7 Things Successful People Never Do

If you have ever read an article or watched a news clip about someone who seems to have it all and wondered how he or she did it, you are not alone. We all want to know what magic ingredient makes someone more successful than another. Is it their personality or education? Could it be their physical location or possibly their parents? The truth is that successful people come from all walks of life. Some are born with money while others begin with practically nothing. Some people attend college while others may only graduate high school. What makes a successful person may not have to do as much with what they “do” as with what they “don’t.”

• Successful people do not “sleep in.” Most people who are successful do not stay up late nor do they lie in bed most of the morning. They get up early to exercise, read and plan the day. They are early risers because they want to begin their day to get as much done as possible while they are energetic and focused. They usually are the ones that go to bed before the late night comedians come on because they want a good night’s rest so they can tackle new challenges the following morning.

• Successful people do not dress like their peers. What I mean by this is that successful people dress for where they want to be rather than where they may be right now. If they are an intern, they dress like the attorneys. If they are a courier, they dress like the managers. Successful people dress how they want to be perceived – – as someone who has already made it and has been here a while.

• Successful people do not follow the crowd. Successful people learn early to think for themselves – – they are leaders not followers. They do not jump on every bandwagon that comes along simply because everyone else thinks that it is a good idea. Successful people think before leaping. They listen to their mentors, they crunch the numbers and they read all of the memos but in the end, they make the decision and follow through.

• Successful people never give up. Very few successful people made it on their very first try. We have all heard of the one-hit-wonders who have made it with their first attempt; however, most successful people have perseverance and motivation. They know that in order to succeed they will probably fail first. However, through those failures they will learn lessons that will make them better so that they will succeed the next time.

• Successful people never check their email in the morning. If you start your day by checking your emails, you are allowing your Inbox to set your agenda. While it is tempting to check emails first thing in the morning, it can also tie up your entire morning responding to messages. Instead, you should immediately begin on your to-do list for that day and reserve time later in the afternoon, after you have accomplished your priorities for the day, to read and return emails.

• Successful people never make excuses. Successful people understand that they must be accountable for their actions as well as their in actions. Excuses serve no real purpose. If there is an explanation, you may offer it; however, the only thing that really matters is the result that you achieve. Instead of making excuses, successful people remedy the situation immediately.

• Successful people are never aimless. Successful people understand the importance of goals. They set short-term, intermediate and long-term goals as a way of keeping themselves focused on their ambitions. Without goals, you may be busy but not productive because you are working with no direction. Successful people always have one or more goals that they are working on at all times.

Take the first step in becoming successful by believing in yourself. That is one thing that all successful people have in common – they believe in their ability to do whatever they need to in order to attain their goals.

Image credit: Chris Potter