According to Winston Churchill, “Success is ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” Many people who want to be successful think that success happens accidentally and they lose connection with the fact that it takes individual consistency and persistence to reach goals.
Steven Spielberg, a world- renowned filmmaker, was met with rejection by the University Of Southern California School Of Cinematic Arts multiple times- while Dr. Seuss had his first book rejected by 27 different publishers.
But today we consider these people successful. Success is more about routine than moments of chance. Here are some of the habits that have helped highly successful people to achieve their goals:
They work hard
“I have always believed that if you put in the work results will come” – Michael Jordan
To be successful you have to forget about those empty get-rich-quick stories. You have to focus on what will truly make you successful, and that is hard work. You have to put in the hours and the toil before you meet success. Persistence, discipline, and a willingness to work hard takes you to many places you otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach.
They plan
“Take your time in deciding what opportunity to pursue and then pursue it like a crazed pack of wolves.” – Neal Goldman, CEO and founder of RelSci
Famous people like Eminem and J.K Rowling keep a journal to remind them of their progress and keep track of where they are in relation to their goals. You have to have a strategy that will keep you going and illuminate how to reach your destination.
They take action and don’t procrastinate
“We could either watch it happen, or be a part of it.” – Elon Musk
Dreaming and thinking, without execution, will not take you anywhere. Successful people have mastered the habit of taking action. Sometimes they do so boldly- even before they feel fully ready or emotionally prepared.
They have clear goals
They know where they want to be and they focus on this. They don’t dilly-dally or try chasing multiple things at once. No, they focus on goals that they know are attainable within a realistic time-frame. This methodical approach encourages them to build the mental toughness that reaching their desired destination requires.
They take risks
“I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how many times you failed. You only have to be right once. I tried to sell powdered milk. I was an idiot lots of times, and I learned from them all.” – Mark Cuban
Why take risks? Well, successful people would rather risk success than conceal their intentions and ambitions by only dreaming about their ideas. Successful people are willing to fail. They don’t mind this because they know that they will gain experience in the process. They also know that it is possible to fail forward. They consider this preferable to acting cowardly and not taking any risks at all.
They read a lot
“Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.” – Albert Einstein
Not every person that reads a lot is a leader. But every leader is a reader. You can’t really attain your goals if you do not learn or take the time to study. Successful people read and broaden their horizons through this habit. They also know the importance of acquiring knowledge through learning about the experiences of others.
They do what they are passionate about
“Do not do things because someone else succeeded while doing them; create your own path. It’s far more fun.” – Karim Abouelnaga, CEO of Practice Makes Perfect, Inc.
Every successful person is passionate about their particular craft, field, or talent. They don’t do it simply because of the money. Rather they do it because of the love they have for it, and the joy it provides them. Because of this, they make sure that their daily habits are centered on activities that will bring out the best in them- and drive them further towards success, in the process.
