They might just be one in the crowd. The successful person might be the woman sitting casually in a coffee shop while sipping her coffee quietly or the man who travelled with you in the subway today while reading a book. They might as well be the man or woman who sits behind the cabin glass while paying you occasional visits.
Successful people don’t look different but they definitely make you feel the difference when you are around them. They radiate happiness and positivity.
Here are 10 things that make successful people different from the rest:
1. They build their own brand
In this competitive world, nothing sells itself. You have to stand up and shout. Your profile is your product. Successful people understand that. They build their personal brand to highlight the best in them. They sell their profile like it’s a product and they know how to promote their brand.
Advice: Educate yourself. The more you keep yourself informed, the more ideas you have. Build your website. Have a strong hold on social media and you need to network.
2. They embrace fearlessness
Successful people aren’t afraid of taking risks. One of the Ariana Huffington’s quotes on fearlessness makes perfect sense for all those people who have a dream of doing something big. People who bring a change are different from people who wish to make a change. Difference? Fearlessness.
Advice: Fearlessness does not mean not having fears. It means to conquer your fears. Venture into things you are passionate about even if you think it’s risky. You might fail, but there’s equal probability that you succeed. Even if you fail, it will bring lessons. Life is too short to let fear creep in.
“But you have to do what you dream of doing even while you’re afraid.” – Arianna Huffington
3. They set priorities
Successful people know the importance of prioritizing. They prioritize not just work, but also people, goals, desires, money, learning. Life is all about the choices you make. They understand that priorities are never linear. They are complex. They have equations. Those who are successful have conquered these equations and they know what is important when and why.
Advice: Prioritizing is tough. You need to have a clear head about it. There can be a day when work is a priority and there can be another when family needs your attention. It’s never hierarchical. Figure out the equation that works best with you.
4. They keep ego aside to learn
Successful people know that success can get to your head. They also know how to keep it at bay. They strive for learning even if it comes from a junior at work. They prioritize learning over ego and keep trying to gather knowledge from every possible source. They won’t be ashamed of admitting mistakes. A successful man challenges himself and keeps trying to be a better version of himself.
Advice: Keep learning. Get a professional degree. Indulge in important issues. Talk to knowledgeable people. People who bloat with ego have a short span to their success.
5. They are good leaders
Successful people know the difference between being bossy and being a good leader. A good leader is a good problem solver. Successful people help those around them while climbing the ladder of success.
Advice: Keep improving and help others benefit from your knowledge. Good leaders are good motivators. Know how to motivate people without degrading them.
6. They know how to be authoritative
Women, in order to prove themselves in a man’s world, often tend to be over polite and avoid denying anything asked of them to do. This leads to exploitation. Successful women know how to stand stern in a man’s world. They make their own world and it’s no more a man’s world for them. They are authoritative and they are not shy of asserting their views and feedbacks.
Successful men too know how to be authoritative when the time calls. It’s an art they need to master to keep things under control.
Advice: Learn how to say NO. Know your authority and be confident about it. Take as many tasks as you can perform and do it with diligence. Be assertive about your convictions.
7. They keep emotions at bay
A successful person knows that emotions have no room in the professional space. They knows that they have different lives to live, and when to switch from one to another. Successful people realize that work isn’t life. They know how to maintain a work-life balance.
Advice: Learn to maintain a balance between work and personal life. An important tip to do that is to leave no backlogs. Pending stuff disturbs work life balance. Work hard in your office and switch your professional mode off otherwise. Enjoy yourself.
8. They can hold a conversation for longer
Successful people don’t shy away from meaningful conversations. They participate in debates on important world issues and they have ample knowledge and beliefs to share. They know how to express their convictions. Successful people master the skill of communicating and they know how to emanate an aura of charisma.
Advice: Be informed and have confidence in your thoughts. Improve your communication skills.
9. They know the importance of a good routine
Sleep, diet, exercise, and good thoughts are all things that successful people pay special attention to. Not every successful person might be hitting the gym but he or she does realize the importance of good health. Such people know how to maintain a balance between mind, body, and soul. They know the significance of taking out time for themselves to breathe and heal. They smile. They know the wonders of a smiling face.
Advice: Take time out for yourself. Pay attention to your diet. Get sufficient sleep. Give way to good thoughts. Smile.
“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” – Thomas Merton
10. They are not perfectionists
Successful people are NOT perfect. They know that perfection is a syndrome. They realize that perfection holds a different definition for everyone and every situation.
Advice: Don’t try to live up to other’s expectations. Don’t try to be successful. Just try to be the best version of you. Learn. Live. Be passionate about something. And Enjoy Life. Success follows.
Aditya I think being fearless is your most important point. Fear stops us from achieving so much and I have learned to dance with it. Dancing with fear was something that I learned at a Tony Robbins seminar.
Nice article. I love the insights you’ve pointed out. #3 is the biggest insight I need to work on. hard to keep my priorities straight currently 🙁
To have a successful life you should know how to be patient , rid your ego, surround your self with great guys, be a hardworker.ultimately hope for luck.
#7 and #10 are the hardest to keep in check but the most important trates that build success!
Very interesting insights. However, unlike Bryan I highly disagree with keeping emotions at bay.
The very reason why most people have big problems with their emotions is because they bottle them up. That’s what leads to outbursts or being completely dull.
Now I’m not saying you need to act all emotional in front of clients or so. But you really need to take the time to process those emotions, otherwise they will get you sooner or later.
Also emotions do have a place in the professional world. Knowing and being able to relate to the emotions of your clients help a lot to craft great products and services.
At least that’s what I have seen working behind the scenes for success entrepreneurs.
Last one, because it says, that you have to enjoy your life and yourself, it’s the most important thing for me.
I think #10 is the most important because when you realized that you don’t need to be perfect in all things, and that you only need to go at your own pace consistently, success will surely come even though you encounter failure on the way.
Great insights Aditya. I especially like #7 – They keep their emotions at bay. The emotional response or lack thereof is something I’ve noticed in some of the most successful people and leaders I’ve dealt with.