Everyone has different ideas of what success looks like.
For some, it’s having a stable career, climbing the corporate ladder, owning a home, having a bunch of money.
For other’s it’s creating a family, having a happy marriage, and raising happy independent children.
And for some, it’s a hybrid of the two, or something totally different.
The point is, success looks different for everyone. But, when it comes to the habits of successful people, there are certain habits they all have, traits that lead them to be successful.
They may not have all of them at once, but they definitely have most of them and are at least working towards or attempting the others.
Think about the successful people you know and think about your own life and how you perceive your own success and see how many of these habits you have.
1 – They Don’t Take Life Too Seriously
Maybe you think that in order to be successful, you have to be serious all the time, but that’s not true at all! Successful people know how to balance the serious side of things with the fun and playful side of things, and know that it’s really the fun and playful that makes the serious worthwhile.
They also know when to be serious and when to have fun – an important lesson when creating success in your own life.
2 – They Believe In Themselves
They are their most fierce supporters and not only believe success is possible, they believe that it is possible for them. They back themselves and know that they can achieve anything they put their mind to.
Even if they don’t fully understand how to do things, or how to achieve their goals, they know that they can dive in and figure it out along the way because they believe in themselves.
3 – They Stand Up For What They Believe In
Successful people have opinions about life, the world, work and everything in between and they stand up for their beliefs. They know that not everyone is going to agree with them and they are totally fine with this (after all, they don’t agree with everyone so why should everyone agree with them?).
They are able to formulate their own opinions based on their own education, experiences and beliefs and they don’t blindly follow others.
While doing so, they are respectful of other peoples beliefs, even if they don’t align with their own, and are fascinated to hear what it is other people believe in.
4 – They Don’t Believe In Work/Life Balance
Successful people laugh at the idea of a work/life balance, knowing that such a thing does not exist and is therefore unattainable.
Instead, they focus on being present fully when she is working and when they are in ‘life’ mode, and knows that their work forms part of their life and that they are able to be more successful in their work because of what they have experienced in her life.
It’s not a balance, work and life are intertwined as one.
5 – They Look After Their Health
A successful person knows that if their health is out of whack, then the rest of their life is out of whack.
They don’t believe that healthy means going to the gym every day or eating salad for every meal, instead they understand that a healthy life encompasses mind, body and soul and knows that they needs to nourish all of these areas of her life.
6 – They Ask Questions
A successful person doesn’t expect themselves to know or understand everything, and as such, isn’t afraid to ask questions when they want to know more, seek clarification or to challenge a belief.
They don’t just take everything at face value, instead, they try to learn as much as they can, understand the situations they are in and be part of the process, not just a spectator.
7 – They Are Financially Independent
Successful people don’t rely on anyone to control their financial lives for them. They are financially independent, in that they understand their financial situation, make informed and educated decisions about their finances and their bills are always paid on time.
They don’t have to be the breadwinner in the family, but they don’t sit back and allow anyone to control the finances completely without their understanding and input.
8 – They Have Life Goals (And Plans To Achieve Them)
A successful person doesn’t live life reactively, they live it proactively. They have big goals for their life, but they know that big goals require big plans to achieve them. So that’s exactly what they do.
They work towards their goals every day, even if they are only taking small steps, but they know one day they will achieve the goals they set out to achieve.
9 – They Take (Calculated) Risks
A successful person knows that life in the middle lane is not where success happens, and that they need to take risks in order to create the life they want to live.
But not all risks are equal, and a successful person knows that they need to weigh up the risks they take and make sure they serve them, their goals, and their life best.
10 – They Understand The Importance Of Relationships
This doesn’t mean romantic relationships, and it doesn’t exclude them either. A successful person understands that most things in life come down to some form of relationship.
Whether it’s your marriage, your family, your working relationships or your friends – they are all relationships and all hold importance in your life in one way, shape or form.
These relationships need to be nurtured, and toxic versions of these relationships need to be cut off and a successful person isn’t afraid to do either.
11 – They Practice Regular Self Care
You can’t conquer the world, or even conquer your day without filling your own cup first. A successful person knows the importance of self-care, and knows that taking care of themselves isn’t ‘selfish’ (even though being selfish is totally okay), it’s a basic need.
They don’t rely on anyone else to fill their cup or create their happiness, they know what invigorates them, motivates them, and allows them to relax and includes all of these in her life.
12 – They Return To A Positive Mindset
Everyone has negative moments, expecting you to always be positive would be crazy and unattainable. A successful person is no different.
They have bad days, they have days when they want to scream and yell and it feels like the world is against them. But, a successful person always returns to a positive mindset.
They know that the energy they put out into the world comes back to them and that negativity is not the kind of energy they want around.
13 – They Are Always Learning
A successful person knows that there are so many things in life to learn, and that they don’t know everything about every topic. They are a keen learner, always striving to educate themselves further.
From learning new recipes to cook through to gaining a deeper understanding of the world, a successful person not only wants to learn, but they also love to learn.
14 – They Are Self Aware
Awareness of self is a skill a successful person has down pat. They know when they are on the brink of burn out and how to reign themselves back in. They know when they are too stressed and need to take some time out. They know that their behaviours are a reflection of their feelings and understand what this means.
And, they don’t beat themselves up over it. They don’t compare themselves to others because they know that they are the only version of themselves and she continues to strive to be the best version they can be.
15 – They Stay Organized
Well, mostly. While they may not have Marie Kondo’d her home within an inch of its existence, they do have systems in place to stay organized to a level that allows success in their life.
Their bills are always paid on time, they know what events are coming up in their calendar and they don’t leave deciding on what to cook for dinner until the last minute.
Regardless of what your version of success looks like, there are habits you form in order to attain and maintain that level of success. These are just some of the habits of successful people that you can see in others, and hopefully, you can see in yourself too.