I'm fortunate to know a number of remarkably
successful people. I've described how these people share a set of specific
perspectives and beliefs.
They also share a number of habits:
1. They don't create back-up
plans.
Back-up plans can help you sleep easier at night.
Back-up plans can also create an easy out when times get tough.
You'll work a lot harder and a lot longer if your
primary plan simply has to work because there is no other option. Total
commitment--without a safety net--will spur you to work harder than you ever
imagined possible.
If somehow the worst does happen (and the "worst"
is never as bad as you think) trust that you will find a way to rebound. As long
as you keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, you always
will.
2. They do the
work...
You can be good with a little effort. You can be
really good with a little more effort.
But you can't be great--at anything--unless you put
in an incredible amount of focused effort.
Scratch the surface of any person with rare skills
and you'll find a person who has put thousands of hours of effort into
developing those skills.
There are no shortcuts. There are no overnight
successes. Everyone has heard about the 10,000 hours principle but no one
follows it... except remarkably successful people.
So start doing the work now. Time is
wasting.
3. ...and they work a lot
more.
Forget the Sheryl Sandberg "I leave every day at
5:30" stories. I'm sure she does. But she's not you.
Every extremely successful entrepreneur I know
(personally) works more hours than the average person--a lot more. They have
long lists of things they want to get done. So they have to put in lots of
time.
Better yet, they want to put in lots of
time.
If you don't embrace a workload others would
consider crazy then your goal doesn't mean that much to you--or it's not
particularly difficult to achieve. Either way you won't be remarkably
successful.
4. They avoid the
crowds.
Conventional wisdom yields conventional results.
Joining the crowd--no matter how trendy the crowd or "hot" the opportunity--is a
recipe for mediocrity.
Remarkably successful people habitually do what
other people won't do. They go where others won't go because there's a lot less
competition and a much greater chance for success.
5. They start at the
end...
Average success is often based on setting average
goals.
Decide what you really want: to be the best, the
fastest, the cheapest, the biggest, whatever. Aim for the ultimate. Decide where
you want to end up. That is your goal.
Then you can work backwards and lay out every step
along the way.
Never start small where goals are concerned. You'll
make better decisions--and find it much easier to work a lot harder--when your
ultimate goal is ultimate success.
6. ... and they don't stop
there.
Achieving a goal--no matter how huge--isn't the
finish line for highly successful people. Achieving one huge goal just creates a
launching pad for achieving another huge goal.
Maybe you want to create a $100 million business;
once you do you can leverage your contacts and influence to create a charitable
foundation for a cause you believe in. Then your business and humanitarian
success can create a platform for speaking, writing, and thought leadership.
Then...
The process of becoming remarkably successful in
one field will give you the skills and network to be remarkably successful in
many other fields.
Remarkably successful people don't try to win just
one race. They expect and plan to win a number of subsequent races.
7. They sell.
I once asked a number of business owners and CEOs
to name the one skill they felt contributed the most to their success. Each said
the ability to sell.
Keep in mind selling isn't manipulating,
pressuring, or cajoling. Selling is explaining the logic and benefits of a
decision or position. Selling is convincing other people to work with you.
Selling is overcoming objections and roadblocks.
Selling is the foundation of business and personal
success: knowing how to negotiate, to deal with "no," to maintain confidence and
self-esteem in the face of rejection, to communicate effectively with a wide
range of people, to build long-term relationships...
When you truly believe in your idea, or your
company, or yourself then you don't need to have a huge ego or a huge
personality. You don't need to "sell."
You just need to communicate.
8. They are never too
proud.
To admit they made a mistake. To say they are
sorry. To have big dreams. To admit they owe their success to others. To poke
fun at themselves. To ask for help.
To fail.
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