7 Habits Of The Most Successful People
In last week’s blog I talked about New Year’s resolutions and the difference between resolutions, which are all well and good, but limited in their effectiveness, and a well thought through goal that is planned out, written down and acted upon daily.
As a follow up to last week’s blog, I came across this article by Brian Tracy, who is based in the US and is a leading author and speaker around the whole area of personal development.
In the article, he talks about the 7 habits that all successful people apply, and as a business owner I found it so useful, I thought I’d post it in this week’s blog.
So, here’s the article by Brian Tracy in full:
Many people wonder how they can become highly successful, not realising that they hold within them everything they need to achieve all the success they desire.
Successful people are where they are today because of their habits. Habits determine 95% of a person’s behaviour.
Everything that you are today, and everything that you will ever accomplish in the future, is determined by the quality of the habits that you form.
By creating good habits, you too can become successful and live a prosperous life.
Successful People Maintain 7 Good Habits
For thousands of years, success in human life has been studied by great thinkers and philosophers. I have personally studied the subject for more than 30 years. What I have found is that the very best people have developed good habits.
I have identified seven valuable habits that you need to develop if you want to perform at your very maximum in everything you do.
1) They Are Goal Oriented
The first habit is to become goal oriented.
You need to be a habitual goal setter, and dedicate yourself to working from clear, written down goals every day of your life. All highly successful people are intensely goal oriented. They know exactly what they want, they have it written down, they have written plans to accomplish it, and they both review and work on their plans every single day.
2) They Are Results Driven
The second habit of highly successful people is being results driven.
This is made up of two practices.
- The first is the practice of continuously learning so that you become better at what you do.
- The second practice is that of time management. This means setting very clear priorities on what you do and then concentrating single-mindedly on the most valuable use of your time.
All really successful people are intensely results-oriented.
3) They Are Action Oriented
The third major habit you need to develop is that of continually taking action.
This is arguably the most important habit for success. It is the ability to get on with the job and get it done fast. It is your ability to develop and maintain a sense of urgency, and a bias for action. Fast tempo in whatever you do is essential to your success.
You need to overcome procrastination, push aside your fears and launch 100% toward the achievement of your most important goals. The combination of goal orientation, results orientation and action orientation, in themselves, will virtually assure great success.
4) They Are People Oriented
The fourth habit you need is people orientation.
This is where you put relationships in the centre of your life. This is your decision to cultivate within yourself the habits of patience, kindness, compassion, and understanding. Virtually all your happiness in life will come from your ability to get along well with other people.
As Aristotle said, the only way that you can learn any habit is by practicing it on a regular basis. The more you practice being a truly excellent person in your relationships with others, the more you will internalise those qualities and become that person.
5) They Are Health Conscious
The fifth habit that highly successful people develop is health consciousness.
This means watching your diet, and eating the right foods in the right portions. You must also exercise on a regular basis. And finally, you must have good habits of rest and recreation that will enable you, in combination with diet and exercise, to live out your years in a healthy state.
Remember, your health is the most important single thing you have, and it is completely subject to the habits that you develop regarding the way you live.
6) They Are Honest
The sixth habit is that of honesty and integrity.
In the final analysis, the character you develop as you go through life is more important than virtually anything else.
Honesty means that you practice the “reality principle” in everything you do. You are completely objective with yourself and with the world around you. You set very clear values for yourself and you organise yourself around your values. You develop a vision for yourself and then you live your life consistent with your highest ideals. You never compromise your integrity or peace of mind for anyone or anything.
This attitude of honesty is critical to your enjoying all the other good habits that you are developing.
7) They Are Self-Disciplined
The seventh habit, and the one habit that guarantees all the others, is that of self-discipline.
Your ability to discipline yourself, to master yourself, to control yourself, is the most important single quality that you can develop as a person. The habit of self-discipline goes hand in hand with success in every area of life.
In Summary
Every one of these habits, being goal oriented, results driven, action orientated, people orientated, health conscious, honest and self-disciplined can be developed. You are where you are and what you are today because of your habits. Your habits have been developing, mostly accidentally, from the time you were an infant.
Today you can if you wish, take complete control over the shaping of your character and personality, and everything that happens to you in the future, by making the decision, right now, to define and develop the habits that will lead you to great success.
And when you develop the same good habits possessed by other successful people, you will enjoy their success as well.
Your future will become unlimited.
