Many think the successful are simply fortunate. But it's how they manage their luck that turns it into success.
Everyone wants to be lucky. People often see others who are successful and attribute it to luck or good fortune. Surely some successful people had little personal impact on their achievements. They may have been born into wealthy families, inherited good genes or simply have stumbled onto the right circumstances. But more often then not, people who get good luck handed to them either ignore it or squander it before they can take full advantage.
Super successful people don't need to rely on fate to get to the top. They take their own initiative to bring good fortune to their lives. Here are nine habits that successful people use to make the most of everything the universe throws at them.
1. They turn negatives into positives.
Every incident has polarity. What seems awesome to some can be a burden to others. Super successful people look pragmatically at each piece of information to see how they can manipulate it to their advantage.
2. They don't try to fix the present -- they create the future.
The past is a useful teacher but it is also a powerful attention magnet that can distract you from taking an objective and innovative approach. Super successful people learn from the past but examine the future as an unburdened frontier, worthy of new thinking.
3. They say yes, discriminately.
It's easy to get excited by possibility and equally easy to start many things that lead to nothing of substance. Super successful people know that time is a limited commodity. They evaluate carefully to make sure their energy expenditure has the greatest odds of returning a win.
4. They don't wait for opportunity, they generate it.
So many people think success should beat a path to their door, only to be disappointed by a lonely threshold. Super successful people can identify the germ of an idea and jumpstart it into action when everyone else is too busy to recognize the obvious value.
5. They do their homework.
Success hunters have a tendency to quickly jump into the fray without thinking through the challenges and obstacles. Super successful people want to know every possible reason a venture may fail and are diligent in surfacing them before digging in.
6. They make their goals tangible and specific.
Many strive for success or achievement without actually understanding what vision will actually satisfy their desire. Super successful people establish a clear picture of their vision, which they articulate with detail to those they recruit.
7. They are appropriately persistent.
Relentlessness is an oft-admired trait in entrepreneurs, but for some, it can lead to pushing beyond the usefulness of an idea. Super successful people understand when the idea just simply doesn't work or will take too much effort. They attentively assess when to push through the boundaries, or simply admit failure and preserve valuable resources.
8. They never stop learning or practicing.
There are many smart people at the top of their game who believe they have the tools and now just need to execute. Super successful people are never satisfied with their own knowledge. They realize the world is changing constantly and they have to keep up with the changes if they want to think ahead.
9. They manage their impatience.
Impatience is a great driver for success but can push leaders toward shortsighted or shallow decisions. Super successful people abhor waiting, but know the pain is worth the result for valuable process and real competitive advantage. They will leave the quick and easy stuff for competitors they will beat in the long run.
** This post originally appeared on inc.com and was penned by By Kevin Daum (Inc. 500 entrepreneur and best-selling author)
Everyone wants to be lucky. People often see others who are successful and attribute it to luck or good fortune. Surely some successful people had little personal impact on their achievements. They may have been born into wealthy families, inherited good genes or simply have stumbled onto the right circumstances. But more often then not, people who get good luck handed to them either ignore it or squander it before they can take full advantage.
Super successful people don't need to rely on fate to get to the top. They take their own initiative to bring good fortune to their lives. Here are nine habits that successful people use to make the most of everything the universe throws at them.
1. They turn negatives into positives.
Every incident has polarity. What seems awesome to some can be a burden to others. Super successful people look pragmatically at each piece of information to see how they can manipulate it to their advantage.
2. They don't try to fix the present -- they create the future.
The past is a useful teacher but it is also a powerful attention magnet that can distract you from taking an objective and innovative approach. Super successful people learn from the past but examine the future as an unburdened frontier, worthy of new thinking.
3. They say yes, discriminately.
It's easy to get excited by possibility and equally easy to start many things that lead to nothing of substance. Super successful people know that time is a limited commodity. They evaluate carefully to make sure their energy expenditure has the greatest odds of returning a win.
4. They don't wait for opportunity, they generate it.
So many people think success should beat a path to their door, only to be disappointed by a lonely threshold. Super successful people can identify the germ of an idea and jumpstart it into action when everyone else is too busy to recognize the obvious value.
5. They do their homework.
Success hunters have a tendency to quickly jump into the fray without thinking through the challenges and obstacles. Super successful people want to know every possible reason a venture may fail and are diligent in surfacing them before digging in.
6. They make their goals tangible and specific.
Many strive for success or achievement without actually understanding what vision will actually satisfy their desire. Super successful people establish a clear picture of their vision, which they articulate with detail to those they recruit.
7. They are appropriately persistent.
Relentlessness is an oft-admired trait in entrepreneurs, but for some, it can lead to pushing beyond the usefulness of an idea. Super successful people understand when the idea just simply doesn't work or will take too much effort. They attentively assess when to push through the boundaries, or simply admit failure and preserve valuable resources.
8. They never stop learning or practicing.
There are many smart people at the top of their game who believe they have the tools and now just need to execute. Super successful people are never satisfied with their own knowledge. They realize the world is changing constantly and they have to keep up with the changes if they want to think ahead.
9. They manage their impatience.
Impatience is a great driver for success but can push leaders toward shortsighted or shallow decisions. Super successful people abhor waiting, but know the pain is worth the result for valuable process and real competitive advantage. They will leave the quick and easy stuff for competitors they will beat in the long run.
** This post originally appeared on inc.com and was penned by By Kevin Daum (Inc. 500 entrepreneur and best-selling author)