10 Things You Need to be Successful

Do you believe you have what it takes to be successful?

You don’t need the right family, an inheritance, supportive parents, good looks, or anything else that’s beyond your control. Those things can certainly make the road smoother, but they’re not necessary to you achieving any success you wish. You can create everything you need to be successful. You have the power to create the life you love.

Here are ten steps you need to be successful.

1. A vision

It’s important to know what you want. How will you get what you want if you don’t know what you want? A vision for the future is the same as making decisions about what you want and don’t want. Without a vision, without actually making decisions on what you want you will find yourself floating through life, with no real purpose or direction and at worse, without a vision you may find that you are just wasting time.

A vision also motivates you to continue when things become challenging, and they will, but that is just part of what makes success worth it. You have to go through the journey.

“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.”

– Arthur Ashe

2. Goals

Once you have a vision, you’re in the position to create goals to make that vision a reality. Failing to have goals is deciding to keep your life the same.

3. Good Habits

A healthy body is the result of an effective set of habits. Effective habits will also provide you with a healthy bank account. Your ability to reach your goals is mainly dependent on your ability to create and implement habits.

Habits also run your life more than you think, so replacing your not-so-good habits (like complaining, procrastinating and giving up) with good habits will catapult you toward every goal you set.

If you want to begin to develop good habits your morning routine is one of the best places to start. By starting with good habits first thing in the morning, you will have the momentum and foundation to knock out any goal you set.

4. Able to Connect

There aren’t too many things you can do entirely on your own. Others will be involved along the way. They might be customers, clients, suppliers, partners, your neighbors or family. If you can connect and forge relationships with others your journey to success will be not only quicker but more fulfilling as well.

5. Get out of Your Comfort Zone

Success always involves change. Change is uncomfortable. How well do you handle discomfort? Do you become overwhelmed, grab the remote, and head for the couch with a plate full of cookies? Or do you take a deep breath, step up, and take care of business?

Successful people can act even when they feel uncomfortable. They know success requires getting out of their comfort zone, in fact, that is where all the good stuff happens. If you are not feeling at least a little discomfort, you are playing it too safe. By pressing yourself for more and allowing yourself to be uncomfortable, you will see that you are capable of amazing things.

6. Be Proactive

Successful people look ahead and make appropriate plans. They see their future opportunities and challenges and modify their plans and behaviors accordingly. Life also goes more smoothly if you’re proactive.

7. Grit

Much of the journey to reach your goals isn’t fun or exciting. It’s a grind. The ability to persevere when there’s nothing exciting going on is an excellent way to gauge how successful you can become. The easier it is for you to give up, the less likely you are to be successful.

8. Patience

Patience and grit are related. Creating success requires time and patience. Patience is necessary to see concrete results. Without patience, frustration eventually wins.

9. A regular review of your results

Having a vision and goals isn’t enough. It’s important to review the results you’re getting. Is your plan working? Could you make some changes that would bring better results? If you don’t measure and evaluate your results regularly, you will never know where correction is needed.

10. A good sense of humor

Life is funny. Things will go wrong no matter how well you prepare. Unique opportunities pop up along the way. If you can laugh at life and its follies, you’ll have a better chance of experiencing and enjoying success. It also makes life much more enjoyable.

Success doesn’t require anything outside of your control. You need a vision, a plan to get there, and the ability to follow through. You can be as successful as anyone you’ve ever known. Take control and create the life you love. Begin today by creating a vision of the future that compels you to make goals and take action.

You’re an amazing person. Allow yourself to be that person every day. Be yourself!

Here’s to creating the life you LOVE!