We have all come across people who have something special, people who, whatever they do, are capable of giving the best of themselves, facing challenges and amplifying the possibilities of success in everything they touch.

Success and failure: concepts to be clarified

No matter what profession or sector we are working in, everywhere we can distinguish between people who achieve their goals, and others who do not . Obviously, when we talk about success or failure, it is necessary to clarify that each person has his or her own standards about what defines one and the other concept. From the most purely material issues (work success, good remuneration, affluent life…) to issues related to emotions and the feeling of generosity (degree of subjective happiness, the level of affection towards the work one performs…), all of them constitute essential parts of what we understand by success, at a generic level.

This means that there is a very visible part of success, while there are other elements, equally or more important, that remain hidden and are only understood from the subjectivity and the scale of values of each person. In any case, each one of us confers a relative importance to these factors.

In search of success: the importance of attitude

As we were saying, however we value which elements constitute what we understand as success, there are people who come close to this ideal and manage to develop their skills and abilities, while others are not so lucky. Success, to a large extent, depends on how we approach the day-to-day. Attitude, tenacity, commitment and the ability to sacrifice often make the difference between people who manage to achieve their goals (not just professionally, mind you) and those who do not.

It is not important in ‘what’, but ‘how’. Here we have to highlight, at the outset, a common point among people who manage to be successful. It is not about the talent or the skill we possess (which of course also play a role), but about the work ethic, attitude, discipline and the ability to persevere despite difficulties.

Attracting success

Some people believe that they have no control over their life, and therefore no control over their personal and professional success. This is a mistake. Success does not come by magic or by mere luck. If you stop to think about the people you know who have been successful, you will notice that they all have a similar set of values and habits .

It’s these habits and beliefs that allow them to thrive and eventually find that four-leaf clover that gives a definitive boost to their career. Therefore, they are not passive people, but those who work incessantly on what they love, until their effort ends up materializing.

The 7 habits that can help you succeed in life

In this post we are going to reflect on the seven habits that successful people make different from, say, less successful people . If you are able to incorporate these tips into your personal and professional life, you will probably start going in the right direction.

Keep in mind that all these skills are trainable and can be improved: nobody is born a winner, but it is the circumstances and our mentality that lead us to success or failure.

1. Pursue your passion and dedicate yourself body and soul to it

If you want to stand out in something, love it . If what you do doesn’t convince you, don’t insist: you are not on the right track. Successful people have in common the way they love and are passionate about what they do. When your passion becomes your livelihood, success is (almost) assured.

2. Leave behind passivity and learn to make your own decisions

A common trait of people who succeed in reaching their goals is their determination. Moreover, they are not only courageous and make decisions autonomously, but they are usually quite skilled at doing so . The great opportunities in life do not knock twice, so you have to know how to detect them and get on the winning train. Successful people often get it right.

3. Focus and Train

Successful people are true gurus of what they do . We cannot get to know a thousand things at once, it is better that we only go deeper into the field in which we want to specialize. This does not mean that you should not satisfy your curiosity with everything that makes you restless, but it is important that you are a true expert in the area in which you want to develop your skills.

4. Surround yourself with positive, clear-minded people

Let’s not forget: surrounding yourself with positive people makes us positive people . It seems obvious but it’s good to keep it in mind.If we surround ourselves with negative people and no ideas, we are also likely to get that bad attitude. If you live and deal with people who are different from each other but with the common denominator of being restless, active and determined, you can surely learn a lot from them. Besides, surrounding yourself with friends and colleagues with clear ideas will help you to have enough support to carry out projects. Turning great ideas into profitable businesses also means forming cohesive work teams where each member specializes in a particular aspect.

5. Trust your possibilities and your dreams

It is inevitable to refer to the potential of positive thinking. It is a cliché, but people who succeed in life are able to glimpse success long before it occurs . They are a bit visionary. They may not be 100% sure that their project will be a complete success, but they don’t lose hope and keep on working every day. In the end, consistency and persistence pay off.

6. Excellence is not an option, but an obligation

Settling for a moderately good result is not typical of successful people . If you want to stand out in your sector, you have to surpass the good and achieve excellence. There is no better way to make a name for yourself than to take care of the details and give your best every day. If your work ethic is good but not excellent, consider how this may affect you in the medium and long term. People who achieve excellence are those who put a lot of effort into it, nothing comes by chance.

7. Live a healthy life and have healthy habits

Beware, not everything in this life is working on a piecework basis . In fact, such a focused attitude is very counterproductive if your goal is to become very good in your field. People who achieve their goals know the decisive importance of recharging their batteries and having space for leisure, relaxation and hobbies. We need these moments of peace and quiet so that our minds can restructure all the information and stimuli they receive during the working days. It is therefore necessary that we become aware of how vital it is to eat properly, go for a walk, do a little physical exercise, meditate, read… and even simply lie on the couch without doing anything at all.

Can you think of other habits that make a difference?

If you can think of other habits or characteristics of successful people that have not been mentioned in this post, I invite you to leave a comment, just below these lines .