Teaching people the strategies of successful people, the experts, the top of their field, patterns emerge that regardless of subject, industry or area, people who reach the pinnacle of their area they all demonstrate similar patterns. I define success as not necessarily being the biggest money maker. I define success as an individual effort – are they happy with their results (and not because they don’t think they can do better), is their work-personal life in balance, are they respected and do they treat people with respect, do they help others?
Characteristics of Successful People: Take the “Are you Successful? Questionnaire
- Are you curious and a lifelong learner?
Do you regularly read books to get information, improve knowledge and skill, work with a coach, take seminars and classes consistently – not because it is required but because you love learning about things. Give yourself 10 points if you fit all of these or 5 points if you do once in awhile. 0 if you are not curious and haven’t read a book since high school.
- Are you motivated and driven?
Do you jump out of bed in the morning and have a list you work off of to get things done? Are you willing to work a little longer to get something done when necessary? Give yourself 10 points if you can answer ‘yes’ to both of the questions. Give yourself 5 points if you can answer one. 0 if you find doing the minimum satisfying.
- Are you open to new ideas?
Do you regularly read about new technology in your industry, new ways of doing things? Are willing to get additional information and research new ideas as you become available to you? 10 points for ‘yes’ to both questions; 5 points for ‘yes’ to one. 0 if you still use a flip phone or haven’t looked up anything for a month.
- Are you coachable and seek coaching as a way of being accountable?
Do you have regular conversations with someone who will hold you accountable for what you said you would do? If someone offers you a new way to handle something, do you listen and make attempts to try? Do you seek out the advice of someone who may be more knowledgeable than you? 15 points if you answer ‘yes’ to all three questions; 10 points for 2 ‘yeses’; 5 points for ‘yes’ to one; 0 if you never ask anyone for help or advice.
- Are you in Flow most of the time: connected with yourself, environment and people in it?
Does your life flow with synchronistic events and coincidences? Are you able to discern patterns of events? 10 points for both ‘yeses’, 5 for one ‘yes’; 0 if you struggle most of the time, can’t see how events are connected and/or are accident prone.
- Do you take calculated risks?
Do you research and make changes when your business needs to keep up with changes in the economy? Are you willing to take a different direction if necessary? 10 points if ‘yes’, 5 points for one ‘yes’; 0 if you never take risks and change is difficult for you.
- Do you believe in yourself, your mission, and what you are doing? Is what you do a mission? 10 points for a mission; 5 points for a career; 0 for ‘a job’.
- Are you passionate and play big(for you). Not everyone is going to be a Richard Branson or Bill Gates. Do you love what you do, support yourself and feel comfortable with who you are and letting people know what you do? 10 points for yes to love, support and marketing yourself and your product and service; 5 points for love and support. 0 points if you are still hopping from one thing to another trying to find something you like.
- Do you help others and are respectful of others and their ideas even when they disagree with you? Help other? 5 points Respectful of others and differing ideas? 5 points; 0 points if you are a curmudgeon.
- Are you responsible and accountable to you and your commitments and others? Keep commitments, do what you say you will do, follow up? 10 points. Bail when something better comes along? 0 points
There are more qualities but these are the hallmarks.
What is your score?
100 points: You are a success! I trust you are also making money at what you are doing.
99-75 points: You have great qualities for success. A few tweaks here and there will make a difference.
74-50 points: You need to do some work but you are half way there.
49-25 points: A hard look at what you are doing. Some new behaviors are in order.
24 points and below: Hummm……Perhaps being successful isn’t your goal.
Sometimes we get so caught up in defining success by the amount of money made that we fail to see that there are other ways of defining it. Money can certainly give you more choices but if you are miserable doing what you do regardless of the money, then life is unbalanced and you might want to look at other choices. There are many people who love what they do. It creates a fulfillment that money alone cannot do. A great coach is a great start.