Author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn is known for saying, “Success leaves clues.”
If you were to take the time to study the most successful people in the world across a variety of fields, what you would find is that they all have certain traits in common.
These traits form a blueprint that anyone who is striving for success can follow.
You don’t need to start from scratch if you work to embody these seven traits.
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1. Powerful mindset
In 2004, Adidas launched their celebrated “Impossible is Nothing” campaign. Although this slogan might have been targeted at athletes, it applies to every arena of life.
Some people identify this slogan with resolution. Others with grit. However you view it, a powerful mindset is something all successful people have in common.
A person with a powerful mindset powers through the darkest hours on the path to success, a path that was originally thought to be impossible. It’s what drives their relentless pursuit to carry out their mission and make an impact on the world.
From an early age, successful people convince themselves that they will accomplish the impossible. It’s almost a foregone conclusion. To make their success feel real, they use visualization to mentally occupy the life they want to live.
A powerful mindset also means controlling your emotions, especially during important negotiations and closings. You can maintain your cool because you know who you are and what you want. Exercise, meditation, and starting your day off with gratitude can help you with managing negative emotions that threaten your success.
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2. Relentless work ethic
A few years ago, real estate investor Joseph Sitt was able to acquire a renowned property in Manhattan despite his bid being $2 million less than the top bid.
Why did the owner decide to take less to sell to Sitt? Putting aside his reputation, Sitt got the property because he called or emailed the seller every day for seven years!
The typical hard-working person will work longer hours than their peers and deliver consistently. However, the most successful people in the world have a work ethic that never stops. When serious problems arise during their endeavors, they will step up and work however long is required to get the job done… even if it’s seven years.
This kind of insane work ethic comes from two sources: purpose and passion.
Whether it’s providing for your family or making a difference in the world, you need a reason to push yourself farther than you think is possible. Not only that, you need to be passionate about what it is you’re doing. Your work needs to be fun.
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3. Deep focus stemming from clear goals
In 1979, the students at Harvard Business School were asked if they had written down goals for their future and made plans to accomplish them. Only 3% had done so.
Ten years later, those 3% were earning ten times more than the other 97%.
This example shows how powerful deep focus is in achieving success, and that trait is most easily sparked when goals are written down and pursued with a detailed plan, not on a hope and a whim. You must eat, sleep, and breathe your goals.
Keep in mind that goals must be very specific, measurable, attainable and have a deadline. They need to make you feel uncomfortable when you set them, but at the same time, they must be congruent with your core values and beliefs.
If you need an extra push, find an accountability partner who has goals like yours.
Focus also comes from meticulously managing your time. Fill out your calendar for the next week and write down when you will do what and how. At the end of each week, reflect on what you learned and ways you could improve your efficiency.
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4. Desire for knowledge
Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, was once arrested in Brazil because police found him on his hands and knees in a retail store and believed he was a danger to society.
What was he doing at the time he was arrested? Measuring the space between aisles.
Even though he was the richest man in the United States at the time, Walton knew there was always more he could learn from businesses all over the world.
Education doesn’t stop when school is over, nor is school necessarily the best way to acquire the knowledge that will make you successful. To enrich your mind, absorb new information from sources like newspapers, books, magazines, and newsletters.
Successful people are intellectually curious. In every situation, they’re asking questions to expand their understanding, even if they’re already an expert on the subject.
Learn from history. In doing so, you’ll be better equipped to spot trends before others.
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5. Surrounded by the right people
Successful people know they can’t do everything on their own, so they surround themselves with smart people who can help them reach their goals.
As a young person, that means finding mentors who’ve done what you hope to do.
As an adult, it means knowing your strengths and finding people with complementary skills. To develop partnerships, however, you need existing connections. This means you can’t operate within a closed social circle. If you’re a dentist and the only people you know are dentists, how can you hope to find someone with skills unlike yours?
A mastermind group is a great way to make new connections. Sometimes, just having someone to listen to your ideas is enough to help you make better decisions.
You can also meet new people through networking events. No matter what path you take, a successful strategy is offering value without expecting anything in return.
Value trust above all else when surrounding yourself with others. Untrustworthy people aren’t necessarily bad people, but their deficiency could sabotage your success.
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6. Extraordinary sales skills
In their book The Go-Giver, authors Bob Burg and John David Mann shared three traits that great salespeople bring to their relationships: “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like, and trust.”
How do you get people to like you? Start by being genuinely interested in them. That way, you gain a deeper understanding of their wants and needs.
Enthusiasm also helps tremendously. Too many people forget that enthusiasm carries your message the farthest. Often, people don’t buy into the product or service as much as they buy into the person who is selling it to them.
This means that, as a salesperson, it’s your job to exude the same passion the CEO of the company does when you talk about the product you are selling.
While some people are naturally gifted, most learn how to be phenomenal at sales. They are rewarded in public for what they practice for years in private.
Negotiation is a critical skill for any salesperson to have. One of the keys to successful negotiating is positioning yourself in a way that makes sense to the other person.
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7. Emphasis on execution
You’ve probably heard the saying that knowledge is power. I like to think of knowledge as potential power. True power lies in execution — making manifest what you know.
Don’t get caught in the trap of analysis paralysis, where you’re afraid to get started because you don’t know which path to take. There comes a point when too much knowledge is detrimental to your success. If you’re constantly seeking one more piece of information before you act — without ever acting — you’ll never succeed.
At a certain point, you must take what you know and make the leap.
If you don’t, you’ll reach a point of diminishing returns with knowledge because what you know is keeping you frozen in fear. Not only that, your intel will expire because you waited so long to act on it. A thought in someone’s doesn’t make them a millionaire.
If you want to be successful, acquire knowledge and plan, but emphasize execution.
Erez Cohen is a real estate investor, entrepreneur, and the author of the upcoming book, Real Estate Titans.
This article was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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