I’m developing an idea for a project that I’m working on about the traits of successful people. I know “success” is a relative term. I’m not talking about the level of success a person has, but what does it take to get to their own personal level of success.
Here is the idea that I’m developing.
Your feedback is sought after and greatly appreciated:
The more I pay attention to life, the more I notice that “successful” people are strong in 3 categories (If I had to categorize it)
Those three strengths are:
1. The Art of Communication
Successful people know how to communicate with their team (let’s face it, we can’t go at life alone). They also know how to communicate with those outside their camps. Business is social in nature, we will encounter other “people” in this world that we have to do business with. Due to “people” being such a general term, we have to develop a strong foundation in effective communication no matter who your audience is. Those who can clearly set objectives, share the steps to accomplish their goals and constructively provide feedback will accomplish more in their lifetime.
2. Organization
All systems need a scaleable plan of action. HOW TOs are why wikis became so popular. Some organizations rely on manuals. The military’s “every thing has a place and everything is in it’s place” is one popular method. All of these bring a sense of order to the execution of the plan. I think it’s important to have organization in your organization so you team knows how to act when you’re not there or dead in the battlefield. Even if you’re a soloprenuer, being organized will save you tons of time.
3. Time Management
Speaking of time… how we choose to spend our time determines success. There are only a finite number of hours in a week. Multiple obligations pulling us in a million directions quickly eat up those hours. Our families deserve our time for the fact of allowing us the space to venture out on the path to see what’s down it. Like I said, there are a million distracters. It’s how many of them we allow in that will take our precious resource of time. Time is the only resource that we can’t gain back. It takes a lot of sucking it up and doing the shitty things we don’t want to face while ignoring the things in life that are more instant pleasure. Delaying instant gratification will allow us focus, so that we can have a better life in the long term. I think this is the hardest one for most people to take and it’s the one I struggle with the most. It ties into the other two tools the most as well.
So after getting this thought out, I had a fourth trait brought to my attention that I agree with:
4. Healthy Optimism
Negativity breeds repulsion. The last thing people need to hear while on the path to achieving a goal is detractors. They might argue that they are only trying to prevent their loved ones from getting hurt if they don’t achieve their goal. Also to be noted is optimism from the successful person’s POV. Have confidence in your future success and don’t let doubt bring your down.
This is just a scratch on the surface of my idea. These are the (now) 4 tools (or skill sets) that I am trying to develop based on my observations of other people who I have determined have their shit together. Are they* successful? That’s a subjective measure I think we can all agree on. Are they* the most equipped to handle life? That’s what I’m trying to determine…
Am I off base? What are your thoughts?
* the term “They” is being used in a collective form. I didn’t have one particular person is in mind. Not all of the people I’ve observed have all of these traits, but they’re close.