Leila El-Dean
Have you ever thought about how some people achieve massive success in life? (While the rest of us seem to be in a perpetual struggle).
I’m not just talking about financial success either (more on this later).
More like, megastars in their chosen field. Pioneers like Elon Musk, Lady Gaga, or Michael Jordan.
It doesn’t happen by accident.
These one-percenters had a plan, worked incredibly hard, and probably had plenty of luck along the way.
And that’s just the beginning.
One thing I do know is that these real-life superheroes all seem to have common traits.
And if you’re looking to hit your life goals, mimicking the behavior of those who already made it makes a whole lot of sense.
So let’s dive into eight common behaviors that truly successful people display.
1) Goal-oriented (direction)
It all starts with a goal.
Because without a plan, you’ll drift through life with no real direction or purpose.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to drift (most of us do).
But not if you want to be truly successful!
Take Arnold Schwarzenegger for example.
He knew early on he didn’t want the traditional Austrian life. He wanted to move to America and star in movies.
His plan? To win Mr. Universe, then use his body-building fame as a stepping-stone to Hollywood.
The rest (as they say) is history.
Now, goal setting is a huge topic in itself. But just remember, truly successful people always start with an incredibly ambitious target in life and consistently work towards it.
2) Stay humble (never stop learning)
Humility is a virtue, and pride comes before a fall.
This is so true.
Because, the moment you think you know it all, or you’ve found the holy grail, is the moment when you’ll come crashing down with a bump.
Albert Einstein once said, “More the knowledge, lesser the ego. Lesser the knowledge, more the ego.”
In other words, focus on continual learning and improvement rather than self-image and pride.
Truly successful people often marry humility with a growth mindset.
They believe that with enough practice, anything can be learned and their current weaknesses can be flipped into strengths.
3) Generous and willing to help others
Did you know that Bill Gates has donated around $50 billion (since 1994) to charity?
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
When your net worth is over $100 billion, it’s easy to give a little back.
But think about this – what came first, the chicken or the egg?
In other words, has Bill Gates always had a charitable outlook on life (even in his early years at Microsoft)?
Could his willingness to help others have actually helped him achieve massive success?
After all, charitable behavior has a ton of psychological benefits.
It can give us a sense of belonging, set an example for others, relieve stress, and make us feel good.
4) Never give up (resilience)
Truly successful people understand that you win or you learn.
They don’t view setbacks as failures. More like just a bit of turbulence on their journey.
And giving up isn’t really an option.
Look at JK Rowling.
We know her for writing the most popular children’s fiction series of all time.
But did you also know that while she was working on the Harry Potter books, she was unemployed and “poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless.”
When she first submitted Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, it was rejected by 12 publishers.
It might have been tempting to give up at that point.
Especially as her editor recommended she get a job (he thought it was highly unlikely she’d earn enough through writing to ever support herself).
100 million copies later, she was rewarded for her determination and resilience.
You could say that she had an amazing level of…
5) Self-confidence
This is a tricky one.
Because there’s a fine line between self-belief and arrogance.
But I suppose the distinction lies in past performance and actual results. Plus, the need to brag or boast about your achievements.
Where an arrogant individual has an over-inflated view of their ability or importance (but deep down feels unhappy), a self-confident person goes about their work quietly and genuinely feels content.
Truly successful people have bucketloads of self-confidence (and keep their small wins to themselves).
They understand that blowing your own trumpet and shouting from the rooftops doesn’t really achieve anything.
6) Have a plan B (and C, D, and E)
I’m not talking about giving up here.
Merely pivoting or thinking about a problem from a different angle.
When you boil it down, it’s about being adaptable and understanding we don’t always have to stick to our initial plan.
Think about it.
The moment we create our plan is also the moment when we have the least amount of information available to us (right at the beginning of our journey).
Things change. Unexpected events crop up. Life happens.
Successful people get this.
They’re creative enough to flex if the situation demands it.
7) (Calculated) risk-taking
Ever heard of “No risk, no reward”?
Well, successful people appreciate that to hit your goals, you’re probably going to have to get out of your comfort zone from time to time.
They also understand that where blind leaps of faith are reckless, taking on carefully calculated risks is almost a must.
8) Not being money-oriented
This sounds like a contradiction. After all, you want that villa in the sun with a shiny new Lambo parked in the drive, right?
But believe it or not, most successful people don’t think about the money.
This is reserved for those people who want get-rich-quick schemes and shortcuts.
Instead, truly successful individuals have a real passion for what they’re doing.
The money just comes naturally as a by-product of their great work, discipline, and dedication to reaching their goals.
So stop thinking about becoming wealthy, and start thinking about what you actually enjoy doing.
What gives you that flow state where time seems to fly by? Because I suggest you do more of that, and money will inevitably follow.
