6 Qualities of All Successful People

3 minute read

By Emily Reid

Successful people often seem like they have it all together and are constantly in control. It might seem like successful people are superheroes. Fortunately, you can learn everything you need to know about being more successful with a search online.

Success doesn’t come overnight, and there are some learning curves along the way. No matter who your role model may be, you’ll find that successful people all have some similar qualities that you can cultivate yourself.

Dedication

Successful people face struggles, hard times, and have overcome obstacles to get where they are. With persistence and dedication, anything is possible. Did you know that the first company Bill Gates created actually failed? One failure isn’t a prediction for your future, so don’t give up when the going gets tough. Jim Carrey was once homeless and Stephen King’s first novel got rejected multiple times. If they could keep trying through difficulties like those, you can get through a bad day or even a bad week.

Passion

Successful people are passionate about what they do and pour that passion into their work. If you don’t love it, you won’t give it your all. Whether it’s climbing to the top of the corporate ladder of your dream career or being the best parent you can be, having a great passion for the goals you have will help you reach them.

Positivity

When you believe, you can achieve. Although that sounds a lot like a slogan for the latest Disney flick, the old adage rings true. Having a positive attitude and believing in yourself will help you stay motivated and on track.

At age 13, surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her arm in a near-death shark attack, and only a month later she was back on her board. In challenging times, it can be easy to fall into a dark place or a negative mindset, but staying positive will help you stay afloat. Take inspiration from Bethany, who never gave up, and keep your hopes up no matter how hard the road ahead seems. As hard as it was, as documented in the film Soul Surfer, Bethany believed she could get back in the water — and she did! Now she’s taking a break from surfing since she’s pregnant, but we can bet she’ll be back on her board in no time.

Organization

This is a quality that many people overlook. No matter how hard you work or how much passion you pour into your work, staying on top of everything is a skill in itself. Organization will help you keep all aspects of your five-year plan on track, make your days run smoothly, and help make sure you don’t miss anything important. To be successful in your career, personal life, or any other area, you have to make sure you check all the boxes and don’t drop the ball, so focusing on organization is important.

Willpower

If you have a tough day and don’t want to work out when you get home, or you put something off instead of acting right away, you’re only hurting yourself. Successful people know that having willpower is a key factor in completing their goals. Even when you don’t feel like it, powering through and working hard today will benefit you in the long term. Being able to resist procrastination on work, or peer pressure to eat that piece of cheesecake, will help you stay on track to meet your future goals, and achieve them faster.

Patience

Success doesn’t happen overnight, and patience is an art that can take time to master. There will be tough times, there will be failures, and there will be many obstacles to overcome, no matter what your specific goals are. Having patience will help you wait out the storms and keep a calm attitude. Good things come to those who wait — and work hard — but they don’t come right away.

If you can master these 6 qualities and harness them for success, you’ll be on the right track. Accomplishing any goal, big or small, takes time, hard work, and a lot of effort — but if you’re determined to do whatever it takes, you’ll be celebrating your successes soon enough.

Emily Reid

Contributor