Characteristics of Highly Successful People
If you’re a frequent reader of the blog, you know that I am very passionate about personal transformation and becoming the best version of yourself. From my experience, there are many ways you can become the highest version of yourself, but I have found that it all comes down to developing your mindset, habits, and skills.
Throughout my life, I’ve come across some very successful people. From my parents, their friends, relatives, and people I’ve come to know, I have had the incredible opportunity to learn and observe what it is that makes someone successful. Many might define success by external achievements such as the size of their business, how much money they make, the clothes they wear, and who they may know. Yes, in some circumstances these can define success. However, what I’ve learned through connecting with these highly successful people is that, although they may have all of these things, it is not the external things that have made them successful. These external things are merely the by-product of their success. What made them successful is their mindset and the characteristics they possess.
In today’s age, people can have wealth or “success” without having a good character. However, the people I like to surround myself with and continue to learn from have all of these characteristics in common:
They are Big Thinkers
The people I most admire are big thinkers. They are always dreaming up big ideas and more importantly, they make them happen. They believe anything is possible. They just search for a way to make it happen. I find that you need two things to become successful. You need to be a dreamer and you need to be realistic. How you effectively use both is to dream big aspirations and then be realistic about your strategy and create a roadmap to get there. It’s a combination of the two that helps you get to where you want to be. However, if you’re the kind of person that, off the bat, doesn’t believe in possibilities, refuses to find a solution to a problem, or is simply too realistic to allow a big dream to come to fruition, then you’re probably not a big thinker.
They’re Knowledgeable
A high value person is well-educated. They stay informed and educated on current events and explore various topics. They continue to learn new things and develop high-profitable skills. The people I’m most impressed with know multiple languages and they read a lot. Being well-educated doesn’t mean that you have to go to the finest schools or have all these certifications or designations next to your name (although, there’s nothing wrong in that). Well-educated people continue their education in their everyday life; simply by reading, by traveling, and conversing with people with various perspectives. A well-educated person doesn’t judge others for their differences, in fact, they embrace them and enjoy learning from all walks of life.
They have hobbies
This is a big one. Have you ever actually asked yourself what your hobbies are? Do you have any at all? This was a question I asked myself a few months ago, because frankly I didn’t have any. I let all my hobbies go when I started working. All I did was work and hang out with friends or family. No offense to anyone else who does this, but it gets boring after a while and you as a person don’t evolve very much. You see, from what I’ve noticed, successful people don’t give up their hobbies. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t just work. They value their time more than anything and that includes recreational time. Many partake in hobbies such as tennis, dancing, horseback riding, golfing, painting, and many other activities. Hobbies add value to your life because they’re fun! Life is meant to be enjoyed and they value living a quality life. Not to mention, this is also a great way to meet people and connect with others who like the same hobbies as you do.
They limit distractions
It seems like in today’s world, everything is trying to grab our attention. In fact, that is how everything is being created these days. Not to mention, society is constantly focusing on what others are doing and focused on how to appear a certain way in order to be validated. The truth is that high-value people know where to focus their time and energy. They concentrate on what’s truly important to them. In order to do this, they limit the distractions that consume too much of their time and take them away from accomplishing their goals. Successful people don’t keep up with the Joneses and they don’t spend an excessive amount of time watching TV or scrolling through social media. To them, that’s all noise. They are secure enough to not compare themselves to others. It’s simply not necessary and doesn’t help them achieve their goals in any way. They are focused on taking care of themselves, their families, and doing what’s best for their businesses.
They’re generous
I understand that there’s this narrative that wealthy people aren’t generous, but in my experience that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The high-value and affluent people I know are THE most generous and kind people I’ve ever come across. In fact, it’s inspiring how much they give and how it doesn’t get recognized. And that’s the point, they don’t want to be recognized for it. Many give anonymously. Isn’t that what true generosity is all about? Giving without seeking reward or praise? They do it because they love to share their time, money, knowledge, and their resources. They give the most splendid gifts to their loved ones, staff, and strangers. They are always doing random acts of kindness and they help others achieve their goals by sharing their connections and knowledge. The truth is that they believe in the power of abundance. Not abundance just for them, but that there’s enough to go around for everyone. The reason why they give so much of their resources is because they have been given blessings beyond measure and they want to use their blessings to better the lives of others as well.
There you have it. These are the characteristics that I have found and admire in the wealthy, successful people I know and love. They inspire me everyday to be the best version of myself. Not because of the external rewards, but because providing value to this world in any way you can is the best gift of all. To sum up this article, high-value people are possibility thinkers, they value education, they focus on what truly matters, and they continually pass their blessings onto others. Being successful does have its perks, but what’s so incredible about this list of characteristics is that you don’t have to be “successful” to exhibit any of them. Simply by regularly exemplifying these traits, you will become a person of high value and good character.