Seven Rules Successful People Live By
Several years ago I left the corporate world to persue my own entrepreneurial dreams. In my quest to find success outside of the corporate world I read countless books and networked with hundreds upon hundreds of prominent business owners, business leaders, entrepreneurs and freelancers. With each encounter, I inquired about their secrets to success. Many people shared timeless tips, while others told me some ugly truths; all of which were beneficial to my growth as an entrepreneur.
Once I began incorporating these seven behaviors into my daily life, I started to see tremendous growth and haven’t looked back.
Stay the course – Persistence truly does pay off. To be successful you must do income producing activities everyday and never give up. In today’s world people are too focused on instant gratification. They aren’t willing to put in the work or watch their investment grow over time. Building a business or a brand takes perseverance, planting seeds, and a lot of hard work. If you’re not in it for the long haul – find another gig.
Ask for help and advice – If you don’t know, ask. And trust me, you don’t know as much as you think you do. When I first started toying with the idea of leaving my career that I had worked tirelessly at for a decade, I met with dozens of people. I asked those in my network to connect me with their network, and I set up a lot of coffee dates. To this day, I still connect with those I aspire to be like and ask them for guidance. You can never stop learning.
Surround yourself with like-minded people – You typically become more like the five people you hang out with most, so choose wisely. Like-minded people tend to move forward together, and somewhat become accountability partners. If you surround yourself with negative, unsupportive, non-motivating people they’ll just bring you down. Lose them immediately.
Have faith in yourself – Every wildly successful person I’ve spoken with has told me that each time they questioned their journey, something inside of them always kept them going. It’s as if they just knew it would work out. At the end of the day, faith is sometimes all you have – but it gets you through.
Learn how to pick yourself up – All successful people have failed their way to the top. Michael Jordan didn’t make his high school basketball team on the first try! If he had let fear or failure take over his vision, he wouldn’t have become one of the greatest athletes of our time. Making mistakes and failing is how you grow and learn. It also builds your strength and teaches you how to handle future hurdles.
Meet new people every day – Relationships build partnerships. I’ll write that again: Relationships build partnerships! The more people you meet, the more partnerships you’ll have. Always network whether that be in person or online through social media. I connect with at least five new people a day, everyday.
Grow a thick skin – Successful people don’t care what others think of their dreams. It’s impossible to please everyone, and you’ll also find that sometimes it’s lonely at the top. You will have people mock you, and not quite understand what you’re doing. But the good news is: they don’t have to! Who cares. It’s not their dream you're chasing. If someone can’t support you or be happy for your success – then it’s time to find new friends.
Ultimately, your success is up to you. I’ve learned that along with determination there is a lot of personal growth involved when chasing your dreams. If you’re persistent, coachable, and willing to put in the work – then I’ll see you at the top my friend.
