Success Advice
5 Special Ingredients That Successful People Are Made of
We know what a successful person looks like. But how did they achieve success? You’ve heard the old adage that perseverance, some luck, and follow your deepest passion are the keys to success. The problem with that adage, it’s vague and broad. It’s like saying, “I want to be healthy”. What does being healthy specifically entail? Do you want to live longer, become lean, or do you want to stop eating junk food?
Success is vague and broad because there are many ways to be successful. The good news is success has underlying principles. Knowing these principles will help you understand what others did to succeed and why they do it.
Here are 5 special ingredients that successful people are made of:
1. They don’t see themselves as successful
Once they hit their goal, they quickly move on to the next goal. Always trying to exceed what they’ve accomplished. This is how passion is created. The more you achieve, the hungrier you get. The hungrier you get, the more passionate you are. It is a perpetual cycle.
A surefire way to fall short of being extraordinary is to think success as an end goal. People who did extraordinary things are always striving for improvement. They are always striving to get better. And they are always striving until they fail their way to success. There’s no secret. Success is a journey, not a destination.
“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson
2. They are small winners
In order to be a big winner, you have to be a small winner. Being a small winner means focusing on small daily achievements. Success is something that is built laying brick after brick. When you compound those small achievements one-percent a day, sooner or later you will find yourself with a well-built wall.
When you are confronted with an obstacle, remember all you need is to lay one brick to win. Because it’s not passion, not willpower, nor any motivational articles that will push you through the tough times. What pushes people is the slight taste of success. Because small progress towards a goal is the most powerful motivator.
3. Successful people know when to quit
One of the most successful athletes that knew when to quit was Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan’s first love was baseball. His father dreamed of seeing Jordan play Major League Baseball. However, Jordan did not follow his childhood passion. He put aside his pursuit to be a baseball professional, and used his strengths to become one of the greatest basketball players.
If you want to succeed you need to know your strengths and weaknesses. Peter Drucker, the father of management, said one should waste as little effort as possible on improving areas of low competence. It takes far more energy and work to improve from incompetence to mediocrity than it takes to improve from first-rate performance to excellence. Two things that will propel you to success is to quit improving your incompetencies and start focusing on what you can be the best at.
4. They are executioners
The driving force of success is execution. A mediocre plan that is executed today is better than a perfect plan executed next month. We know what it takes to lose that belly fat, but we don’t execute it. We procrastinate our goals and push them off to later until we have more time, money, or when we are in a better situation. They may be all good reasons, but good reasons are still excuses dressed up nicely.
Success rewards those who have a bias towards action. And to take action, you may need some courage. Everything that is worth doing always lies outside the comfort zone.
“Brilliant thinking is rare, but courage is in even shorter supply than genius.” – Peter Thiel
5. They are not as disciplined as you think they are
A common myth is you have to be highly disciplined to achieve success. Most successful people are not highly disciplined. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn’t need discipline to go to the gym. He made exercising a routine. And his conscious decision to create a routine created his habit to workout.
Success is not an accumulation of conscious decisions. It’s an accumulation of automatic behaviors. It is created one habit at a time. When you make the shift from a conscious behavior into an automatic behavior, that is when you will see your life change. Because when you form a habit, your habit forms you.
What other elements do you think successful people are made of? Leave your thoughts below!
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9 Harsh Truths Every Young Man Must Face to Succeed in the Modern World
Before chasing success, every young man needs to face these 9 brutal realities shaping masculinity in the modern world.
Many young men today quietly battle depression, loneliness, and a sense of confusion about who they’re meant to be.
Some blame the lack of deep friendships or romantic relationships. Others feel lost in a digital world that often labels traditional masculinity as “toxic.”
But the truth is this: becoming a man in the modern age takes more than just surviving. It takes resilience, direction, and a willingness to grow even when no one’s watching.
Success doesn’t arrive by accident or luck. It’s built on discipline, sacrifice, and consistency.
Here are 9 harsh truths every young man should know if he wants to thrive, not just survive, in the digital age.
1. Never Use Your Illness as an Excuse
As Dr. Jordan B. Peterson often says, successful people don’t complain; they act.
Your illness, hardship, or struggle shouldn’t define your limits; it should define your motivation. Rest when you must, but always get back up and keep building your dreams. Motivation doesn’t appear magically. It comes after you take action.
Here are five key lessons I’ve learned from Dr. Peterson:
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Learn to write clearly; clarity of thought makes you dangerous.
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Read quality literature in your free time.
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Nurture a strong relationship with your family.
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Share your ideas publicly; your voice matters.
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Become a “monster”, powerful, but disciplined enough to control it.
The best leaders and thinkers are grounded. They welcome criticism, adapt quickly, and keep moving forward no matter what.
2. You Can’t Please Everyone And That’s Okay
You don’t need a crowd of people to feel fulfilled. You need a few friends who genuinely accept you for who you are.
If your circle doesn’t bring out your best, it’s okay to walk away. Solitude can be a powerful teacher. It gives you space to understand what you truly want from life. Remember, successful men aren’t people-pleasers; they’re purpose-driven.
3. You Can Control the Process, Not the Outcome
Especially in creative work, writing, business, or content creation, you control effort, not results.
You might publish two articles a day, but you can’t dictate which one will go viral. Focus on mastery, not metrics. Many great writers toiled for years in obscurity before anyone noticed them. Rejection, criticism, and indifference are all part of the path.
The best creators focus on storytelling, not applause.
4. Rejection Is Never Personal
Rejection doesn’t mean you’re unworthy. It simply means your offer, idea, or timing didn’t align.
Every successful person has faced rejection repeatedly. What separates them is persistence and perspective. They see rejection as feedback, not failure. The faster you learn that truth, the faster you’ll grow.
5. Women Value Comfort and Security
Understanding women requires maturity and empathy.
Through books, lectures, and personal growth, I’ve learned that most women desire a man who is grounded, intelligent, confident, emotionally stable, and consistent. Some want humor, others intellect, but nearly all want to feel safe and supported.
Instead of chasing attention, work on self-improvement. Build competence and confidence, and the rest will follow naturally.
6. There’s No Such Thing as Failure, Only Lessons
A powerful lesson from Neuro-Linguistic Programming: failure only exists when you stop trying.
Every mistake brings data. Every setback builds wisdom. The most successful men aren’t fearless. They’ve simply learned to act despite fear.
Be proud of your scars. They’re proof you were brave enough to try.
7. Public Speaking Is an Art Form
Public speaking is one of the most valuable and underrated skills a man can master.
It’s not about perfection; it’s about connection. The best speakers tell stories, inspire confidence, and make people feel seen. They research deeply, speak honestly, and practice relentlessly.
If you can speak well, you can lead, sell, teach, and inspire. Start small, practice at work, in class, or even in front of a mirror, and watch your confidence skyrocket.
8. Teaching Is Leadership in Disguise
Great teachers are not just knowledgeable. They’re brave, compassionate, and disciplined.
Teaching forces you to articulate what you know, and in doing so, you master it at a deeper level. Whether you’re mentoring a peer, leading a team, or sharing insights online, teaching refines your purpose.
Lifelong learners become lifelong leaders.
9. Study Human Nature to Achieve Your Dreams
One of the toughest lessons to accept: most people are self-interested.
That’s not cynicism, it’s human nature. Understanding this helps you navigate relationships, business, and communication more effectively.
Everyone has a darker side, but successful people learn to channel theirs productively into discipline, creativity, and drive.
Psychology isn’t just theory; it’s a toolkit. Learn how people think, act, and decide, and you’ll know how to lead them, influence them, and even understand yourself better.
Final Thoughts
The digital age offers endless opportunities, but only to those who are willing to take responsibility, confront discomfort, and keep improving.
Becoming a man today means embracing the hard truths most avoid.
Because at the end of the day, success isn’t about luck. It’s about who you become when life tests you the most.
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