3 characteristics you need to succeed

Success doesn’t look the same through everyone’s eyes. For some, success looks like a money bin full of gold coins that you can swim in. Okay maybe that’s just Scrooge McDuck. But money isn’t how everyone sees success. Some see success as happiness. Some see success in leaving their mark on the world around them. There are a lot of characteristics that can affect your level of success, but here are three that may be the most important…

You have to have drive: If you don’t have the desire to be successful, you’ll never reach your goals. Think about what’s important to you and how much you want to achieve it. If you’re lacking the drive for what you’ve always considered “success”, maybe you’ve changed. Figure out what you really want and go get it.

You have to believe in yourself: Henry Ford once said “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t … you’re right.” You’ll never reach your destination if you don’t believe in yourself. Whether it’s a work goal or a personal goal, surround yourself with supportive people who want to see you succeed. The looking-glass self is a concept coined by sociologist Charles Horton Cooley which says that people develop their concept of self by seeing how they’re perceived by others. Think about the people around you. Are they helping or hurting your chances at success?

You have to be persistent: Success isn’t easy. Well maybe for a Kardashian, but to the rest of us, it takes a lot of hard work. And we all know that hard work isn’t easy. There will be roadblocks that get in your way. There will be times when you feel like giving up and throwing in the towel. If you want to achieve the kind of success that your heart truly desires, you have to keep fighting for it. The old proverb says “if you fall down 7 times, get up 8.” And I know what you’re thinking … that math doesn’t add up. Hey I’m with you. But the point is, every time you’re feeling down, you’ve got to take Curtis Mayfield’s advice and “Keep on Keeping On.”