“What do you see as the key differentiators between those who achieve their goals and those who don’t?” I was recently asked this question, and it was an opportunity to really reflect on what makes someone successful. To me, there are 13 key elements. People who succeed:
- Define success for themselves first. In so doing, they can then orient their steps towards it, not getting side-winded by other people’s metrics.
- Align themselves with other people who have similar goals and values and prioritize connection and community. You become the average of the company you keep, so they keep good company.
- Move through the fear of trying things they’ve never done before. They know it’s the only way to grow and become the person they hope to be.
- Reorient their relationship to failure, knowing that you can’t fail if you keep going, and if you never make mistakes, you’re not pushing yourself.
- Are teachable, open-minded, and curious. Life is a classroom to them and they are insatiable about learning.
- Ask for the support they need, even when that feels uncomfortable.
- Connect with their intuition and inner voice as a GPS to guide them.
- Desire to grow more than they desire to stay comfortable or feel stagnant.
- Understand that progress is oftentimes a slow accumulation of small wins.
- Build in time for rest, recovery, celebration, and play.
- Dig into their mindsets and inner narratives for better self-understanding and then unlearn what isn’t serving them and create more beneficial thought patterns.
- Stay open for life to present them with opportunities that may not be on the agenda, but might be even better.
- Find people who have gone where they’re headed and enroll them into their mission as coaches, advisers, mentors, and friends.
As you scroll through this list, do you feel that you’re nodding your head in agreement more often than thinking, “that’s definitely not me”? Is there one area where you could put a little bit more focus to help you move closer to your goals?