion flow.
The beauty of #1 and #2 when combined address the two-sides of the happiness coin: happy in the now, and fulfillment in the journey.
J.D. Thanks so much for the comment and stopping by the alternaview. I always enjoy reading your comments and thoughts on the alternaview. I really appreciate everything you said in this comment and particularly appreciate what you said about happiness and the 2 sides of the happiness coin. It really is all about living and experiencing the present moment and knowing that the journey will teach you all you need to know and be fulfilling. Thanks again for the comment.
hello sibyl
how are you?
happy new year!!!
thanks for sharing this, i am currently reading john maxwells book on how successful people think and it’s great to correlate your post with it.
your post served as a wake up call as well as a reminder because:
we need to know and understand the journey on the highway to success
take it in strides, concentrating on the now and giving it our utmost attention.
realise the importance of rest, patience and going at comfortable but productive paces.
understand the lessons in each segment of our journey
face the challenges squarely and be disciplined in carrying out certain exercises which yield our productivity and success
……
i can go on sibyl but….
once again thanks for sharng this.
take care of yourself and enjoy the rest of the day
Ayo: Thanks for the great comment and all the insights … I wish that you would have gone on
What you shared was great and so helpful. Success really is about concentrating on the present moment and being able to pour all of your passion and energy into what is directly in front of you. Thanks so much for stopping by and always sharing your wisdom. Much appreciated.
Hi Sibyl,
Very nice post my friend! Exactly successful people live in the present most of the time. They also tend to be optimistic and have faith in themseles that they will accomplish their goals. I like your number 3 “Don’t push too hard” This is so true, when are attached so much to a thing, sometimes, it works the opposite of what we want. The best thing is that we do everything we can and then unattach ourselves to the results, so they can manfiest more freely. Thanks for sharing
Dia: Thanks for stopping by and I loved what you added here. It is so true that you have to detach from the results and let things just be. You know that you have done all that you can do and put your heart into something so you then have to trust that things will unfold exactly as they should. Thanks again for the wisdom and stopping by. I really appreciate it.
Of course we could write our own 10 traits and then go make them true and real. Then we aren’t following any trail but leaving footsteps for others. Possibly?
John: I like that. There is never anything wrong with creating your own steps and path. We really can only look to others to show us the way they follow and then it is up to us to find our own specific way. Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing that wisdom.
Hi Sibyl. This is a really great post. I think embracing challenges is one of the most important success skills of all. Successful people move past their fear of the hard part. That’s something we can all choose to do, but many people never will.
Nea: Thanks for the comment and stopping by the alternaview. I do agree with you that successful people are able to move past their fear. Of course, that is often easier said than done, but it is also a prerequisite to real success. And, as you mentioned it is something we can all choose. It really is amazing what we can control and the more we realize it and the more we take advantage of our ability, the more our life can unfold in the most amazing ways.
Hi Sibyl,
Great post!
These are good traits that I believe a successful person has. A successful person also never allows others to define their goals/success. The successful person marches to his own beat.
I love your post and will share!
Take care,
Evelyn
Evelyn: Thanks for the comment and I think you make a great point. A successful person doesn’t allow someone else to define their goals and success. We really are the only one who is in the position to define what we want, go for it and then determine our success. I think that is such an important thing to realize. Thanks for pointing it out and stopping by the alternaview.