What separates the truly accomplished go-getters of the world and the might have beens stuck in a pursuit? Loads of capital, smarts, good looks, connections, and talents are cool and all but they will drive you down a dark path without the right mindset to guide you.

The key to unwavering self-worth and higher quality of life is to develop a mindset conducive to the success that’s meaningful to you.

Here are 4 tips to help you succeed in your own way:

1. Don’t worry about what other people think

Do you believe you were put on this planet to do what everyone else wanted? No? Then don’t act like it.  Successful people do things because they want to, not because someone else is telling them they should. Attempting to gain approval and please everyone else will do nothing but put you in a perpetual state of frustration.

If someone has a problem with you, is that your problem? Or is it theirs? Let them figure out their own solution.  Those drowning in the sea of misery will always try to pull you down to keep their own heads above water. But once you get out of the water, they can’t touch you.

Ask yourself, “Why do I do what I do?”.  Is it because you desire to or is it so you can go run and tell the others? From now on let your mind, filled with your values, passions, and what’s ultimately important to you, guide your behavior.

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.” – Bruce Lee

2. Own up to your responsibilities

Who is responsible for your success? No, it’s not the government, or your spouse, or your co-worker, it’s you! But we already knew that, right? So then why are so many people addicted to playing the victim role?

Because it’s the easy way out. Blaming the outside world for the situations in your life may gain you temporary sympathy and instant relief, but it inhibits the long-term results you desire. Not many things in this world make you more powerful and mature than taking responsibility for where you stand.

This is how you go from a self-pitying state to a solution-seeking state. From being a lifeless object at the mercy of circumstances to an empowered human being with the capacity to improve anything.

So who cares about what your boss does, or what situation you were thrown into, or your co-workers incompetence. What matters is your ability and commitment to finding solutions, regardless of who appears to be at fault. The best leaders own up and take responsibility for what happens in their company or to their team. To lead a great life is no different.

3. Win for the right reasons

Just because you seem to win all the time doesn’t mean you are a winner. When we win for the sake of winning, we don’t realize what we may lose in the process. Taking the prize for every battle, confrontation, and disagreement may satisfy your ego for the time being, but that’s as far as it will take you.

Don’t get me wrong, winning is the name of the game, if it’s for the right reasons. An obsession with winning can become a distraction to achieving real results. It can also ruin a prized asset if we aren’t strategic with it.

You must know that what others may consider a loss, can sometimes be a long-term win. This realization is crucial to seeing the bigger picture in life and rising above the rest of the pack. Target 100% of your efforts into winning those challenges which actually influence your success.  Why waste your precious energy on meaningless victory?

4. The world is yours

How would you know if what I experience as the color blue—and what you experience as the color blue, is identical? Our external sensors are picking up the same electromagnetic frequency. However, once that energy is inside the brain, all bets are off.

Sure, we can agree to call something blue, but that doesn’t mean we see the same thing. In fact, we probably don’t. The outside world is nothing more than a myriad of various energy waves that your brain uses as building blocks to construct its own, customized, three-dimensional representation.

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent Peale

In other words, your brain is not recording the world you see, it is actively creating it. When you realize your brain is the engineer of your entire human experience, the possibilities become endless. You have the power to create your world as you desire it. Your only limitation is your imagination. Why not make the best of it?

How will you succeed in your own way? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!