What Makes Successful People Successful Part 1

Success can be defined in a number of ways. True success is different from person to person. Some might include earning a certain amount of money or having a certain size house. Others may think success is being famous or influential. Freedom from monotonous or boring tasks could be considered success.

My person definition of success waking up every day and liking the things I must do that day. I don’t want to dread any of the activities in the day that lies ahead. Fortunately, most days I truly look forward to, and I get to do what I love for a living.
What do you consider success? How would you define it?

Recently, success mentor and best-selling author, Darren Hardy, laid out the top 10 traits of successful people. This month we will lay out the first 5 and next month we will lay out the second 5.

Success Trait #1: Relentless Drive
Successful people and top achievers have an insatiable appetite to win. They will put in hours of hard work, preparation, and planning to make sure they are ready to perform at their best when needed.

The late, great Kobe Bryant had a legendary drive. His trainer talks about many times where Kobe would tell him to meet him at 5:00 in the morning to do some strength and conditioning work. When the trainer arrived, Kobe was drenched in sweat. He had been working out since 4:00 in the morning.  After the strength and conditioning workout, Kobe told his trainer he was going to practice his jump shot and wouldn’t stop until he made 800 shots!

After all that, Kobe went to practice with the team. That is relentless drive!

Success Trait #2: Supersized Thinking
By now most people know that the McDonald brothers founded McDonald’s restaurant. They came up with the “speedy service” system and had a very successful operation in California. Ray Kroc was a milk shake machine salesman and approached the McDonald brothers to buy his machines.

When Kroc saw the operation, he knew this could be a worldwide business that would be massively successful. The McDonald brothers, on the other hand, preferred to keep tight control over their system and not expand the operation.
After much pleading and negotiating, Kroc convinced the brothers to allow him to build the franchise to what it is today. Ray Kroc had a supersized vision and acted on it!

Success Trait #3: They Find Massive Leverage
Successful people find ways to make themselves act disciplined when they don’t want to. After all, they are human too!
Former Navy Seal, author, and speaker, Jocko Willink wakes up at 4:30 every morning and posts a picture of his watch on Twitter and Instagram to show everyone that he continues to be disciplined by waking up early and working out. He has leverage on himself by having to post that picture early every morning, and his millions of followers expect it from him.

That is massive leverage!

Success Trait #4: They Maintain a Maniacal Focus
Successful people always have their goals and objectives in their sights. Author and speaker, Brian Tracy has a famous quote, “Clarity is power!”

Paul J. Meyer says, “If you are not making the progress you would like to make or are capable of making, it simply means your goals are not clearly defined.”

Writing and re-writing your goals every day, creating vision boards, and posting your goals in writing where you will see them multiple times throughout your day are all great ways to keep your goals on the forefront of your mind.

My good friend and best-selling author, Jeffrey Gitomer writes his goals on “Post It” notes and posts them on his bathroom mirror. When he achieves the goal, he moves it to his bedroom mirror. This way he is reminded of what goals he wants to achieve and what goals he has achieved. I bet that makes him feel pretty good!

Success Trait #5: Unrelenting Resiliency
Winston Churchill’s famous quote is, “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large, or petty – never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

On March 17, 1990, WBC World Champion, Julio Cesar Chavez fought IBF World Champion, Meldrick Taylor. Chavez was unbeaten currently with a record of 68-0 with 55 KO’s.

Taylor’s hand speed and superb footwork were too much for Chavez, and he was ahead on the scorecards heading into the final round. Chavez was being outpointed but stay resilient and continued to move forward throwing hard punches. Chavez never wavered or got discouraged, and with only 2 seconds left in the fight, he landed a right hand and knocked out Taylor.
Most people would be mentally beaten and discouraged after losing virtually the entire fight. Not Chavez though. He stayed focused, resilient, and believed he could win the fight when most thought it was impossible.

That is unrelenting resiliency!
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Stay tuned next month for the remaining 5 traits that make successful people successful!