10 Habits of Successful People that You Can Adopt

I grew up thinking that if I was a good person, all good things would come to me. That was a combination of what I took from my teachers and my parents. I was taught to be obedient, take direction, complete my tasks, not complain, and be on time. There was never any encouragement for taking initiative, in fact, that was discouraged.

I was basically taught how to be a “good child.”

I was not taught how to be an independent adult. I suspect that is true for many people.

Having a role model is so valuable, but we don’t all have someone who is “successful” around to learn from.

Here are some bits of advice that ring true to me, and I hope they make sense to you too. Also, I’m using the word “successful” here in terms of career success. Obviously there are other kinds of success and we can define those ways any way we like. I’m just looking at financial success here as it affects so many aspects of our lives.

10 Habits of Successful People

1. They are optimistic and enthusiastic. They take the initiative rather than waiting to be told what to do all the time.
2. They have a network of friends, including mentors, and are supportive of others.
3. They make good use of their strengths and work on improving weaknesses.
4. They take responsibility for their work and look for ways to improve it.
5. They look for solutions to problems and don’t give up when difficulties arise. (Here’s where networking can help.)
6. They manage their time well and are not easily distracted.
7. They have clear goals with a step-by-step plan to accomplish them.
8. They take specific training/education or learn outside of the classroom as needed.
9. They take calculated risks, but do their homework first.
10. They keep their debt small. (This is getting tougher with all the college loans many people have.)

These are somewhat based on “50 Traits of Successful People” that you can see here at KrantCents. I had his list on my refrigerator a long time. Plus I added some of my own experience.

By the way, you can get a mentor, simply by asking for one! Just ask someone to be your mentor. Pick someone you admire for the way they handle their job and get to know them first. Sometimes it can be someone who is getting ready to retire and would love to share the wealth of their experience with you! You will be amazed at how many ways they can help you. They can be a good sounding board when you are frustrated or just need a little encouragement.

Still feel like you are overwhelmed by it all?  Click here for a way to make your goals a reality that anyone can do!

Do you agree with these 10 items? Do you have any to add?