Successful People

Successful people possess:

Expectations. “Successful people expect the best, and they generally get it, because expectations have a way of attracting to us their material equivalent,” writes Tom Butler-Bowdon.

Tough-minded optimism. Optimism is power. Optimism is motivation. Optimism is forward-thinking. Optimism is the ability to draw something good even from failure.

Purpose. Successful people have goals. They have a vision of where they want to be.

Self-confidence. Robert Pagliarini says that successful people “believe that [their] actions will create results tomorrow.” Have confidence in your abilities.

Industry. Expect to work toward your goal. Effort expended today is in service of the Big Picture. It’s what’s at the end that matters.

Discipline. Persistence is key. A journey of a thousand miles doesn’t just begin with a single step — it’s made up of other steps just like it.

Mindfulness. Successful people are self-aware. They know their strengths and weakness. They heed intuition.

Balance. Do not neglect other aspects of your life in a single-minded pursuit of your end. Your goal is important, but it’s meaningless if you sacrifice the rest of your life to reach it.

Curiosity. Successful people seek self-improvement. They read. They take classes. They keep an open mind.

Mastery. Become skilled at whatever you do. Pursue excellence. Be the best that you can be.

Daring. To succeed, you must take risks. There is no risk by staying where you are, but there is no reward, either. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Focus. Doggedly pursue your goals and aims. Constantly review your objectives so that if you become distracted, you can get back on track.

Persistence. Do not let failures deter you from your goal. You will meet setbacks, but view these as learning experiences, not the cessation of your endeavors. Pick yourself up and move on.

Activeness. Successful people do not wait for things to happen to them; they make things happen. The only one who can achieve your goals is you.

As you work toward your goals, do not compare yourself to others. You are unique. You have your own goals. Only you can define success for your life. Challenge yourself. Think big. Dream. Strive to be your best.