7 Things Successful People Have In Common

How to build the right mindset

About a decade ago, I was facing a similar situation to many people right now in the wake of the recent pandemic. At the time, I was working in Real Estate, and due to the market crash, had lost everything I had and more. With three kids college-age and younger and a costly mortgage, I needed to figure out a way out of the given situation – and I needed to do it quick.

Daily, I’d reference teachings on self-help that I’d pick up from various books and courses throughout my lifetime and worked to pinpoint what the world’s most successful people had done in order to prosper in their own lives. I started to recognize that the same themes appeared over and over. Not only were they doing similar things in order to succeed, they were also thinking in similar ways. I began emulating them, adding my own take here and there, and before I knew it – with a very specific goal in mind and a lot of hard work – I got myself out of the financial hole I’d been in and success was soon surrounding me in all aspects of my life. 

Examples from years of success stories have always shown certain attributes to be true of successful people.

1. Successful people don’t view what they are doing as work. Rather, they view their work as a labor of love. They pursue what it is that they are striving for with enthusiasm. They are happy where they are and eagerly anticipate the next step and the achievement of their goal(s).

2. Successful people are able to quickly and effectively make decisions. Because they are always focused on their goal, successful people know they need to react quickly to the decision-making process in order to keep things moving forward. With a goal firmly in their mind, it’s easy for them to make decisions. They simply ask themselves, “Is this taking me toward my goal, or not?” The decision is made not only quickly, but they are also made firmly. Successful people do not go back and forth on a decision. Rather, they make a decision and stick to it.

3. Successful people keep their eyes peeled for opportunity. As they’re following their plan to achieve their goal, successful people are always looking at and considering opportunities that can allow them to meet their goal quicker or in a larger capacity than originally imagined.

4. Successful people live in a “can do” world, not a “can’t do” world. To those who are successful, the idea of something being impossible is, well… impossible. They believe anything the mind can imagine can be achieved. Negative thoughts do not enter their minds and if they do, they are quickly dismissed and replaced with a positive thought, because they understand that both a positive and negative thought cannot exist in the mind at the same time. Essentially, failure is not an option.

5. Successful people remain focused on their goal. Despite the fact that plans to achieve your goal may change along the way, successful people will not deviate from the goal they’ve established. The more the mind has focused on that goal and set out ways to achieve it, the more likely they will be to achieve it. More often than not, when a successful person achieves their goal, they are then apt to set and achieve a new goal. It’s an on-going process for them.

6. Successful people do more than is expected of them in all situations. Doing more than what is expected is a shining attribute of successful people. They tend to extend help to those around them and consider things that are beyond what is beneficial for themselves. They also tend to put in extra effort when it comes to work as well, beyond what is required of them.

7. Successful people put in continuous effort. Working toward achieving a goal is not a passive exercise. A successful person’s goal and plan are part of their day, each and every day. Effort is put in at every possible moment in order to reach success.

During these difficult times, it's easy to lose direction. I know first-hand, as it's happened to me in the past as well… but not anymore. You can develop and maintain a positive mindset, set goals and plans to achieve them, remain motivated and success-driven, and overcome hurdles and find the benefit in any circumstance. This success philosophy has not only proved to work in all aspects of my life, it's worked for countless others as well.