Nine Things Successful People Do Differently – Fahmida Mehreen

It is very often that we wonder why some of our goals remained incomplete while some was accomplished lucratively. Not always is it an easy job to understand why we fail. Even the greatest and highest achievers have borne the feeling of failure and letdown at some point in life. However, success does not simply lie on what you want to achieve. The broader answer is in how you approach to reach your desired goal. Over the decades, researchers have found that successful people have certain practices and behavioral traits that contribute to their achievements.
Be specific: When it comes to fixing on a particular goal, it is better to decide something specific rather than something vague. “Finish task in next 24 hours” is a better goal than “Finish work as quickly as possible”. Specific goals help people to be more organized and be active on their plans. Decision making is more efficient and certainly the effort is more focused and goal-oriented.
Seize the moment to act on your goals: Life has become very busy and hectic nowadays, and it is not at all uncommon when people slip out of their goals merely because they fail to accommodate time. But in the motion to achieve a set goal, you must be regular and give it enough time. If you have planned to finish a task within 24 hours, it is a must for you to find time and work accordingly no matter how eventful the day may go. Studies have shown that allocating time properly increases the chance of success by 300%.
Constantly revise your progress: A goal will only be fulfilled when all aspects have been carried out successfully and effectively. For that, constant progress review is essential. Without knowing how much is left to do or what are the elements that are missing, there is a high probability that the goal may not be reached successfully. Human capacity, both physically and mentally is varying – it is subject to continuous change. Hence, revising work progress will help to spot out the shortcomings and give the scope to correct it before it is too late! New set of skills maybe developed, if need be for further enriching the goal.
Be optimistic: When pursuing a goal, it is advisable to keep negative thoughts and pessimistic ideas away from yourmind. That will make you distracted and unfocused. Optimistic thoughts act as a strong motivator and will push you to carry on despite all the hurdles that may make your journey difficult. Simply by reminding yourself about the flying colors of success ahead, you can be optimistic.

Focusing on getting better rather than being good: There is no scale that can limit better. Improvement is a continuous process, and the best can only be achieved by striving to be better. Once the minimum or required standard has been reached, focus on how to be even better. Success comes to those who turn the good into the best. Therefore, put additional effort in developing yourself. The belief that there is always room for improvement will make you more eligible, more prepared to take risks, and appreciate the journey towards the aspiring destination.
Have grit: Grit is the commitment to persevere with long term goals and work dedicatedly in spite of all the roadblocks. There are no free lunches! No matter what you want to achieve for yourself, challenges will come along the way. And this is more common when the goal is for long term. Nevertheless, if you set your mind that your enthusiasm will remain unshakable, success will be just around the corner!
Build strong willpower: People can be successful when they themselves have the willpower to achieve something. It is literally impossible to bring out the best from someone who is unwilling or reluctant. If work is done forcefully the progress will gradually weaken leading to a point where the whole purpose will fade away. In order to avoid such circumstances, goals on which you will not give up should be set. To build strong willpower certain exercises can help remarkably like give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill. Start with just one activity and go easy on it. Once your understanding about the goal is comprehensible and you are determined, you can pace up and start to apply numerous skills that you have developed.
“Give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill.”-Heidi Grant Halvorson
Do not tempt fate: No matter how efficient you are and how strongly you have set your will power, never overstress yourself. Do one task at a time. Avoid putting yourself into unsuitable challenges purely out of overconfidence.

Focus on what you will do, not on what you will not do: When you fix specific goals, time is a limiting factor. To make the best use of time it is most appropriate to concentrate on what you want to do rather than what you do not want to do. Chalk out your plans vividly, consider the pros and cons and act upon what is to be done. The “don’t do’s” will get eliminated naturally if all your effort is based on what you need to do. To increase concentration, deep breathing is a very good practice. If you have spare time, try meditation. Relaxation will reduce stress level and refresh your mind.
Every individual has their own style and own definition of success. At one end there are people who are satisfied with small success and achievements in life, while on the other end there are people who believe sky is the limit. Whichever way you choose for yourself, walk on these nine tips and hopefully you shall find yourself standing on the verge of success, sooner or later.

Based on an article by Heidi Grant