Top 12 Traits of Highly Successful People

What exactly do you need to be successful? Success means different things to different people. However, most people who achieve genuine success have some things in common. There are common certain traits that may appear simple and unremarkable to most, but these can help you achieve remarkable outcomes.

How Can You Be Successful?

“I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.” – Thomas Jefferson

Contrary to popular belief, success is not a matter of luck. In fact, it is a combination of factors that drive you forward even after facing failure after failure. It is about investing yourself in your skills, your passion, and your trade. It is about learning, applying your knowledge, and adapting to changing circumstances.

To the uninitiated, attaining success can be mysterious. But there is no secret to success. There are certain traits that you need to possess, develop and hone to cultivate yourself and taste the sweet flavor of success.

These key qualities are commonly found in the most accomplished individuals across the world.

Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, an academic or anyone who is trying to be more successful in life, developing, sustaining, and utilizing these traits can empower you to achieve your goals. With the right set of skills, mindset, and qualities, you will be able to strike hard and be successful when the opportunity comes.

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12 Traits Of Successful People

If you wish to become wildly successful and achieve your life goals, then you need to give your best every single day. When you do that, life will give its best back to you. The most extraordinary and most successful individuals in any field have these qualities that drive them ahead.

Take a look at the 12 most common traits of successful people and make sure you cultivate these if you haven’t already.

1. Discipline

“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” – Abraham Lincoln

Self-discipline is perhaps the most important quality that you need to cultivate. Discipline results in consistent action which in turn leads to success. When you create and follow an effective routine then it can lead to incredible results as you will be consistent in your efforts. If you wish to make your dreams come true then self-discipline is the best tool you can wish for.

2. Confidence

“Always be yourself and have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and try to duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee

Confidence is not only one of the traits of successful people, but it’s one of the essential traits required to survive life. It makes you believe in yourself and your abilities. It encourages you to take action. When you trust yourself, you will be able to move past your fear of failure, accept criticism, and take a step closer to success. Confidence is your secret weapon.

3. Resilience

“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” – Margaret Thatcher

Irrespective of how talented and passionate you are, unless you are resilient and persistent you will never taste victory. Life is full of setbacks and disappointments. Resilience enables you to turn failures into opportunities for self-development and self-awareness. It helps you develop a positive attitude and persevere even through the biggest setbacks. As long as you don’t allow failure to hold you back, success is never far away.

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4. Creativity

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while” – Steve Jobs

Creativity is one of the most unique traits of successful people. As not everyone is born creative, you can still develop this particular quality through practice and dedication. You can be creative in many different ways. The important thing is that you are able to think outside the proverbial box. An eagerness to experiment coupled with creativity can take you a long way in attaining success.

5. Self-reliance

“Self-reliance is the only road to true freedom, and being one’s own person is its ultimate reward.” – Patricia Sampson

You rely on yourself to get things done. You know your skills and abilities and hence you are able to think clearly for yourself and plan the best course of action. You are more than capable of taking responsibilities, taking difficult decisions, standing up for your actions, and even holding yourself accountable. You don’t seek permission from anyone to do what you need to neither you give permission to others to affect your actions.

6. Determination

“You can’t go buy drive. They don’t sell it. It comes from here (your heart).” – Eric Thomas

You have an innate and strong sense of drive to work tirelessly and harder than everyone else, get things done, and attain your goals. Getting projects completed and accomplishing tasks gives you satisfaction and pride. You never hesitate to take charge whenever necessary to make sure everything is done properly. Your determination drives you to achieve excellence and fulfill your purpose. The fire in your belly drives you to attain your goals no matter what.

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7. Patience

“Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.” – Saadi

Patience is one of the most fundamental key traits of successful people. You understand that being patient is crucial for getting positive results. Success never comes easily, even to the most deserving. You are willing to face frustrations and failures and you never take setbacks personally. Being patient is challenging and it’s not fun all the time. But your patience will reward you in the long run.

8. Courage

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill

You need to be willing and brave enough to take calculated risks. As they say, “No risk. No reward.” Follow your instincts and tune into your intuition. You will know which risks are worth taking and which ones to avoid. This can help you propel your career and stand apart. Being brave, you know you need to analyze every aspect of the risk before committing to it. However, as life is unpredictable, you should also be prepared to face failure and have a plan B in place.

9. Willpower

“Everything is generated through your own will power.” – Ray Bradbury

Even in the face of obstacles, you find the strength to move ahead and reach your goals. You don’t get demotivated easily, neither do you procrastinate nor vacillate. Your willpower is one of your greatest assets that keeps you focused and makes you consistent in your efforts.

10. Passion

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” – Oprah Winfrey

It is said that you can never fail at something you are passionate about. Passion drives you to walk that extra mile, to wake up an hour earlier, to work late. Passion is the key ingredient that keeps you on the right path even when everyone else tells you to change your direction.

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11. Optimism

“Choose to be optimistic, it feels better.” – Dalai Lama XIV

Being an optimist, you focus on positive thinking, positive action, and positive outcomes. You know that for every setback, a new opportunity arises. You know what’s worth fighting for and your optimism gives you the strength to try until you succeed. You focus on succeeding in your future and reaffirm your visions every day.

12. Communication

“Communication – the human connection – is the key to personal and career success.” -Paul J. Meyer

Excellent communication skills give you an edge over others in any field. Whether it’s your interpersonal confidence or your listening skills, communication will enable you to pursue productive networking opportunities. By giving positive responses, you make it easier for people to remember you.

Are you ready to succeed?

“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” – Albert Einstein

How many of these traits do you already possess? I hope you are making action plans to cultivate the necessary qualities that you think you lack right now. Cultivate these traits one at a time by including them in your daily habits. By aligning your thoughts and actions with highly successful people, you will have a higher chance to succeed in your own career and life.

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Never settle with being mediocre. That’s where dreams die. Choose greatness. Be courageous, humble and determined. That is what a successful person looks like.