Possibly youve stopped paying attention. Or possibly youve fallen into bad habits. Or possibly youve grown complacent. Whatever the reasons, youre now compromising, settling, or flying on unhappy autopilot. Remarkably successful people dont compromise on their standards. They dont settle for less than what they hope to achieve. And they definitely dont put their lives on autopilot. They believe success only comes from intention and action--and so they live that way. Here are nine things remarkably successful people never do: 1. They never let the past dictate their future. We all have limitations. We all have challenges. We all make mistakes. The key is to not be constrained by those things but to learn from them. Easier said than done? It all depends on your perspective. Take mistakes: When something goes wrong, turn it into an opportunity to learn something you didnt know--especially about yourself. (And when something goes wrong for someone else, turn it into an opportunity to be gracious and forgiving.) Where youve been, what youve done--everything in the past is just training. Remarkably successful people believe their past should inform them but should never define them. 2. They never gossip. Its hard to resist the inside scoop. Finding out the reasons behind someones decisions, the motivations behind someones actions, the skinny behind someones hidden agenda--much less whether Hugo is really dating Jeanette in accounting--those conversations are hard to resist. Unfortunately, the person who gossips about other people is also gossiping about you. And suddenly gossip isnt so much fun. The next time youre tempted to talk about another person, think about whether you would say what youre about to say to that person. And the next time someone starts to talk about someone else, excuse yourself and walk away. Dont worry that youll lose a gossipers respect; anyone willing to gossip doesnt respect other people anyway. When remarkably successful people want to share the inside scoop, they just speak openly about their own thoughts and feelings. That way theyre not gossiping. Theyre just being genuine. 3. They never say yes when they really mean no. Refusing a request from colleagues, customers, or even friends is really hard. But rarely does saying no go over as badly as you expect. Most people will understand, and if they dont, should you care too much about what they think? When you say no, you only feel bad for a few moments. When you agree to something you really dont want to do, you may feel bad for a long time--or at least as long as it takes you to do what you didnt want to do in the first place. Remarkably successful people practice saying no. Theyve gotten really good at saying no. They know that lets them focus on doing what they really need to do: for themselves and for other people. 4. They never interrupt. When you interrupt someone, what youre really saying is, Im not thinking about what you are saying. Im thinking about what I want to say ... and what I want to say is so important you need to hear it now. Want better professional relationships? Want better personal relationships? Listen, truly listen, to what other people say. Then ask questions to make sure you understand. Remarkably successful people already know what they think--they want to learn from what everyone else thinks. 5. Theyre never late (without an incredibly good reason). I know. Youre overwhelmed. So youre always running behind. It stresses you out like crazy. And it makes other people resent you like crazy. Whenever youre late, other people rightly assume you feel your time is more important than theirs. (Which, of course, kills your chance of building an outstanding personal or professional relationship.) Although you may believe you cant help it, being late is a choice. You allow yourself to be late. Remarkably successful people start the day a little day earlier. They arrive early to their first scheduled event. They dont worry that theyll waste time--they plan ahead and bring along whatever they need to use any early time to get a few simple things done. Then they feel a lot less stressed and as a result are more insightful, more creative, more decisive, and simply more on in everything they do. 6. They never resent. Take it from Nelson Mandela: Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies. The same holds for bitterness. And jealousy. And dislike. When you hold on to ill will, the only person who loses is you. Remarkably successful people put all that emotional energy into focusing not on what others have done but on what they themselves will do. 7. They never decide they dont have the time. Everyone knows someone who just seems to get a lot more done than other people. Its the craziest thing. How do these folks do it? They must have no life, right? Actually they have a great life: Theyve figured out what is important to them and theyre making it happen. Figure out whats important to you. Strip away all the stuff that isnt. Then make it happen. Were all given the same amount of time. The only difference is how we use our time. Remarkably successful people use their time. 8. They never fit in (just to fit in). Though entire industries are based on making us think otherwise, no one actually likes us for the clothes we wear, the car we drive, or the house we live in. No one likes us for our titles, either. Those are all things, and while other people may in fact like our things, that doesnt mean they like you. (And even if they do, that doesnt mean you like yourself.) Remarkably successful people have decided to simply be who they are. By not trying to fit in or make an artificial impression they know they might lose a bunch of acquaintances, but they know theyll also gain a few real friends. 9. Theyre never afraid to do the things that matter. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, is true, but in some ways a better quote might be, The only thing we have to fear is ourselves. Why? Were all afraid. Were scared of what might or might not happen. Were scared of what we cant change. Were scared of what we wont be able to do. Were scared of how others might perceive us. And that makes us hesitate, wait for the right moment, decide we need to think a little longer or do some more research or explore a few more alternatives, and days, weeks, months, and even years pass us by. And so do our dreams. Dont let your fears hold you back. Whatever youve been planning, whatever youve imagined, whatever youve dreamed of, get started on it today. If you want to start a business, take the first step. If you want to change careers, take the first step. If you want to expand or enter a new market or design new products or services, take the first step. Remarkably successful people put their fears aside and get started. They do something. They do anything. Remarkably successful people are often afraid, but theyre most afraid of looking back and thinking, If only I had ... Dont look back and think, If only I had ...
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 13:53:31 +0000