We've long known that many so-called predictors of success
do not work. Rich kids end up as failures. Bright kids end
up working for other people. Attractive kids grow up to be
lonely. The most popular kids and best athletes do no
better (and often worse) than the "average" kids. Ambitious
kids flame out, and so forth.
And just to confound us further, many attractive, talented
kids actually do achieve great things! Go figure. These
things simply do not predict either external success or
internal happiness.
So what does predict success? Who gets to achieve external
success (wealth, fame, power, prestige, etc) and the
internal blessing of happiness? What are the predictors of
success in both realms? Because the true or ultimate
success--to have the things we want "out there" while also
being content and at peace--is worth pursuing. Who,
exactly, succeeds?
There are specific skills and behaviors that highly
successful people share and the tremendous good news is
that they are not genetic! You do not have to be born
"lucky!" You can learn or acquire these things. Here are a
few learn-able traits of highly successful people:
1. A paradox. Success is a "do-it-yourself" project and
yet no one gets there on their own. Successful people LEARN
to be successful by watching and emulating successful
people. Winners attend seminars, take the classes, read the
books (including biographies) and work with coaches and
mentors. I was reminded of that this week when I re-
listened (for about the 10th time!) to recordings of Jim
Rohn's weekend seminar. Jim taught me a lot! Being around
him, watching him, learning from him was one of the best
investments I've ever made.
2. Simplicity. This is actually a very sophisticated
concept and has more to do with balance or clarity than
with the number of appointments on your calendar. I've met
winners and business leaders who lead astonishingly quiet,
peaceful lives. Others are busy, on-the-go, making deals
every day. The outward "style" is not the issue. It's their
inner quiet. Successful people know who they are and where
they're going. They keep their feet on the ground, and are
rarely stressed.
3. Focused ambition. Successful people are ambitious, but
their ambition is very specific. They are eager, work hard,
and sometimes seem "driven" but they are focused to achieve
very particular results. Their ambition is not to "be
successful" or to "become" anything or anyone! Their
ambition is to achieve a clearly defined, specific outcome.
Whether success is teaching a 5-year old to read or
building a vast enterprise, their ambition is focused and
specific.
4. Insatiable curiosity. Successful people know there is a
way to achieve their goals and they will try any legal,
ethical technique to get there. They ask for suggestions,
borrow ideas wherever they find them, modify ideas from
other industries and search for solutions. Remember the
story of Sir Isaac Newton getting his great insight about
gravity when an apple fell from a tree? Successful people
are constant, careful, and eager observers!
5. Determination without stubbornness. Again we're back to
a paradox. Successful people never stop. They are hard
working, persistent people who never, never give up. But,
they can change their mind in an instant. They are open to
new information, a new way, a new solution and when they
find it, they can change direction in an instant. They are
not flighty! No one describes them as unpredictable or
chaotic, but when they see a better way, they grab it.
These are skills and they can be learned. They come more
easily to some than others, but anyone can become more open
to learning from a mentor. Anyone can nurture their
curiosity. We can all learn to persist and "stay the
course" in hard times. We can all learn the skills of
success and be one of the remarkable few who achieve
outstanding success in life. Who gets to achieve success?
Anyone who will learn the skills and apply the lessons to
become a successful person.
do not work. Rich kids end up as failures. Bright kids end
up working for other people. Attractive kids grow up to be
lonely. The most popular kids and best athletes do no
better (and often worse) than the "average" kids. Ambitious
kids flame out, and so forth.
And just to confound us further, many attractive, talented
kids actually do achieve great things! Go figure. These
things simply do not predict either external success or
internal happiness.
So what does predict success? Who gets to achieve external
success (wealth, fame, power, prestige, etc) and the
internal blessing of happiness? What are the predictors of
success in both realms? Because the true or ultimate
success--to have the things we want "out there" while also
being content and at peace--is worth pursuing. Who,
exactly, succeeds?
There are specific skills and behaviors that highly
successful people share and the tremendous good news is
that they are not genetic! You do not have to be born
"lucky!" You can learn or acquire these things. Here are a
few learn-able traits of highly successful people:
1. A paradox. Success is a "do-it-yourself" project and
yet no one gets there on their own. Successful people LEARN
to be successful by watching and emulating successful
people. Winners attend seminars, take the classes, read the
books (including biographies) and work with coaches and
mentors. I was reminded of that this week when I re-
listened (for about the 10th time!) to recordings of Jim
Rohn's weekend seminar. Jim taught me a lot! Being around
him, watching him, learning from him was one of the best
investments I've ever made.
2. Simplicity. This is actually a very sophisticated
concept and has more to do with balance or clarity than
with the number of appointments on your calendar. I've met
winners and business leaders who lead astonishingly quiet,
peaceful lives. Others are busy, on-the-go, making deals
every day. The outward "style" is not the issue. It's their
inner quiet. Successful people know who they are and where
they're going. They keep their feet on the ground, and are
rarely stressed.
3. Focused ambition. Successful people are ambitious, but
their ambition is very specific. They are eager, work hard,
and sometimes seem "driven" but they are focused to achieve
very particular results. Their ambition is not to "be
successful" or to "become" anything or anyone! Their
ambition is to achieve a clearly defined, specific outcome.
Whether success is teaching a 5-year old to read or
building a vast enterprise, their ambition is focused and
specific.
4. Insatiable curiosity. Successful people know there is a
way to achieve their goals and they will try any legal,
ethical technique to get there. They ask for suggestions,
borrow ideas wherever they find them, modify ideas from
other industries and search for solutions. Remember the
story of Sir Isaac Newton getting his great insight about
gravity when an apple fell from a tree? Successful people
are constant, careful, and eager observers!
5. Determination without stubbornness. Again we're back to
a paradox. Successful people never stop. They are hard
working, persistent people who never, never give up. But,
they can change their mind in an instant. They are open to
new information, a new way, a new solution and when they
find it, they can change direction in an instant. They are
not flighty! No one describes them as unpredictable or
chaotic, but when they see a better way, they grab it.
These are skills and they can be learned. They come more
easily to some than others, but anyone can become more open
to learning from a mentor. Anyone can nurture their
curiosity. We can all learn to persist and "stay the
course" in hard times. We can all learn the skills of
success and be one of the remarkable few who achieve
outstanding success in life. Who gets to achieve success?
Anyone who will learn the skills and apply the lessons to
become a successful person.
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