Are you as successful as you’d like to be? If not, have you wondered why not? What is the difference is between you and the other guys, the ones who make success look so easy?
Entering my fourteenth year of success coaching on the executive and leadership level, I’ve learned from exquisite teachers that success doesn’t just happen. And it’s not just for the rich, more educated, or those whom you consider more fortunate than you.
My highly-successful clients demonstrate through their everyday lives that there are consistent traits or habits that lead to high levels of success.
Here are my top seven success traits. As you read through them, consider how you measure up.
Keen Intuition: If it takes you hours or days to make simple decisions, you may be missing a key element that will heighten your success. It costs nothing; however, not utilizing it can be very costly. Highly-successful leaders trust their gut or intuition. They choose that inner feeling of what is right, especially when there is no evidence to prove their decisions.
Trust: It’s much more productive and pleasant to be in a trusting environment, whether it is a sales presentation or board meeting. Highly-successful people have a strong sense of whom and of what they can trust. They create trusting surroundings with individuals whom they can trust for their expertise, honesty, frankness, feedback and overall brilliance.
Discipline: The thought of waking up an hour early to accomplish what needs to be finished that day is a natural for highly-successful people. If you cringe at this idea, you may want to question your discipline. These leaders focus on what is to be gained through accomplishing the goal at hand, not what was missed in order to accomplish it.
Positive, Expansive Thinker: Nothing bothers a highly-successful leader more than a small thinking individual, someone who pokes holes in new ideas or visions. Broaden the way you look at opportunities. If there is room for improvement in what you are doing, then positive, expansive thinking is the fastest route to your goal.
Physically Fit: Success doesn’t merely happen in the office. True success comes from keeping your mind and your body stimulated. A lack of exercise leads to cloudy thinking and an overall downward spiral. If you’re not physically fit now, set down this CBN and go
for a walk.
Passion: It’s hard to find an individual who enjoys high levels of success who isn’t passionate about their purpose. Passion breeds creativity and enthusiasm, both of which are contagious.
Have Fun: if you’re not having fun in your professional pursuits, it’s time to consider a change. Having fun doesn’t mean a ‘laugh a minute.’ It means having a light heart no matter the goal or challenge. It means enjoying the people you work with and having a sense of humor when challenges arise. Clients bring gargantuan problem situations to me, and once we can lighten up about it, the solutions come more easily.
You can see that all of these indicators of success are related. One enhances the other. For example, if you are not feeling the passion today go out and exercise, or surround yourself with fun, expansive thinking individuals whom you can trust.
Being highly successful in any pursuit doesn’t have to be that difficult. It merely takes focus on the above elements, knowing what you want and staying with it. Do you have what it takes to become more successful tomorrow than you are today? Only you can answer that question.
Ann Golden Eglé, MCC (Master Certified Coach), helps leaders make positive changes in their behavior to attain greater professional and personal success. Coaching and consulting since 1998 and President of Golden Visions & Associates, LLC, Ann can be reached at 541-385-8887 or www.GVAsuccess.com. Subscribe to Ann’s free weekly e-mail ‘Success Thoughts’.
