Many people grew up hearing their parents' solutions to eventual success: make good choices; hang with the right crowd; work hard; follow your dreams; be yourself. Sound familiar?
Dan Schawbel, a New York Times best-selling author and contributing writer at Forbes, sheds light onto the driving force behind society’s most successful people. During his time at Forbes, Schawbel has interviewed over 1,200 super-successful people ranging from CEOs to celebrities to politicians. His conversations with them boil down to 14 common denominators, he says. In his article, “14 Things Every Successful Person Has In Common,” Schawbel shares what he has discovered.
Dan Schawbel, a New York Times best-selling author and contributing writer at Forbes, sheds light onto the driving force behind society’s most successful people. During his time at Forbes, Schawbel has interviewed over 1,200 super-successful people ranging from CEOs to celebrities to politicians. His conversations with them boil down to 14 common denominators, he says. In his article, “14 Things Every Successful Person Has In Common,” Schawbel shares what he has discovered.
As it turns out, mom and dad weren’t all that wrong.
#1 They know when to stay and when to leave.
Intuition is key to their decision-making. Even if not the most popular or the most liked decision, successful people know when to step on the gas or when to step on the brakes. Knowing when they have failed and need to start over is a decision they grow accustomed to. Hear it from the guy that patented 2,332 inventions in his lifetime:
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison
#2 They do more than what’s asked of them.
It’s the difference between saying “that’s not part of my job” or saying “I’ll do it because it needs to be done.” Successful people do their mandatory tasks, pick up the tasks no one else wants, and make tasks to challenge themselves. Hear it from the guy that won 22 Academy Awards, holding the record for most wins in competitive categories:
“When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.” – Walt Disney
#3 They are willing to fail in order to eventually succeed.
Successful people view mistakes as part of the process. Rather than deeming mistakes as failures, they see them as obstacles. They learn from them and use them as motivation to get better. Hear it from the guy who was knighted at Buckingham Palace for “services to entrepreneurship,” and who founded the Virgin empire:
“You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” – Richard Branson
#4 They know that they make their own luck.
They believe luck has little to do with success. For the most part, success is about repetition, dedication and perseverance. Each day successful people put themselves in a better position than they were the day before. Hear it from the lady that was raised by a maid in rural Mississippi, who is now worth over $3 billion:
“I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity.” – Oprah Winfrey
#5 They set real goals that they can accomplish.
The difference lies in waking up with a plan and waking up scrambling to figure out your plan. Successful people have a plan, and know how to use their strengths. They set goals each day and they stick to them. Hear it from the guy who writes 2,000 words a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year—and has 49 best-selling books:
“Either get busy living or get busy dying.” – Stephen King
#6 They take accountability for themselves and their actions.
Instead of leaning on others to figure out a solution, successful people look inside themselves for answers. They don’t wait for someone to pave a path; they blaze the trail that becomes the path. They are humble in taking credit and quick to take the blame. Hear it from the guy that started a little retail store back in the day that now employs 2.2 million people worldwide—Walmart:
“If everybody is doing it one way, there’s a good chance you can find your niche by going exactly in the opposite direction.” – Sam Walton
#7 They make change instead of being affected by it.
Those with the most success are trendsetters. They don’t open a magazine to look at the newest things, they create the things in the magazines. They think for the future, and they act now. Hear it from the guy who co-founded a computer company in his garage when he was 13 years old:
“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” – Steve Jobs
#8 They are able to adjust to changes in the marketplace.
Successful people are willing to reinvent themselves. They understand that what people want today may not be what they want tomorrow. In order to be continuously successful, they constantly drum up new ideas in search for the next best thing. Hear it from the guy that invented the first bagless vacuum cleaner, and now has a company worth about $5 billion:
“As an engineer I’m constantly spotting problems and plotting how to solve them.” – James Dyson
#9 They can communicate their story effectively.
If you ask a successful person who they are, they will have a precise answer. They know what they are doing today and tomorrow, and all the little details in between. They know what they stand for. They believe in themselves and inspire others to believe in them. Hear it from America’s first self-made female billionaire:
“All the things I love is what my business is all about.” – Martha Stewart
#10 They ask the right questions to the people who can deliver the right answers.
Knowing they don’t have all the answers, successful people understand how to use their network. They aren’t afraid to reach out to people they deem best qualified to help. Successful people know to surround themselves with people of the same caliber. Hear it from the guy that started picking out stocks at age 11 and is now worth $70 billion:
“It’s better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.” – Warren Buffett
#11 They are lifelong learners who push themselves out of their comfort zones.
Education never stops for the world’s most successful people. They push themselves to try something new, see something new, or experience something new on a regular basis. They know growth happens when they explore. Hear it from the guy that started his first business at the age of 12 selling trash bags, and is now worth over $3 billion:
“It’s not about money or connections—it’s the willingness to outwork and outlearn everyone.” – Mark Cuban
#12 They know who they are and their place in the world.
Successful people don’t waste time on things that don’t interest them. They don’t work for someone else’s vision; they work towards their own vision. They know their mission, and they don’t change course. Hear it from the guy who created his first movie at the age of 16, which grossed $1, who is now a director worth $3.6 billion:
“You have many years ahead of you to create the dreams that we can’t even imagine dreaming.” – Steven Spielberg
#13 They are more excited about the journey than the payout.
Successful people seek meaning in their lives. They take time and care in building their future. They view life as an adventure and use each day to reach a new destination in their journey. Hear it from the richest man on the planet:
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.” – Bill Gates
#14 They create instead of just consume.
Instead of searching Amazon for the perfect solution to their consumer needs, successful people think about what consumers are going to need. They stay busy creating and innovating. Hear it from the guy considered one of the world’s brightest minds, so much so that the pathologist who did his autopsy stole his brain:
“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” – Albert Einstein
So, what will you do today to change your world?
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