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What do you think separates people who are successful from those who aren't? Is it hard work, a higher energy level, more self confidence, more self discipline, more dedication? Or is it something else. I have a suspicion that self confidence and risk taking might be the most important. What do you think?
I would honestly say luck is the biggest factor. I know its not what people like to hear but luck really is needed more than anything else. Luck is a huge part of 100% of people who are successful.
There is no successful person who get their with ZERO luck. But there are successful people who got their with ZERO hard work, and zero confidence, and zero skill and zero risk taking. But zero luck? NEVER.
For instance.. every successful person was lucky enough to not die before they reached adulthood. So there you go. LUCK.
It isn't a single thing, can't be. It's a combination of things including -
1) Mental acuity, access to information, accumulated knowledge, always looking for opportunities, ability to analyze complex things quickly, street smarts.
2) Optimism, confidence, determination, lack of fear, internal fortitude (guts), refusal to lose or back down, love of competition, individualism.
3) Strong constitution, good health, high energy, ability to be single minded and look to the future, ability to handle money, aggressiveness, sacrifice to accept delayed gratification.
It can be aided by outside things such as mentors, backers, connections, money and often is but it's still up to the individual. Looks, personality, and other qualities don't hurt either.
Connections are most important, but other factors are ambition, aggressive nature, confidence, lack of ethics, ability to sell ones self, and a sense of self importance. Ive read that narcisicism is common in those who hold positions of authority and power. That is easy to believe. I know I sound like Im being negative here but think about the kind of people who get promoted in the workplace. Are they not typically narcissictic??? kiss ups? those who can throw others under the bus without feeling guilty? Those who really move up or succeed often do it by cheating lying or outright stealing. How many wall street tycoons have not used illegal or unethical means to become rich and powerfull. Bernie Madoff ran the biggest Ponzi scheme ever, think he felt guilty??? Successful people generally don't let ethics get in the way of their quest for money and power. They don't let anything get in their way. How many people do you know that work hard and get promoted??? How many people do you know that look out for the interest of others who get promoted??? Not too many right? You cannot move up in life if you don't aggressively pursue it, and that means running over others to get it in most cases. In order to move up you must prove you are a better person than everyone else you compete against, and in the end you will likely end up believing your a better person. You will act as if your a better person once you get it. Think about it, the people who live in the rich neighborhood where all the bosses live actually think they are better people then those who live in lesser communities. They believe they are smarter and harder working than everyone else, therefore they deserve what they have. In reality they simply have a lower ethical standard, they are more self centered and they have an unrelenting drive to achieve. They have the attitude that success is so important that they will let nothing or no one get in the way of them having it. That is the difference between those who succeed financially and those who don't IMO.
I think how a responder answers the OPs question reveals how they define the word success. Is it money, position, power, or a balanced and well-adjusted life? Is it enjoying what you do everyday, or is it buying your way out of misery?
OP, give me an idea of what you consider successful, and I can give you an idea of how I think they got there. Each type of success referenced above has a different path to get there.
I've worked around a lot of well-off people and they all have one thing in common. That is a good ability to communicate.
If they are happy with your work, they let you know. If they are not happy, they let you know. If they want something done, they can explain in detail what exactly they want done and will monitor the work to be sure it is done right.
Needless to say, things are done the way they want it.
Now think about this quality (good ability to communicate)... You have a boss who tells you to get something done. Because you are that way, you make DARN sure it gets done and gets done right! Over time your boss likes your work because you can get things done, you get promoted.
Plenty of advantages to being able to communicate well...
At it simplest, you can explain to your car mechanic what is wrong with your car. Make Yard Sale signs which people can read and get more people to your sale. Or explain to your doctor what is troubling you.
It is the ability to take facts and put them together to draw a conclusion. If you spend much time around the poor, you will notice that they lack that ability.
Then, after the conclusion is drawn, it takes the drive to go for it and the risk taking personality to invest time and effort and risk making an expensive mistake.
Once the initial investment is made, then it takes the organization to do all of the follow through to see it to the end.
As a wealthy cousin told me: the facts are exactly the same for everyone. It is what you do with that facts that make the difference between the rich and the poor.
What do you think separates people who are successful from those who aren't?
Instead of obsessing about such questions they go about actually doing <something>.
If it turns ut that something else is needed instead or in addition they'll go and do that.
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