We are often confronted with people who are very successful in life and we want to be able to emulate this in some way. Some people really seem to have it all, lots of money, a big house, an expensive sports car and an interesting career. It seems like life is much easier for these people compared to our own lives where we struggle to make ends meet every month. The dreams we had since childhood never seem so far away, but what exactly makes these people successful? Are they just that lucky in their lives or have they made their own way to wealth?
Willpower and drive
Successful people are usually very driven and have more willpower to achieve a goal. They know what they want and will do everything they can to achieve that goal. Most people have certain dreams and hope that they will one day become reality. Successful people will not sit around dreaming, but have specific goals in mind that they can pursue. To this end, they take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself and that can bring them one step closer to great success.
Every person has certain dreams in life, but these are often pushed to the background by procrastination and lack of motivation and apathy. In our minds we have an idea of the person we would like to be, but in reality we take no action to evolve and choose the easiest solution. Before we realize it, the clock is ticking and we waste our time standing still, pushing our ultimate goal further and further away. Successful people are more driven and always focus on the next step, a focus on movement instead of standing still.
Hard work
When we see someone who seems to be very successful in life, it often creates a feeling of jealousy and envy and we do not think about what that person has had to go through to achieve his wealth. Very often these people come from a situation or family where money was scarce and where they had to struggle monthly to make ends meet. This has provided an extra incentive to break the cycle and build a better life. Of course, not every successful person comes from such a situation, but these people all have one characteristic in common: they are all hard workers.
It’s very easy to sit at home and complain about how hard life is and how successful we want to be without actually doing anything about it. Successful people constantly work on their own success and never limit themselves to the nine-to-five mentality. These people throw themselves into work day after day, morning until evening, without taking a single day off, to achieve that one goal in their lives. Even those people who in our eyes live a carefree life of luxury will probably have worked even harder behind the scenes on their future than most of us. Because of the large villa and the Porsche in front of the door, we only see the end result and not the process to achieve this result.
Know no fear
Fear is one of the biggest obstacles on the road to success for most people. We fear that our dreams are too big, too ambitious and therefore seem completely unrealistic. We fear rejection and criticism from others and that we ourselves will not be able to fulfill this difficult task. But if we don’t try, we will never know where it could have led us.
Successful people never take the easiest path in life. They face rejection and criticism but do not let this discourage them. They fight back and ultimately come out stronger. Just think of JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book, which was rejected fifteen times by the publisher. Ultimately it became a phenomenal success and the character is worth around five hundred million dollars.
Life goes by trial and error. Allowing the fear of failure to hinder your quest for success will be just as damaging as delaying or ignoring the quest. Successful people believe in themselves, even when it seems like they are alone. They keep their dreams alive in their minds and will not rest until they achieve their goal.
Dare to take risks
In life we will never be one hundred percent sure what the outcome of a certain action could be, but nevertheless it is worth a try. If we always play it safe, this will naturally lead to less stress, more comfort and confidence, but the necessary tension and that factor that provides satisfaction will very quickly be lacking.
Successful people are not afraid to take risks. This does not mean that they will gamble recklessly, but that they will take the risk when there is a reasonable chance of success. It comes down to properly assessing the risk and weighing possible negative consequences against the positive ones.
A clear vision
Successful people will usually have a better vision when it comes to achieving goals. They know what they want and they go for it. Even more important is that they know how to go about this and that they have a clear idea of which direction they need to go in to achieve a certain goal. Vision is important to achieve success. Without a vision we risk getting stuck or going in the wrong direction, meaning that the ultimate goal can never be achieved.
Never give up
Successful people don’t give up at the first hurdle. They accept that not everything can run smoothly from the first time and that you have to try certain things several times before you succeed. It is easy to wallow in self-pity because everything is supposedly going wrong or to immediately assume that you are not suitable for this assignment.
A good example of this is Simon Cowell. When he started in the music industry with his own record label, his company went bankrupt. He lost everything including his house and car and was forced to live back with his parents. Instead of continuing to grieve, he started from scratch and is now one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the music industry, worth over £200 million.
Passion
Passion is an important part of success. Many successful people are so passionate about their work that they simply don’t want to retire. They cannot say goodbye to their work because their heart and soul is completely tied to this activity. If you only want to earn money for material comfort, it is quite unlikely that you will find true happiness. To become truly successful, you must first listen to your heart.
