6 Steps for Success in Life
Embarking on the journey to success can often seem daunting, yet it's entirely achievable with the right guidance. Discover six pivotal steps that can transform your life, steering you towards your goals and aspirations with confidence and resilience.
How do we define success?
There are many different tactics for how to be successful in life, but the strategy that works best for you may depend on your view of success itself
- Many define success as being fulfilled, happy, safe, healthy, and loved
- What can you do to boost your chances of achieving these things?
Develop Mental Toughness
Mental toughness refers to the resilience to carry on and continue trying even in the face of obstacles.
- What can you do to improve your mental toughness and increase your chances of being successful in life?
- Believe in yourself
- Set goals
- Keep trying
- Find support
- Have a strong support system
Focus on Intrinsic Motivations
While extrinsic rewards such as money, awards, and praise can be helpful, many people find that they are most motivated when they are doing things for personal satisfaction
- Challenge yourself
- Pursuing a goal that is achievable, but not necessarily easy, is a great way to increase motivation to succeed
- Stay curious
- Look for things that grab your attention and that you would like to learn more about
- Take control
- Don’t fear competition
Courageous
They are willing to take risks, even in the face of potential failure.
Build a Growth Mindset
There are two basic mindsets that influence how people think about themselves and their abilities: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset
- Belief that your efforts matter
- Learn new skills
- View failures as learning experiences
- Growth mindsets view failure as a valuable source of experience from which they can learn
Curiosity
People who are successful tend to be curious about the world around them. They are always eager to learn more, including new knowledge and skills.
Improve Your Emotional Intelligence
Pay attention to your own emotions: identify what you are feeling and what is causing those feelings
- Manage your emotions: look for healthy and appropriate ways of dealing with what you’re feeling
- Listen to others: pay attention to nonverbal and body language
Capable of Adjustment
In addition to being able to accept ambiguity, success often hinges on the ability to quickly adjust to change. You can nurture this ability to adjust by: Reframing difficult situations, to see them as opportunities to learn and grow
Competitiveness
Focus on your own improvements; rather than worry about being the best at something, pay attention to your progress
- Being happy when others succeed
- Some personality traits and types may be better suited for certain jobs than others
- No specific personality trait can guarantee success, nor can being low in that trait doom someone to failure
A Word From Verywell
There is no single measure of success, and certainly no single answer for how to be successful in life.
Strengthen Your Willpower
Delayed gratification, learning to persist in the face of challenges, and waiting for the rewards of your hard work can often be the key to success in life.
- Strategies you can use to improve your willpower include: distraction, practice, and learn.
Nurture Traits Linked to High Potential
Researchers have identified six key traits that can play a role in how well people do at work
- Too little of these characteristics can hinder success, but so can having too much
- If you are trying to learn how to be successful in life, consider what you can do to nurture these key traits
Accepting of Ambiguity
People with a great deal of potential for success are better able to accept this ambiguity.