Ten Secrets of Success

A client recently reminded me of a list I distributed a few years ago. I do not recall where I found this list or when I sent it.  However, she liked it so much that she has it posted at her desk. And I am taking this opportunity to share it again on the first day of the New Year!.

Ten Secrets of Success

(Traits that leaders and successful people in all walks of life possess.)

1. How you think is everything. Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.
2. Decide upon your true dreams and goals. Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.
3. Take action. Goals are nothing without action. Don’t be afraid to get started. Just do it.
4. Never stop learning. Go back to school or read books. Get training and acquire skills.
5. Be persistent and work hard. Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.
6. Learn to analyze details. Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.
7. Focus your time and money. Don’t let other people or things distract you.
8. Don’t be afraid to innovate; be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.
9. Deal and communicate with people effectively. No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.
10. Be honest and dependable; take responsibility. Otherwise, numbers 1–9 won’t matter.

You Can be Excellent at Anything

In The Way We're Working Isn't Working, Tony Schwartz lays out a guide, grounded in the science of high performance, promising he can “systematically build your capacity physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.”

Says Schwartz, “It's possible to build any given skill or capacity in the same systematic way we do a muscle: push past your comfort zone, and then rest.” There is something wonderful about his observation. It suggests that hard work, not innate talent, plays the biggest role in determining our successes. Keep that in mind as you set your financial goals and as you pursue your chosen career – or your golf game!

Here are the six keys to achieving excellence that Schwartz has found most effective in helping his clients reach their goals:

1. Pursue what you love.
2. Do the hardest work first.
3. Practice intensely
4. Seek expert feedback, in intermittent doses.
5. Take regular renewal breaks.
6. Ritualize practice.

He also recommends additional books on this subject:

     Talent is Overrated by Geoffrey Colvin
     The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
     Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
     The Genius in All of Us by David Schenk.
     Bounce by Mathew Syed