Ever wonder why some people can never do wrong? I have been observing successful people around me, and experimenting with different ideas. Here are the seven traits that I’ve found work well for me in many situations. I think they will make you richer and more successful in many ways.
1. Successful people know what they want
Call it a dream. Call it a vision. Call it whatever. Is there something that you want? This was a hard question for me to answer when I was younger, and I think that’s perfectly normal. Having a clear idea about what you want to do, to be, or to accomplish comes at a different time for each of us.
The nice thing about goal setting is that you don’t have to get it right the first time — it is an evolution of ideas, not an answer. You can start with one simple goal, and establish more as desired. You can have short-term and long-term goals, easy and hard goals, or any combination thereof. If you find that a goal is too easy, make it more challenging. If you find that you fall short, try harder.
The important thing is to develop the habit of setting goals as soon as possible. Learn about SMART goals, goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-specific. Here’s an example of a SMART goal I set for myself.
2. Successful people don’t just think, they act
So you have set some goals for yourself — great! But if all you do is think about them, you will never accomplish anything. I’ve always found it hard to take that first step, especially when it’s completely out of my comfort zone. I am not sure who said this, but it’s a quote that I like:
Thinkers think and doers do. But until the thinkers do and the doers think, progress will be just another word in the already overburdened vocabulary of the talkers who talk.
The key is to have the dare to dream and the courage to act.
Thinkers think and doers do. But until the thinkers do and the doers think, progress will be just another word in the already overburdened vocabulary of the talkers who talk.
3. Successful people have insatiable hunger for knowledge
You’ve heard that you should “look before you leap”. This means that you should think carefully about the possible results or consequences before acting. Having the courage to act doesn’t mean you should do so blindly without knowing how, or without considering the consequences.
Knowledge has long been recognized as a key component to success:
- “Knowledge is, indeed, that which, next to virtue, truly and essentially raises one man above another.” — Joseph Addison in the Guardian, no. 111, Letter of Alexander to Aristotle
- Knowledge is power.” — William Alexander, Earl of Stirling in Recreation with the Muses
- Knowledge and human power are synonymous, since the ignorance of the cause frustrates the effect.” — Francis Bacon in Aphorism III
- “If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.” — Rev. Jesse Jackson
My motto is never cease to learn, because if I did, I would cease to grow.
4. Successful people are curious and are not afraid to experiment
This trait goes hand-in-hand with knowledge. People like to say that “curiosity killed the cat”, but I don’t like that proverb much. I think it’s the opposite: lack of curiosity breeds mediocrity. I’ve written before:
My key beliefs about building wealth are (1) never stop experimenting, and (2) always look for ways to build, diversify, and shift my income streams toward passive sources.
If you find a formula that works and you stop right there, you’ll never know whether there’s something that works better. Let’s talk about a theoretical guy named Joe, for example. To Joe, investing means putting his money in his savings account. One day he discovers a certificate of deposit that pays four times as much. If he stops there, he may never learn that long-term investing in the stock market could give him more than ten times as much.
Everywhere you look, the companies that are constantly changing and improving are the ones that succeed. For example, 3M would never be where it is today if it didn’t encourage their employees to spend a portion of their times on pet projects. One of these projects resulted in the Post-It Notes. Now, where would 3M be without Post-It? Here is another cool example — square watermelons — who would have thought?
You and I are no different. Never stop being curious.
My key beliefs about building wealth are (1) never stop experimenting, and (2) always look for ways to build, diversify, and shift my income streams toward passive sources.
