Fifty Habits of Highly Successful People
So I thought that I might write a quick review of every self-help book ever written all right here in this one little article. Simple enough. I love the easy jobs. Surely it couldn’t be that hard, could it? I figured that maybe I could take the important lessons from every self-help book I’ve read and every life experience I’ve endured, condense all that into fifty key points and save everybody a whole bunch of reading time. Sure, global book sales in the self-help field might take a down-turn for a decade or so, but I’m willing to take that chance and put in a solid sixty minutes (or so) work for the good of humanity; my gift to mankind.
Selfless I know.
I thought that perhaps I could follow Stephen Covey’s lead (the Seven Habits) and come up with my own list of say… Fifty Habits (in truth, some of them are more qualities, than habits). It couldn’t be too difficult to distill all those millions of words, tens of thousands of books and that vast well of information, inspiration, wisdom and insight which has been collated over the centuries into one teensy-weensy article by the ex-fat kid (me). Who else could be better qualified?
Don’t answer that.
Habits of successful people….
1. They look for and find opportunities where others see nothing.
2. They find a lesson while others only see a problem.
3. They are solution focused.
4. They consciously and methodically create their own success, while others hope success will find them.
5. They are fearful like everyone else, but they are not controlled or limited by fear.
6. They ask the right questions - the ones which put them in a productive, creative, positive mindset and emotional state.
7. They rarely complain (waste of energy). All complaining does is put the complainer in a negative and unproductive state.
8. They don’t blame (what’s the point?). They take complete responsibility for their actions and outcomes (or lack thereof).
9. While they are not necessarily more talented than the majority, they always find a way to maximise their potential. They get more out of themselves. They use what they have more effectively.
10. They are busy, productive and proactive. While most are laying on the couch, planning, over-thinking, sitting on their hands and generally going around in circles, they are out there getting the job done.
11. They align themselves with like-minded people. They understand the importance of being part of a team. They create win-win relationships.
12. They are ambitious; they want amazing - and why shouldn’t they? They consciously choose to live their best life rather than spending it on auto-pilot.
13. They have clarity and certainty about what they want (and don’t want) for their life. They actually visualise and plan their best reality while others are merely spectators of life.
14. They innovate rather than imitate.
15. They don’t procrastinate and they don’t spend their life waiting for the ‘right time’.
16. They are life-long learners. They constantly work at educating themselves, either formally (academically), informally (watching, listening, asking, reading, student of life) or experientially (doing, trying)… or all three.
17. They are glass half full people - while still being practical and down-to-earth. They have an ability to find the good.
18. They consistently do what they need to do, irrespective of how they are feeling on a given day. They don’t spend their life stopping and starting.
19. They take calculated risks - financial, emotional, professional, psychological.
20. They deal with problems and challenges quickly and effectively, they don’t put their head in the sand. They face their challenges and use them to improve themselves.
21. They don’t believe in, or wait for fate, destiny, chance or luck to determine or shape their future. They believe in, and are committed to actively and consciously creating their own best life.
22. While many people are reactive, they are proactive. They take action before they have to.
23. They are more effective than most at managing their emotions. They feel like we all do but they are not slaves to their emotions.
24. They are good communicators and they consciously work at it.
25. They have a plan for their life and they work methodically at turning that plan into a reality. Their life is not a clumsy series of unplanned events and outcomes.
26. Their desire to be exceptional means that they typically do things that most won’t. They become exceptional by choice. We’re all faced with live-shaping decisions almost daily. Successful people make the decisions that most won’t and don’t.
27. While many people are pleasure junkies and avoid pain and discomfort at all costs, successful people understand the value and benefits of working through the tough stuff that most would avoid.
28. They have identified their core values (what is important to them) and they do their best to live a life which is reflective of those values.
29. They have balance. While they may be financially successful, they know that the terms money and success are not interchangeable. They understand that people who are successful on a financial level only, are not successful at all. Unfortunately we live in a society which teaches that money equals success. Like many other things, money is a tool. It’s certainly not a bad thing but ultimately, it’s just another resource. Unfortunately, too many people worship it.
30. They understand the importance of discipline and self-control. They are strong. They are happy to take the road less travelled.
31. They are secure. They do not derive their sense of worth of self from what they own, who they know, where they live or what they look like.
32. They are generous and kind. They take pleasure in helping others achieve.
33. They are humble and they are happy to admit mistakes and to apologise. They are confident in their ability, but not arrogant. They are happy to learn from others. They are happy to make others look good rather than seek their own personal glory.
34. They are adaptable and embrace change, while the majority are creatures of comfort and habit. They are comfortable with, and embrace, the new and the unfamiliar.
35. They keep themselves in shape physically, not to be mistaken with training for the Olympics or being obsessed with their body. They understand the importance of being physically well. They are not all about looks, they are more concerned with function and health. Their body is not who they are, it’s where they live.
36. They have a big engine. They work hard and are not lazy.
37. They are resilient. When most would throw in the towel, they’re just warming up.
38. They are open to, and more likely to act upon, feedback.
39. They don’t hang out with toxic people.
40. They don’t invest time or emotional energy into things which they have no control of.
41. They are happy to swim against the tide, to do what most won’t. They are not people pleasers and they don’t need constant approval.
42. They are more comfortable with their own company than most.
43. They set higher standards for themselves (a choice we can all make), which in turn produces greater commitment, more momentum, a better work ethic and of course, better results.
44. They don’t rationalise failure. While many are talking about their age, their sore back, their lack of time, their poor genetics, their ‘bad luck’, their nasty boss and their lack of opportunities (all good reasons to fail), they are finding a way to succeed despite all their challenges.
45. They have an off switch. They know how to relax, enjoy what they have in their life and to have fun.
46. Their career is not their identity, it’s their job. It’s not who they are, it’s what they do.
47. They are more interested in effective than they are in easy. While the majority look for the quickest, easiest way (the shortcut), they look for the course of action which will produce the best results over the long term.
48. They finish what they start. While so many spend their life starting things that they never finish, successful people get the job done - even when the excitement and the novelty have worn off. Even when it ain’t fun.
49. They are multi-dimensional, amazing, wonderful complex creatures (as we all are). They realise that not only are they physical and psychological beings, but emotional and spiritual creatures as well. They consciously work at being healthy and productive on all levels.
50. They practice what they preach. They don’t talk about the theory, they live the reality.
So there you have it, your days of reading self-help books are done!
Okay, maybe not. I may have missed a few. Feel free to add a habit or two of your own to the list.
WRITER'S BIOGRAPHY
Craig Harper
Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is a qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, television host, motivational speaker and university lecturer. For the past 25 years he has been a leading presenter, educator, motivator and commentator in the areas of personal and professional development. You can visit Craig's blog at Motivational Speaker.
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Comments
Farfield says on May 12th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Wow that’s a great list. And quite inspiring. Thanks for sharing it! I’m reading ‘the Magic of Thinking Big’ at the moment, and recognize a lot. But I will continue reading if you don’t mind, maybe I’ll still find something new!
Trish says on May 12th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
That’s what I call a real condensed version of all those self-motivating/help/success books sitting on folk’s shelves who don’t have either the time or motivation to read them.
I love it!
Frank says on May 12th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Great post…
Try to work on one different habit each day
Simon says on May 12th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Thanks Craig for this great post.
When I saw the title I thought “Okay, here we go” but I have to say this is a great list! Lots of good stuff to ponder.
Simon
Bill Wallace says on May 12th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I had to laugh at the intro. Good job. Plus I’m trying to be an “ex-fat” as well.
Great list and well condensed. Quite a bit to ponder, especially with a few challenges I’m having at work currently. A few of these will get me through.
Great work, Craig!
ZZY says on May 12th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
In my experience the most successful people have always been those ruthless enough to bully everyone else into doing all the work for them. This rather “Disney” glorification of positive thinking is wonderful to read but lacks any sense of reality. Sure, it can help, but look at those in positions of power around you, are they all like the Dalai Lama? If this were true David Allen would be standing in Bill Gates shoes … and how do you explain George Bush using this model? Yes I know, tongue in cheek, I’ll take the lessons with an open heart but I refute premise - it’s just marketing, still, it got me here though!
My Life In a Cube says on May 12th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Now for the 5 habits of highly UNsuccessful people:
1. They take surf the internet until lunch.
2. Then surf the internet some more.
3. They worry how they should bill time spent in the bathroom.
4. They make lists while they should be working.
5. They read http://www.MyLifeInaCube.com
Lonnie says on May 12th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
First of all - this list is wonderful. There are many, many qualities that you have listed that I see existing within myself, and it helps me to understand why I am very happy with where I am currently and where I am heading in life.
As far as ZZY’s comment, it is true that ruthless behavior can make an individual ascend up a corporate ladder, but a proper professional foundation is built upon exhibition of the qualities within this list. Yes, Bill Gates has billions of dollars - if I am to measure success based on money, I would have to agree that he is extremely successful. However, with the current trend of OpenXML document format interoperability and various free & lower-priced business applications, Microsoft has now submitted to joining the Interop Vendor Alliance to ensure that their various customers will continue using their products. Just because my company uses Microsoft’s operating system for client access to the enterprise network in addition to the Microsoft Office Suite does not mean that I will only consider Microsoft Dynamics for my accounting and customer relationship management needs. In order to consider being successful, Microsoft has proactively started to collaborate with their very own competitors to ensure that their various systems can communicate effectively together, keeping the business intelligence advantage universal. Microsoft will continue to be “successful” in my eyes because the company itself is willing to adapt to change and see the potential within collaboration with other vendors for future innovation, rather than just trying to be the “Office Productivity Monopolistic Bully” it once was.
The other thing is: Simon is fricken cute. That’s not your doing, but I even had eye candy while visiting your article, so this has made my evening.
As far as ZZY’s comment, it is true that ruthless behavior can make an individual ascend up a corporate ladder, but a proper professional foundation is built upon exhibition of the qualities within this list. Yes, Bill Gates has billions of dollars - if I am to measure success based on money, I would have to agree that he is extremely successful. However, look at how much submission Microsoft
Lightning says on May 12th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Sounded promising Craig- but unfortunately this list is mainly hokum !
A powerful metaphor for ’success’ is nicely presented by the imagery of “the surfer”.
A true surfer - gets out of bed early and checks the surf when others stay in bed. He/she surfs when its raiining,shining etc if the “surfs on”.
They don’t waste their energy trying to create waves, they go to where the waves are, they use a rip to pull them out rather than fight the whitewater to get out , then they wait and catches the right waves, by placing themselves in the right place to catch them - then when its on they get to their feet as quickly as possible ! AND RIDE - not fight, their way to the beach…and do it again and again until they can do it without much effort. They have fun riding waves , not creating them.
The stuff thats presented here makes it sound like that people should/can create their OWN waves, anywhere, anytime ! BS. Those types end up drowning!
Peng says on May 12th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Your list started getting, frankly, stagnant at about #20. It got repetitive and the second half is arguably contradicting the first half. You imply that a person should be both assertive, proactive, focus on himself, yet know his limits and be flexible, timid, and mindful of others. I find that more of an ideal than a practical model applicable to a living person. I think you need to point out that a successful person must know how to discriminate and prioritize. While being a ‘people pleaser’ isn’t effective, neither is being stubborn to one’s personal goal. Because you don’t address that being successful means balancing opposites, when you add ‘open to feedback’ to the same list as ‘knowing what he wants’, your list starts seeming hypocritical and incredible.
supermance says on May 13th, 2008 at 5:52 am
wow, this list is great. im gonna print it
mikmod says on May 13th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Yea I’m printing this one too, would have been nice if the interface had a printer friendly option…
Cy says on May 13th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Thanks for the list! I printed from the RSS feed.
eoh says on May 13th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
@ Peng
“when you add ‘open to feedback’ to the same list as ‘knowing what he wants’, your list starts seeming hypocritical and incredible.”
And i think there is the exact point. If you think those dont mix, you’re bound to flee into one and loose it. My goal can be to get that great job. But if i dont listen to others on how they see me, i might have a very onesided view of myself. And feedback can get you further then you even thought (e.i. set yout goals even higher): “did you think about…. or: why not…. And peoplepleaser and stubborn is good. When you;re honoust and clear, those can mix. Things go pearshaped when you are just one.
FUNG says on May 14th, 2008 at 1:46 am
I would like to add one to the list.
51. They use GMAIL
Jax Sol says on May 14th, 2008 at 3:13 am
At my job, I have been and still am having an excessivly difficult time doing #6.
Any tips for getting in the right mindframe to ask the right questions? What are the right questions?
I’m trying so hard to get out of my day-to-day autopilot routine… starting to wonder, if I lack the strategic, big-picture goods to do what’s needed at my job.
Jas says on May 14th, 2008 at 8:32 am
@mylifeinacube - Hey, try not spamming next time, thanks.
Regal says on May 14th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Take a chill pill Jas. It was a funny comment.
Rina says on May 15th, 2008 at 3:37 am
First of all, there is no denying that this is a great list. Saving me time from reading more self-help books.
But it is just that isn’t it? That these qualities are somewhat a perfect version of a human being. Ideally we all want those qualities in one person (namely us). But being a human being, in my opinion, it is almost impossible to have those all at the same time. Or maybe it is only impossible to me.
However, I don’t find it impossible for us to have somewhat contradictory qualities. From my own experience, we are capable of that.
Eline says on May 15th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Thank you for this list!
Grant Czerepak says on May 21st, 2008 at 4:53 am
I think Robert Frost’s path less traveled is not the mark of the truly great. The truly great go where there is no path at all.
Tuka says on May 24th, 2008 at 3:06 am
That’s great!
Lorraine Allan says on June 7th, 2008 at 3:19 am
Well I found the comments almost as intriguing as the list! I think the 50 habits are well written and thought out, and if I could achieve just a few I would be very happy. Thanks for the time and effort you put into this, time well spent in my opinion.
ashok says on June 8th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I like each and every point of 50 tips to become success in life and many of your points are taking anyone towards a positive energy
Ashok .Calgary, canada
jean Bertin says on June 19th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
This is a great Post. Sure and YES it is a great one.
However, it sounds like being a list of goals to attain. They are aspirations that need to be work for and achieved.
If they are so, that is, if they have to be reached as attainments then it they might have been endowed with some practical ways to!
Let discuss on that.
What will be some practical methods to attain for example the habit 1, 2, 3 then 4 and 5 etc.