15 Habits That Make Ultra Successful People Stand Out

Who the heck doesn’t want to succeed in life?

Despite our drive and ambition for success, we all define success differently. For many, it is all about the benjamins. For some, it’s building good and healthy relationships. For others, it’s simply being content with what you have.

As the founder of a blog called Run For Wealth, I have spent many years studying the concept of success. The pay off line at Run For Wealth is “Run A Fulfilling Life Race”. As such, to me success means leading a fulfilling life.

Whatever your definition of success, I have listed 15 habits of ultra-successful people that will help you live a fulfilling and abundant life.

1. They have an incredible amount of faith

Success begins with faith. You have to dream and believe in a concept. Before anything tangible, deep inside there has to be a conviction that drives you.

You then have to constantly cultivate that dream and concept.

Speak to any ultra-successful person, and they will relate a story that began years and possibly decades before what was seen with the naked eye.

2. They think abundantly

Ultra-successful people understand that the world has more than enough for everyone.

As such, they are constantly in abundance mode. That means they are not stuck on the limitations caused by small-mind and scarcity thinking that leads to greed and manipulation.

They realize that if they simply work hard, smart, and follow their passion they will get their share of the massive cake of ultra-success.

3. They constantly invest in themselves

Self-investment is the most important practical step anyone can take when pursuing success.

Ultra-successful people sow life seeds all the time. They invest both time and money into their future.

In this hectic and crazy world we all live in, the ultra-successful set aside time for themselves. In this world of materialism, they realize the power of spending money on their future success.

4. They work according to a life plan

Nothing happens by osmosis where ultra-successful people are concerned.

They plan their lives. Then, they constantly work their plan. Does the plan always work to the tee? Absolutely not! In fact, most of the time, plans fall apart.

However, the few plans that work, put ultra-successful streaks ahead of the ordinary Joe Sope because the majority of society doesn’t have a plan. They live an erratic life that has no sense of direction and purpose.

5. They lead a balanced lifestyle

Ultra-successful people understand that money is not everything.

They are multi-dimensional. They know that relationships are just as important (if not more important) than money. They know that physical health is just as important as money and relationships. They understand that cultivating a healthy spiritual foundation is just as important as money, relationships and good physical health.

As such, they constantly dedicate time to nurture all the important areas of their life.

6. They treat people with respect

Success is centered around people. Your mentors are people. Your colleagues and/or business partners are people. Your employees are people. Your clients are people.

As such, to succeed, you have to treat people with respect and dignity regardless of their status in life.

7. They focus on their strengths

We have all been blessed with gifts and talents. Within those gifts and talents lies an incredible amount of potential that we need to tap into by working hard.

Ultra-successful people are able to find their mojo. When they do, they spend most of their time harnessing that which they are good at. This doesn’t mean they don’t have weaknesses. It does not mean they negate to improve areas where they are weak.

However, they will not waste their time on areas they are not naturally gifted in under the umbrella of “you can be anything you want to be in life”.

You need only watch shows like Idols to realize that you CAN’T be anything you want to be in life by constantly focusing your energy on areas you are not naturally gifted at.

8. They are transparent

Ultra-successful people believe in honesty and integrity.

In a world where there is so much corruption, the habit of constantly cultivating a transparent disposition can be a massive challenge. In the face of challenges and times of doubt when pursuing your dreams, the temptation to drop your moral compass has the potential to show its ugly head.

Ultra-successful people understand that no amount of success is worth it if you live a life of dishonesty.

9. They take each day at a time

Patience is a virtue. This sounds so cliché until you hit your head against the challenges of life when pursuing your success.

Ultra-successful people understand that “easy come, easy go” is a reality.

10. They manage their time

Time is the most important resource we have.

Ultra-successful people guard their time like hawks. Because they work according to a life plan, their day-to-day activities are deliberate. That way, they are able to navigate themselves through the many distractions that life can throw.

11. They manage their money

Earning and accumulating income and wealth is important. Keeping it is just as important.

Ultra-successful people understand this. As such, they account for their expenditure as much as they do their income.

To them, the ultimate is to build financial acumen to a point where your money works for you. Your money will never work for you if you don’t manage it well.

12. They constantly bless others

“We are blessed to a blessing” is perhaps one of the most basic ‘secrets’ to success.

Firstly, most people live in scarcity mode (vs abundance). Secondly, when pursuing your dreams, life throws so many challenges you become so protective over what you accumulate when you eventually succeed. This is why many ‘successful’ people are loathed when they have to share and bless others.

Yet, blessings increase when you are able to share them. Sharing means you are able to give your time (as a mentor to others) and your money (to less fortunate and those around you). By doing that, your blessings and success accumulate.

13. They use positive body language

They say actions speak a thousand words. Ultra-successful people work hard at ensuring that their body gestures are constantly positive.

Be it eye contact or body posture when sitting in a meeting, they know that these ‘small’ matters go a long way.

14. They constantly challenge themselves

Where challenges are concerned, you only have two options: Either you pro-actively challenge yourself of life will challenge you by force.

When you pro-actively challenge yourself, you have the edge. When life challenges you, you are on the back-foot and you eventually lead a reactive life of putting out fires.

Ultra-successful people understand that challenges bring out the best in us. They don’t wait for challenges to come their way. They go out there and constantly challenge themselves.

15. They are grateful

Although ultra-successful people have been wired to be ambitious, they cultivate an ability to balance ambition with contentment and appreciation. Being content doesn’t mean you settle for mediocrity.

Contentment and appreciation means you appreciate fully what you have in the present. It means you acknowledge those who are your support structure and have helped you to be where you are currently. It also means that your drive and ambition is not fueled by greed and other negative catalysts.

Yes, be ambitious. But, equally important, be content and fully appreciative of where you are currently.

Ultra-success is a constantly evolving status on your life timeline.

Even for those who are “self-actualized” on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, their need to give back or contribute goes through numerous stages that can never hit a ceiling whilst they live here on Planet Earth.

Featured photo credit: Image courtesy of John Hope via flickr.com

The post 15 Habits That Make Ultra Successful People Stand Out appeared first on Lifehack.

10 Bad Habits That Stop People From Achieving Success

“I would be so successful if someone just gave me a shot!”

Many people out there have mindsets and attitudes that set them up for failure. When confronted with possible reasons for failure, or a lack of personal success, they often end up just making excuses. Here are 10 particular bad habits that keep those people from achieving success.

1. Loafing

They’ll write that novel just as soon as they’re done with their favorite show. Oh, but now they’re hungry. They’ll get started after a snack. Oh, but now that snack has made them sleepy–a little nap couldn’t hurt, right?

One of the hardest, and the most obvious, parts of achieving success is the actual work. Procrastinating, making excuses or tricking themselves into loafing is just going to cement the fact that nothing will ever get done. It might not sound pretty, or even too easy, but the easiest way to get to success is to just jump in and get going (which is exactly how I got started).

2. Blaming

It’s not their fault they’re not successful. The industry is bad, they don’t have the money, etc. When it comes down to it, however, who is the one responsible for their success? Themselves.

This is the day and age where people are launching successful start-ups in a few months, getting published online and finding their way to success one way or another. Some things might be out of their control, but blaming others is just going to waste the energy and time they need to get going.

3. Sour grapes

Being envious of the success of others is almost as bad as blaming them. All the time and energy they could be putting into their own goals is going towards a person who more than likely has done nothing but show them that the goal is attainable. They don’t have to be applauding their success, but being envious and sour about it is a waste of time–let it roll off the shoulders and dig down towards accomplishing goals.

4. Minimizing others success

Again, they don’t have to be cheering and raving about the success of others, but minimizing their accomplishments looks bad on them and on their own goals. If they attained success, would they want others rolling their eyes and treating it like it is not a big deal in the slightest? I highly doubt it. “So they climbed Mount Everest, big whoop. Plenty of people have done it before.” Have they?

5. Talking

They’re going to do this, they’re going to do that–the proof is in the pudding, ultimately. Talking about their goals and what they’re going to accomplish is all well and good, but talking time is better spent actually doing. Talking about goals has actually been shown to make you less likely to reach them, so zip up those chattering lips and dive in.

6. Making assumptions

You know what they say about the word ‘assume’, it makes an (inappropriate word I’ll leave out of this article) out of ‘u’ and ‘me’ . Unsuccessful people are the best at making assumptions without considering other outlets or opportunities. Missed chance after missed chance can put anyone behind, or completely ruin something that they poured a lot of hard work into. People are often surprised at what happens if they take a chance instead of listening to that little pessimist inside their heads. ‘Never assume’ is good advice and it is a mindset they should get out of as quickly as possible.

7. Procrastinating

This one is obvious, isn’t it? It’s about the same as loafing, but even worse because it applies to multiple areas of our lives. That big project? Eh, its not due for a week. Dreams? Eh, going to be taking a class to learn how to write in a few months, I’m just relaxing until then.

Procrastination is not the friend of successful people. Many of them had to learn how to either make procrastination work for them or to barrel through it and press on, even with the proverbial sloth demanding you park it on the couch.

8. Naysaying

“It will never work. It is impossible, I just can’t …” That is about when it is time to take a good look at what they’re doing. There are a plethora of people out there that once thought the same thing: they can’t get a man into space, they can’t find a way for a human to fly, they can’t cure a disease. Well, people did what was once considered impossible. If they can defy the entire world, why can’t they defy the internal pessimist and get there? Don’t say that it is impossible. In the world we live in today, it seems like impossible is becoming a word that gets weaker every day.

9. Consuming

Fast food, energy drinks, trash TV–their brain is sobbing at the thought. With all the time spent taking in things that are not good for their brain or body, how can anyone expect it to happily balance out and produce the stuff they need to achieve success? Output should be greater than input; though they don’t have to take the starving artist spiel literally. The point is, production is where the value is, not the absorption.

10. Quitting

“Well, I tried.” Sure, they tried once. That horse is shaking its head and trotting off to find someone who will get back on it. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with cutting losses sometimes. After all, no experience is ever truly wasted, but quitting is the mortal enemy to successful people. If they believe in something, they want to find that success, there is no road map. You may very well have to carve your own path through treacherous jungle. If they give up the first time a mosquito bites, then they’ve doomed themselves already.

Success, in large part, is about the human being in the arena. People cheer for them, their struggle and victory, but the person who watches idly and scoffs, having never tried has also never really lived.

Mindsets are not set in stone. It is never too late to get started and change perspective. After all, achieving success is completely up to them; they are the one making excuses and holding themselves back. Decide when it is time to stand up and get back into that arena.

Featured photo credit: Boys around a campfire by the water./simpleinsomnia via flickr.com

The post 10 Bad Habits That Stop People From Achieving Success appeared first on Lifehack.

8 Free Online Courses For People Who Are Never Tired Of Learning

Learning new skills and knowledge is a great way to advance your career, increase your income and make sense of the world. Today, you have access to a large number of online courses to help you learn skills in many areas including preparing for exams, the basics of science and many business topics. In this article, you will learn about a variety of free online courses and how you can benefit from them.

As you learn through an online course, keep in mind that free online courses require focus. There was no professor, teacher or anybody else expecting you to pay attention or complete homework. That said, you can achieve a great through self-study. Scott H. Young completed the four year MIT computer science program in one year by working through MIT’s free online program.

1. Develop Your Math Skills With Khan Academy

We all know that math skills and reasoning are valuable and well worth developing. Yet, you may feel embarrassed to ask for help or sign up with a tutor. That’s why the Khan Academy courses are so helpful. You can watch the videos multiple times. Even better, there is an online platform where you can practice your math skills with quizzes and get feedback. The best part of Khan Academy courses: each video lesson is short (5-10 minutes) so it is a great approach if you have limited time.

2. Mastering Data Analysis in Excel (Duke University)

In the corporate world, Microsoft Excel is one of the most popular and powerful business productivity applications. In fact, Excel is so popular that there are dozens of books and courses available on how to make the most of the application. This online Duke University course shows how to generate insights with Excel.

3. Project Management Basics

As the author of Project Management Hacks, I believe in the value of project management. It is a great process to turn your ideas into products, services and other ways to make the world a better place. This online course will give you an introduction to project management concepts such as planning, scheduling and leadership.

Tip: To take your project management skills to a professional level, earn the Project Management Professional certification.

4. Sales Power – 4 Questions That Will Close Your Next Sale

Sales is one of the most powerful and important business skills you can ever develop. Your ability to present, persuade and serve people is a big part of sales. Yet, you may not be comfortable with sales concepts, especially if you are an introvert. In this free course, you will learn a few questions that help you start the sales process and start to increase your income.

5. Achieve More in Less Time Using SMART Goals

Raw knowledge and skills become truly powerful when you apply those ideas toward important goals. For example, your project management skills may support your goal to be earn more money and get promoted. In this course, you will learn the basic principles of creating effective goals from Dr. Richard Feenstra.

6. Learning How to Learn

Did you know that some study strategies are more effective than others? Finding study methods that suit your goals matter, especially when you are working through free online courses. This University of California – San Diego course is taught by Dr. Barbara Oakley and
Dr. Terrence Sejnowski. For example, this course will teach you manage your memory and break down course material with chunking.

7. Learn to Program: The Fundamentals

Software is a great way to make yourself more valuable in the marketplace. This introduction course from the University of Toronto is a great choice for students who have never programmed computers or software before. Over the course of this ten week course, you will learn concepts and techniques using the Python programming language.

8. Introduction to Programming in Java (MIT)

Java is one of the world’s most popular and flexible programming languages. In this free online course from MIT, you will learn how to develop programs using Java. The course includes lecture notes on topics such as loops, arrays and debugging. If you find this course structure helpful and valuable, MIT has a wealth of science, engineering and technology courses online at the MIT OpenCourseWare website.

Featured photo credit: Woman Reading/Unsplash via pixabay.com

The post 8 Free Online Courses For People Who Are Never Tired Of Learning appeared first on Lifehack.

How Successful People Deal With Narcissists Wisely

Dealing with narcissistic people is incredibly frustrating.

It is not just that their toxic personality drives you nuts. Part of it is that too many people seem to be completely unaware of the effect that their words and actions have on other people. But the people who know exactly what they are doing can make your blood boil just the same.

Whether they know what they’re doing or not, these personalities can add stress and complexity to almost every situation.

Unfortunately, dealing with narcissists is a part of everyday life. It is almost impossible to escape them and if you want to keep your job, you have to play it cool.

Dealing with narcissists wisely does not involve forcing them to see the error of their ways. To be honest, that difficulty level is usually way above your pay grade. But how you manage them can impact your situation immensely.

Here are some things that successful people do to deal with narcissists wisely.

They Remain Aware of Their Feelings

When you’re dealing with narcissistic people, you need to maintain a certain emotional distance to help keep you from escalating the situation. This tip comes from dating expert Vin DiCarlo.

To do with this, you need to think about why something makes you so irritated and work on that on your end. Not knowing why someone makes you as angry as they do can actually make your anger worse.

One of the best things that you can do when you are dealing with narcissists is to acknowledge that they make you angry rather than trying to stop it. If you can admit to yourself that you feel angry, you have a much better chance of controlling it.

They Focus on the Solution… Not the Problem

One of the best things you can do for yourself, for them and for your team is to focus on the solution rather than on the problem. Focusing on the problem will only drag you down and make you angry.

Instead, you need to become a master of adjustment. If you can learn to pivot quickly, you will improve your problem solving skills. This will help you skate past the problems that arise when dealing with these types of behaviors.

They Forgive But Don’t Forget

You need to let go of how much the other person’s behavior annoys you.

Whether they are just a jerk or the behavior comes from somewhere deeper, it does not need to become your personal problem. That is exactly what it will become if you do not exhale and let go of all your negative feelings about their behavior.

Forgiving is essential but you should not forget

If the person makes no effort to correct their negative behavior and there is no other pressure forced on them, you need to be prepared to deal with it occurring again in the future.

The more prepared you are, the less emotional you will get when it happens again. When you do not get emotional every time you have to deal with this negative behavior, you can deal with it more objectively.

They Recognize That the Behavior Comes From Different Places

Narcissistic behavior comes from many different places. It is not as black and white as someone just being a jerk. Sometimes narcissistic behavior comes from a feeling of inadequacy.

When some people feel like they don’t measure up, they can overcompensate with negative behaviors.

Other negative behaviors are just a part of a person’s personality. In some cases, narcissism is a part of a bigger problem.

It is not your role to play their therapist. But you should appreciate that there may be extenuating circumstances that you are not aware of that is at the heart of this kind of behavior.

They Lean on Their Own Support System

Anytime you are dealing with negativity in your life, you should not feel afraid to rely on your own support system. Sometimes just venting can help you feel better in the short term. Other times, it can give you a whole new perspective that may help you deal with your situation better.

When you are able to talk to people who are not involved in the situation, it is easier to maintain a balanced perspective. This is because a good support system will tell you when to let it go and when to work harder to resolve the situation.

Dealing with narcissists is hard. But if you can relate to them without letting them drag you down with them, it can be a lot easier.

As John C. Maxwell once said, “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.”

When you are dealing with a difficult situation created by a person with a negative personality, remember to take a deep breath and have some patience for both that pain-in-the-neck and for yourself.

Featured photo credit: Ninian Reid via flickr.com

The post How Successful People Deal With Narcissists Wisely appeared first on Lifehack.

9 Ways To Focus and Be Super Productive At Work

In this modern age, our working environment requires much more creativity and patience. However, it is also much easier to get distracted with the internet and our phones which moves us further away from being productive while working. Here are 9 ways to focus and be super productive while working:

1. Remove Distractions

This includes distracting websites and co-workers.

Research has shown that after an external distraction such as a co-worker trying to start a conversation or checking email notifications, it takes nearly 25 minutes to re-engage with whatever you were doing. This is important because it’s remarkably easy to get distracted while working. If we keep giving into distractions, then it increases the amount of time we have to spend to complete tasks and reduces the amount of enjoyment we get from it.

Removing distractions makes it easier to focus on difficult tasks.

How can you do this?

• Turn off email notifications.
• Ask co-workers (kindly) not to distract you while working.
• Remove digital clutter (unneeded open tabs, half finished documents on your desktop).

2. Focus on one task

We can’t multi-task too well. (Which is supported by study after study after study).

We’re better off focusing on one task at a time, especially if our work is cognitively demanding. We’ll get more done during our allocated time, enjoy it more because we’re more engaged and spend less time feeling frantic. When we try focusing on more than one thing, we tend to do both of them poorly. It leads to more mistakes and as a result, we need to correct ourselves more often.

How can you do this?

• Remove distractions.
• Prioritize tasks and work on the most important at the time.
• Move smaller tasks to later in the day.
• Practice being more mindful while completing the activities.

3. Focus in Short Bursts

Focusing hard can be difficult. that’s why we do it in short bursts.

Welcome to the “pomodoro technique”. It’s rather simple. We focus on a task for a short time without distractions and take a break. Then repeat until the task is completed. It understands that focusing on difficult tasks is both efficient but tiring.

1. Work for 25 minutes.
2. Take a break for 5.
3. Repeat 4 times.
4. After 2 hours, take a longer break.
5. Start again.

By doing this, we’ll have more energy to focus on the tasks we have instead of becoming extremely tired and falling into the trap of pseudo-work. That is, working for long hours without accomplishing much of value. You’ll feel busy and tired while having done much less than you could have.

How can you do this?

• Set a timer for 25 minutes.
• Remove distractions.
• Take frequent breaks.

4. Check email less

Email is very good at distracting us with things that might be important but often aren’t. It’s extremely tempting to keep our email open because we think we have to be connected to other people all the time.

We don’t need to check our email so often. If something is so urgent that it needs your immediate attention, communicating by email is a bad choice. They’ll call you instead.

How can you do this?

• Disable email notifications.
• Assign email checking time. Either in the morning, just before lunch or in the middle of the afternoon. The rest of your time is for working.
• Keep emails to five sentences or less. You’ll spend less time with emails and free up time for more important tasks.

5. Find the most important activities

This is often known as the 80/20 rule in many productivity circles. It simply says that 80% of your results come from 20% of your actions. For example, 20% of paying customers might give 80% of your revenue.

If we do this, we find the tasks we want to focus our time rather than doing tasks that require a lot of work with a low payout.

How can you do this?

• Make a list of all the things you need to do.
• Ask, if you could only do one activity here, what would it be?
• After you’ve compiled a short list of activities, aim to focus most of your energy there.

6. Make a procrastination list

With this in mind, it’s helpful to make a list of less important tasks you can still complete while you put off the most important task. This way, time spent procrastinating does not always mean browsing the internet mindlessly – time can still be used somewhat productively.

How can you do this?

• Make a list of tasks.
• Prioritize them on a scale of one to five (one being the most important).
• When you find yourself procrastinating, start doing the second most important task on your list.

7. Go outside and walk around

More often than not, while working, we’re sitting down in a room with a lot of artificial light. It’s remarkably helpful to spend some time outside during breaks.

Firstly, changing your environment and getting some fresh air is a great way to reduce stress. If we find a problem difficult, going for a short walk gives us a good chance at returning to the problem with a relaxed mindset and new ways to approach a problem.

Secondly, a lot of research is coming out about the hazards of sitting down too much. In a study of nearly a million people, it was found that it increases our chances of diabetes and cardiovascular problems.

Thirdly, most of us should simply exercise more. A short walk during a lunch break can be a useful starting point to increasing our energy levels through the day.

How can you do this?

• During short breaks and lunchtimes, move away from the desk and go outside.
• Have lunch outside.
• Change location completely and work in a public garden.

8. Be Kind to Yourself

We are our harshest critics. Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap, claims that 80% of our thoughts are negative in some way.

You’ve probably noticed yourself being extremely critical over small things. Forgetting to reply to an email or complete a task, doing poorly in an exam, or even smaller things like saying “you too” when a server says “enjoy your food”.

They occupy our mind and make us less likely to try again because they’re very easy to believe. If we’re kinder to ourselves, we’ll spend less time criticizing ourselves over simple mistakes.

Why bother being more productive if we hate ourselves in the process?

How can you do this?

• Label needlessly negative thoughts as unhelpful (they rarely inspire you to try harder or try something new).
• Remember that they’re simply reactions to a task in front of you. Not facts.
• Talk to yourself as if you were a friend.

9. Practice Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is the act of focusing all of your attention onto your breathing and your nearby surroundings.

It helps you engage with tasks quicker and with greater consistency. While meditating, you’ll practise noticing a distraction and calmly returning your attention back to your breath. When we experience external distractions (co-worker popping in to say hi) and internal distractions (I feel like browsing the internet again), we’ll slowly learn to let them pass and return to our work in hand.

If the fact you’ll concentrate isn’t enough, meditation is extremely calming. Our overall stress will reduce, we’ll become more immersed in the present moment and enjoy our journey to being more productive and creating more.

How can you do this?

• Sit (or lie down) in a comfortable but alert position.
• Set a timer for 2 minutes.
• Focus on your breathing.

At first it’ll be difficult. Thoughts will fly into your head and it’ll be difficult to just focus on your breathing. With practice, you get better at returning your attention to your breathing.

Productivity is much more enjoyable when we experience greater focus, fewer distractions and more engagement with our tasks.

Featured photo credit: Viktor Hanacek via picjumbo.com

The post 9 Ways To Focus and Be Super Productive At Work appeared first on Lifehack.

What Highly Successful People Do Every Day To Perform At Their Best

What separates highly successful people from the “average crowd?” This is a topic that is widely discussed.

If you want to be successful, you have to watch carefully what other successful people do and imitate them. While every successful person has his or her own unique approach, there are a couple thoughts and actions they have in common.

Here are 7 habits many successful people have!

1. They make a difference

If you have an idea, that idea has to change peoples life’s. As long as you’re not helping other people, it’s useless. Don’t start with an activity or business primarily to make money, it won’t work. When you create fans by offering your expertise, they are willing to pay for it. The problem with today’s entrepreneurial mindset is that’s all about “quick” money and not necessarily about making a difference.

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” — Albert Einstein

2. They focus on productivity instead of on being busy

Do you know those people who always say they can’t meet up with you or help with a certain thing because they’re always busy? I do, and to be honest I was one of them.

When I look back, I don’t actually know with what I was being busy. I thought I was being busy, but now I realize I could have done many things in a much more productive way.

Is 8 hours of work actually 8 hours when you’re checking your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram updates every 30 minutes? It’s necessary to take a rest once a while, but don’t get lost in hundreds of status updates that make you forget about your priorities.

Looking for some tips? Check out this infographic: How to be productive by doing more and working less

3. They keep setting S.M.A.R.T. goals

You can never reach the success you want if you’re not setting goals. The trick is to set up a couple small, achievable goals and a couple of bigger ones. If you only set up huge, unachievable goals, you’ll get unmotivated and fall back into your old mindset. The small goals keep you motivated and give you the feeling you’re being productive once you achieve them.

Try setting S.M.A.R.T. goals, which is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. These goals are concrete and well-defined measures of your progress.

A while ago, I asked a friend of mine what his goal was this year. He told me he wanted a sports car. I told him he will have much trouble reaching that goal because it isn’t specific. He needs to know the brand, the model, the color, what kind of rims etc. Only then he can define how long it’s going to take and what he needs to do in order to buy that car.

4. They take action

There is a big difference between talking or actually taking action. I’m pretty sure you have people around you who’ve said, “This year, I’m going to lose weight, become fit, and look like I’ve never looked before!” Or, “I’ve got such a good idea, I’m planning to start a new business, but first I’m going to do some research,” which probably results in never taking any action.

Many of those people do take action, but the majority do not. It could be many things that keep them from taking action, like fear, no money, or no motivation. The trick is to make a plan and take action right from the start—choose to put in the effort to overcome those obstacles.

5. They exercise and eat right

The better you treat your body, the better you will feel, which results in better results. Successful people take time to prepare healthy meals and work out for at least 30 minutes a day.

Not having time to work out or prepare a healthy meal is nonsense. If you have time to watch TV or check your social media profile, you also have time to care about your body.

You don’t necessarily need to lose weight or gain muscle, but try to stay in shape and watch your junk food intake.

6. They always step out of their comfort-zone

Successful people are willing to do everything they have to succeed. If they fail, they try it again and learn from it. The vast majority of people think differently and want to stay in their comfort zone.

You can’t expect magic is going to happen when you always do the same things over and over again. You need to step up and start doing new things. The fear of failure is usually the reason that keeps people from acting.

Think about something you’ve done in the past. Something that was so scary that it made you sweat, feel nauseous, or become overly nervous. That could be giving a speech in front of a big crowd or asking someone on a date. In the end, it wasn’t as scary and difficult as you thought, right? And you’ve learned from it.

Approach everything in your life this way. If you really want to become successful, you need to step out of your comfort zone.

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” — Brian Tracy

7. They lead

Successful people are also incredibly good leaders. How can you stand out of the crowd if you follow the herd like anyone else does? The main thing successful people do differently is that they think and act differently from the rest. But they do it in a way that creates fans who follow and support them.

You don’t have to be a born leader, but you can learn to be one. An example of a great leader and entrepreneur is Elon Musk. He is the founder of SpaceX and co-founder of Zip2, PayPal, and Tesla Motors. By following his example, you just might find the great leader inside you.

Have these tips helped you? Share them!

Featured photo credit: Steve Jurvetson via flickr.com

The post What Highly Successful People Do Every Day To Perform At Their Best appeared first on Lifehack.

5 Morning Rituals Shared by the Most Successful People

While many of us are slamming the snooze button or silencing our phone’s alarm, successful entrepreneurs are cashing in on a not-so-well-kept secret: Morning is the best time to get stuff done.

That’s because willpower is strongest in the mornings, before we’ve zapped our physical and mental energy for the day. That means making big decisions, clarifying thoughts and feelings, executing tasks, and even feeling optimistic comes more easily in the first hours of the day. Plus, morning rituals set the tone for the rest of the day — if you’re grumpy, rushed, and stressed every morning, that’s likely to bleed over into the rest of your life.

Want to start the day on the right foot? Transform your morning routine — and hop aboard the success train — by adopting any or all these morning habits.

Wake Up Early

In a poll of 20 executives, 90 percent reported waking up before 6 a.m. on work days. Some of the most extreme cases? PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi wakes up at 4 a.m. and arrives at the office by 7 a.m. every day, while Disney CEO Bob Iger is up by 4:30 every morning.

Even if just contemplating waking up that early makes you miserable, you can still take advantage of the day’s most productive hours by setting the alarm just an hour or two earlier than you’re used to getting up. The great thing about being up early is that most people aren’t, so you’ll be able to control what you do during that time without distractions or external demands.

Exercise

Early-morning exercise is one of the most common habits shared by successful people — including the POTUS, the First Lady , and Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. Working out in the morning ensures that you actually find the time to exercise, which is critical to maintaining physical and mental wellness. Plus, it’ll help keep you energized and focused for the rest of the day.

Create an Action Plan

Ensure you’re productive for the whole day by crafting an effective to-do list that clarifies which tasks need to be given highest priority. This is also a good time to analyze how successful you were at completing yesterday’s to-do list and note any productivity issues before they become major problems.

While you’re at it, take a few moments to remind yourself of your ultimate goal for these and other projects. Is it to support your family? Grow your business? Make the world a better place? Or, make like Steve Jobs and ask yourself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

Reinforcing your value system will help you make decisions that are aligned with those values for the rest of the day, making it easier to prioritize certain tasks and say no to others.

Eat the Frogs

Yep, this is a real thing — but don’t take it literally. The idea is drawn from a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” In other words, do the day’s most unappealing task first (sending faxes, anyone?). After that, it’s all uphill.

Bonus? Without the distractions of emails or coworkers, it’s likely the task will take you less time to complete — so you can get it done and get on with your day.

Get Centered

Simone de Beauvoir reportedly started her day with a cup of tea. Gwyneth Paltrow wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to do yoga. Disney CEO Robert Iger catches up on what’s happening in the world by reading papers and surfing the net. Whether it’s hanging out with your kids, connecting with your spouse, meditating, or pursuing a hobby, claiming some quality “me” time in the morning is a great way to feel centered and practice self-care. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, so long as it helps you feel more grounded, calm, and ready for whatever the day brings.

It may take some time to turn these routines into habits, but doing so is worth it. Each of these morning rituals will help you stay healthy, get focused, and approach each day from a place of clarity and poise. That’s worth skipping the snooze button.

Featured photo credit: Ben Stanfield via flickr.com

The post 5 Morning Rituals Shared by the Most Successful People appeared first on Lifehack.

Things That Only Successful People Know To Be Important

Being successful means you are able to achieve personal goals, as well as goals that are set by the community. Sometimes these goals are aligned, whereas sometimes these goals contradict each other. However, each and every one is capable is distinguishing whether someone is less successful or more successful. This is the difference between a small business and big business, or between fast and slow business expansion. It occurs due to a variation in leadership, and the mindsets of employees.

Someone who is not ambitions may not be bothered with the fact that he or she is less successful, and that person might just be working on other personal goals. Perhaps someone nurtures modesty as a primary virtue. However, the definition of successful person that I’ll use in this article is someone who manages to climb high on the social leader, who has a reputable career, and who still works on perfecting his or her business model.

It is not implied that these people are guided by avarice, quite the contrary, successful people can be extremely generous. These are people who thrive on being successful, being the at the very top of their niche, and simply being among the best at what they do. So, here are some traits that set apart common employees and employers from true professionals.

Less successful people do their job, successful people improve their performance

We all love to leave an impression of a diligent worker, someone who acknowledges and respects the authority of higher-ups. The problem arises when we continue to behave like an eager cadet for a prolonged period of time. Sure, you will develop a routine and increase your performance as you go along, but that is not what improving performance is all about. You need to display additional interest, speak your mind during business meetings, and give ideas on how to improve the overall performance of the firm. A company is more likely to succeed, and you are more likely to advance in the ranks, if you are fully invested and share the same vision as your employer.

Clearly, your life should not solely revolve around business, but if you put in the extra work during weekends, and if you stay an hour longer every now and then, there will be positive results. You’ll give the company’s engine a kick start surge required for lift off. Of course, this is not universal advice – in some lines of work you may not benefit from over-productivity (manufacturing goods for example), but if you are, let’s say a salesmen, and everyone manages to sell an extra product, you will only reap the fruits of your labour.

Less successful people are discouraged by failure, successful people treat it as a lesson

Truth be told, failure is never a comfortable experience. You invest both efforts and resources and despite your hard work, everything is made null and void. It happens – you might have had a good idea, or were inspired by a good idea, yet somewhere along the line the entire project went south. Well, for starters, if something inspires you do not try to mimic it completely, try to improve the model, but make sure the product is, at its core, your own unique take on a concept. The best example is DC and Marvel comics – even though Marvel mimicked some concepts from DC, the characters are fundamentally different when it comes to perspectives and background stories, so you can’t really call them a rip off.

Back to the topic at hand, when you fail, never abandon an idea completely, especially if someone already managed to tap into its prolific potential. Closely scrutinize your situation, isolate the mistakes, retrace your steps, and avoid making the same mistakes in the future. If you are looking for something that will be successful on a first attempt you are looking for a miracle. Additionally, if you feel something is not working out, shut it down on time, and start over again, it’s the best way to hasten the success curve.

Less successful people work hard, successful people take some time off to attain clarity

This may sound contradictory to the suggestions given previously, but if your hard works yields little positive results, maybe you are not going in the right direction. You cannot re-examine the steps adequately if you are constantly focused on your work. This is why you need to take some time off, and even if you are not constantly thinking about your work, a solution may appear to you out of the blue. This is not a miracle, it’s how our brains work.

When we face a dead end while trying to find a solution to a particular problem, the best thing to do is focus on something else. It gives our brains time to engage the subconscious to work on the problem. Think about it, how many times did you have trouble remembering something, regardless of how hard you tried, yet simply after doing something completely unrelated, the answer dawned on you. The truth is that if you are too eager to find the answer, the likelihood of that happening actually decreases.

Less successful people only make a website, whereas successful people invest in quality design and development

Websites have become one of the main business assets, and you cannot find successful companies without a well-designed website. A well-designed website means it is optimized for all platforms: PC, smartphones and tablets. It means the aesthetics and pages are perfectly arranged, and it has a natural call to action. Such a website should have high responsiveness, and visitors can intuitively find what they are after. You will also need insightful content, in order to generate relevant leads. So, more or less, this is a definition of well-designed website.

Never view success and a well-designed website like the chicken and egg paradox. The website must come first, in order for people to take you seriously and view you as a professional. Poorly designed websites are pushed far back in the search results, and Google made sure of that. There is no easy way or a scam you can pull to become successful. As a society, we must all learn to appreciate and deliver quality work and products.

A great number of business owners simply make a website just for the sake of having one, and try to get a deal that is as budget-friendly as possible. Clearly, it is a not the way to go. You do not need to spend a fortune for a website to fulfill all the above mentioned criteria. WordPress is the most user-friendly platform out there, and you can have a quality website that is easy to maintain. As you progress you can create a better one, using Joomla or Drupal.

Less successful people wait for the opportunity, successful people make their own opportunities

It is a mistake to wait for a moment to shine, or to wait for higher-ups to notice you. You need to be on the lookout for opportunities, but never allow that to be your plan A. You have no idea just how many things you can do and have solid earnings, only if you are determined enough. When you are unemployed don’t wait, look for jobs online. There are platforms like, e-lance and upwork. You can earn a small profit from iWriter, but it is an opportunity to hone your skills. Doing online surveys is another way to make profit. Sure, these are not jobs that scream success, but you need to be resourceful, and show the ability to work around the problem, not just passively wait for a solution to fall on your lap. Every single company and self-made business owner started small, therefore, you should not be bothered by your humble beginnings – it’s way better than feeling helpless.

Less successful people recoil from criticism, successful people welcome it

As a provider, you do not need to pamper every specific need of your consumer, but if you receive a similar complaint from number of consumers, then you’d better listen. Even if you are a sole provider without competition in your area, you should work on improving your products and services. By no means are you to become cocky and allow the complaints to fall on deaf ears. Because they rarely do – someone can easily use your product, and work on the requested improvements. Not only will you then have competition, you will have a big problem on your hands.

Truly successful people take great pride in their work, and strive to deliver the best user experience possible, constructive criticism is just another tool that helps them achieve their goal. This can be perfectly combined with the aforementioned website design features. Create a forum section for users to exchange experiences, and for you to interact with them. Be open to suggestions and discuss your service, and you will be able to improve your product and create a strong bond with consumers.

You should not try to ignore them, nor should they try to extort you, a healthy producer-consumer relationship can exist only if you want to help each other. Work on that bond, it is essential for a successful career.

Less successful people stay within the comfort zone, successful people take on new challenges

Everyone has an ideal job and workplace in their mind, but these rarely become reality, and when they do, it may not turn out the way you expected. However, it is reasonable thinking – why try doing something you have no idea how to do, when you can do a perfectly fine job operating on familiar terrain.

However, in order to be successful, you need to expand your horizons, and become a person of many talents. To be a reliable worker who can advance, you need to rely on versatility, and be able to step in for someone who is prevented from doing their job. It’s how you show that you can keep the company going, it’s how you become irreplaceable.

We live in the age of internet, information has never been more accessible, and whenever you find yourself puzzled by a problem, you can usually find a solution online. Anything you wondered how to do or fix, there is probably a tutorial text or video for it. In other words, you have everything you need to work on yourself and broaden your skill set. This is also a good way to test your own competence – if you are confident you know how to do something, create a tutorial and see if you can efficiently transfer your knowledge.

Do not back off from new challenges and from the possibility to put more expertise on your CV. Do not rely on others to solve your problems if you can do it yourself. Learning new skills can never be a bad thing or a waste of time, it can only enhance your overall performance.

The post Things That Only Successful People Know To Be Important appeared first on Lifehack.

8 Characteristics That Make Certain Entrepreneurs Wildly Successful

Successful entrepreneurs surely have different talents and completely different ideas, but they all share some common characteristics which have helped them to stay on the right track and reach their goals. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the most important traits an ambitious entrepreneur needs to possess.

1. They are passionate

“If you just work on stuff that you like and you’re passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out.” — Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook

If you want your idea to be realized, you need to be passionate about it and to really want it to happen. Wanting to earn a lot of money from your idea is perfectly normal, but it shouldn’t be the main thing that motivates you to succeed. You need to love what you do and be passionate about it in order to succeed. Loving your job won’t magically put you on top, but it will motivate you to become more detail-oriented and determined to make your dreams come true. Many famous entrepreneurs made their hobby into a career, just because they were so passionate about them. Think of what you like, and let your hobby improve your skill set. And, who knows, maybe it will become your career.

2. They want to change the world

“The secret to successful hiring is this: look for the people who want to change the world.” — Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce

Whenever you ask an innovative entrepreneur what their goal is, all answers the are similar and have one common goal: to change the world. They think about impossible things to create and try to find a way to make it happen. On their journey, many creative ideas emerge and become real products, which slowly lead to a positive change.

Therefore, when searching for the right employees, successful entrepreneurs always look for people with the same vision – nothing is impossible.

3. They are mostly dog lovers

Wildly successful entrepreneurs have dogs who are treated like members of their family. This may seem as an irrelevant point, but having pets, not only dogs, makes us happier and gives us a positive attitude. All animal lovers understand the need for having a loving pet at home who will make you smile even if it is your worst day. That unconditional love is what makes people bond, helps them keep on going, and most importantly, it reduces stress, which leads to increased productivity and motivation.

Beast, Mark Zuckerberg’s dog, is probably the most famous pet in the world, with well over 2 million followers. If you are an entrepreneur and you are a dog lover, why not get one? If you think it’s a huge obligation, know that you can crate train your puppy quickly and effectively, with the help of a few easy-to-learn tricks and a bit of patience. Even Bill Gates has two dogs called Oreo and Nilla.

All animals can boost your overall mood and remind you that you have a private life, and that you should focus on important things such as your family, partner, and children. As Richard Branson said: “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming.” However, family stays with you through the toughest of times.

4. They don’t give up

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” — Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company

No one became successful by giving up when faced with a difficult challenge. The first mistake to make when things go wrong is to go along them. You need to go against your failures and use them to your benefit, and not just settle for less or quit. The most successful people in the world failed a lot of times before reaching the top, and if they had just quit at the first sign of trouble, they wouldn’t have changed the world and left a legacy.

Remember, failure is inevitable, but so is success.

5. They invest in themselves

In order to make a successful company, you need to have a winning mindset, and if you want to develop something worthwhile, you need to improve yourself first. Many new entrepreneurs struggle with money, as it is really hard out there. Even the debts of regular households are increasing, so it is no wonder that entrepreneurs and startups face huge debts and money losses.

Manage your budget well and invest in your education first. Whether it is a course or an online lecture, you need to improve your knowledge. Later on, you can take a vacation in order to get rid of the everyday pressure and stress, but you should focus on self-improvement for now.

6. They always go for more

“Always deliver more than expected.” — Larry Page, co-founder of Google

If someone puts a limit to your idea, and says it’s all that can be done, don’t believe them. Use creativity and knowledge to go beyond the possible. Never do the expected, but strive for more. Surprise everyone and yourself by reaching higher goals. Doing only what is expected of you is pretty boring, but taking your job to the next level and being innovative is the main thing that will make you stand out from the crowd.

7. They are persistent no matter what

“I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” — Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple

I like to look at being persistent as being spoiled. You want to do something and it’s your way or the highway. You won’t compromise and you won’t accept failure as an obstacle. But, you will be determined to make it right. You will forget the definition of the word “failure” and give it another meaning, which is a big step towards getting what you want. As Steve Jobs said, pure perseverance is the characteristic of a successful entrepreneur.

8. They are bike lovers

Many celebrities and entrepreneurs love bikes. Even the youngest billionaire in the world, Dustin Moskovitz, the co-founder of Facebook, still rides a bike to work. Recently, Larry Page, the CEO of Google, discussed his desire to get everyone to ride bikes. He has also suggested building an aerial bikeway, but we’ll give him some more time to develop that idea. Until then, the only air connection with a bike we accept is an aero road bike. Whether you choose an aero bike or a regular one, try including it in your daily routine.

Riding a bike, just like any exercise, releases endorphins which make us happier and more productive. Aside ffrom helping your mind focus better, your body will be thankful too, as you will improve your stamina and overall health as well.

If you don’t have these characteristics, work on developing them and don’t be afraid to change the world. As I mentioned above, failure is inevitable, but with perseverance and hard work, so is success.

The post 8 Characteristics That Make Certain Entrepreneurs Wildly Successful appeared first on Lifehack.

6 Qualities All Highly Successful People Have In Common

There are those successful people out there who have it made. They catch break after break and seem to just have all the four leaf clovers of the world in their pockets. But we know that it’s more than just luck on their side. We’ve found six consistent traits of phenomenally successful people and know that if you strive to match yourself to these that you too can become successful.

1. They Are Passionate

This might be a no-brainer trait but it might also be the foundation to a successful individual. Those who succeed love deeply what they do. Take a look at almost any athlete out there, they are passionate about what they do and almost always do it for the love of the gam. People like Tiger Woods knew at a young age what they loved and then made a life out of it. If you don’t know if you’re truly passionate about something just ask yourself if you would do it for free. If you would, then you’ve found your passion.

2. They Are Resilient

To be resilient is to face challenges, learn from them, and push through to success. Some of the most successful people in the world have faced the uncanniest struggles and have managed to come out on top. J.K. Rowling was rejected by 12 different publishers before selling the first Harry Potter novel. Successful people recognize each failure in life as a chance to learn something and to grow from it.

3. They Push Themselves Out of Their Comfort Zones

Phenomenally successful people know that they can’t just sit on their hands and hope that the ideas in their heads will some day become a real thing. They have to get up out of their house and begin to get their ideas out there. It’s a matter of getting out of your comfort zone, setting challenges, deadlines, and goals all to push yourself to continue to strive harder, work better, and succeed.

4. They Continually Create

Entrepreneurs like Time Ferris and Evan Williams are successful because they are continually creating. Rather than finish a project and end their careers there, successful people continue to study and create and form new ideas. Evan Williams didn’t just finish when he founded one company. If he had, we wouldn’t have Twitter, Blogger, or Medium. The daily routines of CEOs will show you how dedicated entrepreneurs and successful people are and how even CEOs continue to create and work hard to succeed until the end.

5. They Are Focused

A huge trait for successful people is focus. Not just that they can sit in a room and get the work done, but that they have a specific goal in mind. Successful people can narrow down and focus on the one thing that they know is important. Just look at someone like Walt Disney. His focus was on quality and innovation. For him it wasn’t about making money, it was about lifting the hearts of children and not with chintzy products. Disney even said that “quality will out.” He focused on quality and what did that result in? A phenomenal empire that spans the globe with him being a household name throughout the world.

6. They Continue to Learn and Better Themselves

Current president of Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios, Ed Catmull wrote in his book Creativity, Inc. that the best thing to do “when faced with a challenge [is to] get smarter.” Successful people don’t assume that they know everything or that they are the smartest people out there. They continue to learn and better themselves and their craft. Some of the most successful people pick up new hobbies consistently throughout their lives and careers to keep their brains active and to help with creativity.

Featured photo credit: Photo/Eli DeFaria via unsplash.com

The post 6 Qualities All Highly Successful People Have In Common appeared first on Lifehack.

How Writing Makes People Smarter (Supported By Science)

Everyone should write—not just professional writers.

You might say it’s easy for me to say that because I’m a writer. A singer can just as easily say, “Well, I believe that everyone should learn to sing.” But, out of all the creative means of expressions available to human beings, none intrinsically champions critical thinking, enhances creativity and improves clarity of thought quite like writing. Writing makes us smarter.

Here are some reasons (backed by science) why that is so:

1. Writing helps us untangle the messiness in our minds and allows for clearer thinking.

This is perhaps one of the most beautiful things about writing. In her book, Why We Write, curator Meredith Maran interviewed writers on why they write. Nearly all of them gave self-serving reasons, but there was a delightful, recurring motive of why people write: Writing provides a pocket of time in the present moment to reflect, digest and think deeply.

Joan Didion, author of Play It as It Lays said, “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means.”

Armistead Maupin, author of Tales of the City explained, “I write to explain myself to myself. It’s a way of processing my disasters, sorting out the messiness of life to lend symmetry and meaning to it.”

It’s not uncommon for one to think they have totally grasped a concept until they write it down and realize there are aspects of the concept they hadn’t quite thought about.

Writing, then, is a way to organize our thoughts. It allows us to reflect and helps us gain new insights and achieve new perspectives. You think more deeply when you write, and that helps you see things more clearly.

2. Writing helps us absorb information better and learn significantly more.

Not only do you see things more clearly when you write, you also absorb information better and learn significantly more when you write down information given to you. That explains why students and attendees at conferences and meetings who take notes of lectures or speeches learn more than those who just listen to lectures and don’t write anything down.

Interestingly, according to a study published by Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer from Princeton University and University of California respectively, students who take notes on paper learn significantly more than their peers who take notes on a laptop.

The researchers found that laptop users generally type almost everything they hear without devoting much thought to what they are writing. Basically, they are not processing the meaning of what they are taking notes on; rather they are mindlessly transcribing. Transcribing doesn’t require much cognitive activity.

Those who take notes by hand, however, obviously cannot write down every single word the speaker or professor speaks. So they have to listen more attentively, summarize the lesson, list only the key points and, consequently, learn significantly more. Your brain is fully engaged in the process of comprehension when you write by hand, which means you remember the information delivered to you better.

Yes, we live in digital age and I bet you can’t imagine not using your laptop for work or studying, but you shouldn’t totally neglect writing in the good old fashioned way using a pen and paper.

3. Writing helps us process negative feelings and improves our emotional intelligence.

A 1994 study conducted by Stefanie Spera, James Pennebaker and Eric Buhrfeind tasked 63 unemployed engineers with writing to see the effect writing would have on their stress levels.

The participating engineers were divided into three groups: A writing control group (wrote about their plans for the day or activities in their job search), a second control group (did no writing), and the experimental group (did “expressive writing” where they kept journals of their deepest thoughts and painful experiences).

The engineers in the experimental “expressive writing” group wrote for 20 minutes every day, describing their feelings of loss, rejection, financial stress and so on in their search for a job. Three months later, “Five subjects in the experimental group got jobs, no writing control subjects got jobs, and two non-writing control subjects got jobs,” wrote the study authors.

Eight months later, only 24 percent of writing control subjects had accepted full-time jobs, 14 percent non-writing control subjects had accepted employment, and a whooping 53 percent of experimental subjects found full-time employment. The conclusion from the study:

“Writing about the thoughts and feelings surrounding job loss may enable terminated employees to work through negative feelings and to assimilate and attain closure on the loss, thus achieving a new perspective. Doing so may create a shift in the individual’s orientation that allows getting past the negative emotions, preventing them from resurfacing and perhaps sabotaging the job search in, for example, a job interview.”

In other words, the researchers discovered that suppressing negative feelings is a heavy burden, and writing it out, not for publication but for oneself, is like a balm to chapped lips. Writing it out makes you emotionally intelligent and apt to deal with unpleasant situations.

Bottom line

The psychological benefits of writing (particularly using a pen and paper) are like the gradual benefits of exercising. You don’t often see the gains immediately, but the transformation is happening underneath. When writing, ideas are crystallizing; emotions are examined and questioned (not merely glossed over); and, creativity peaks as dots are connected.

And yet, like exercise, even after understanding how beneficial it would be to your life and work, many people still actively shun writing. Those who write, though, speak and think clearer and are often much smarter.

The post How Writing Makes People Smarter (Supported By Science) appeared first on Lifehack.

9 Traits Truly Successful Leaders Should Possess

Being a natural leader is a characteristic that not many people possess, though it can be learned if you have the potential. It requires a certain mindset that enables leaders to stay on top and lead their team to success. Here are a few traits that successful leaders have in common.

1. They believe in teamwork

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” — Michael Jordan

Every leader has to be a strong individual and capable of solving some problems on their own. However, they do know that working in a team is the key to success, and they consider themselves to be a part of the team — not just a person who gives orders. They know that the leader is just one part of the bigger mechanism, and that they are there to ensure the other parts, the team members, all work as efficiently as possible together. Leadership is a power that requires cooperation and not competition in order to achieve a desired end goal. Don’t be arrogant, win the championship.

2. They take full responsibility for the team’s mistakes

“The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making any excuses, that’s the day you start to the top” — OJ Simpson

It is perfectly normal that a team makes a mistake and fails at some project. However, a successful leader will not blame the team, but will take the full responsibility while defending his or her people. Mistakes don’t mean that the leader, or even the team, is bad. On the contrary, in order to achieve great things, you need to make a few mistakes along the way.

A good leader won’t come up with various excuses and search for a person to blame, but will take the responsibility and correct their mistake with their team without making a fuss about it.

3. They focus on solutions, not on problems

“Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.” — Paul Hawken

A successful leader will not focus on the problem and who made the mistake which led to failure. They will focus on finding the perfect solution and will approach all the possible solutions with a positive attitude. If you focus on the problem, you won’t be able to find the solution — you’ll only get lost in chaos and become stressed out.

4. They listen, then act

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” — Winston Churchill

Everybody has their own opinion, and the leader has the right to act according to his or her own opinions and conclusions. However, a good leader will first listen to the team, or, if there is a problem, listen to everything regarding it before making a decision. Sometimes, there is a simple solution that we aren’t aware of, but somebody else is, and that person might become a very valuable part of your team.

Moreover, if you don’t act in the heat of the moment, you will be able to think well before making a decision. Successful leaders don’t only act immediately, but they also listen and talk to the team, and are calm and collected when making decisions.

5. They don’t panic

“I cannot trust a man to control others who cannot control himself.” — Robert E. Lee

It doesn’t matter if you didn’t meet a deadline or if something went wrong along the way, if a leader starts overreacting and panicking in such situations, know that he or she isn’t a good leader. The ability to stay calm is the main characteristic of every successful boss. If the head of the team starts panicking, it negatively affect all the team members, who are then supposed to work under pressure. Having a boss who overreacts and stressed-out employees will not solve any problem, it will just make things worse.

No one wants a drama queen in their office, especially not a leader who acts like a bridezilla when you have to reach a tight deadline.

6. They dress for success

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.” — Gore Vidal

It might not sound important, but how one dresses actually affects the opinion that other team members, upper management, and clients have of that person. If a leader wears inappropriate or overly casual clothing to work, they will be seen as an unprofessional and potentially incompetent individual. This won’t reflect the professionalism which the company is trying to convey to its clients. No one says that they should wear expensive formal clothes, but you need to know the difference between casual and professional attire. Men should definitely forget about wearing sneakers or college sweaters and focus on stylish clothes, which make them look more sophisticated.

In business, clothes matter, and not just to show money and power, but to increase your credibility, trustworthiness, and professionalism.

7. They understand their employees

“The trick is to ensure that your staff feels empowered. As your team members grow into their jobs, give them real responsibilities: They’ll respect you for it and do everything they can to rise to the challenge.” — Richard Branson

Knowing your employees and understanding them is of great importance if you want to have a motivated workforce. They aren’t robots, but people who cannot accomplish everything without encountering certain problems, which may make them insecure and a bit unproductive. A successful leader knows when their employee has a problem and has time to discuss it. A bad leader will offer to give that task to someone else, but a good one will approach the problem and solve it with that employee.

Every natural leader looks after their team, and works on making them feel accepted and respected.

8. They inspire other workers

“I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” — Ralph Nader

You know you are a successful leader when your workers wish to become leaders just like you. It is a hard task, but when you succeed in it, you know that your work has inspired them to achieve more in life and contribute to the company by working harder. Successful leaders constantly inspire their team to improve and challenge them to do more. If you are sitting in your office, thinking that that’s all you’ll ever achieve, know that you are working for the wrong person.

Also, a good boss will inspire their employees to finish demanding tasks and motivate them to work harder, without making them feel pressured.

9. They are the kind of leader that they would like to have

“Success is not what you have, but who you are.” — Bo Bennet

Never be the kind of leader you would hate to work for. This isn’t only related to a friendly relationship with your team members, but to the tasks you are giving them to work on as well. Sometimes, bosses can demand certain tasks without thinking about if they are even possible, and how much time is actually needed to complete them effectively. In order to be a successful leader, you have to put yourself in your employees’ shoes and see if you would be capable of reaching the goal you expect of them. Be professional, considerate, authoritative, but still friendly. All in all, imagine who you would like to work for, and be that person.

The post 9 Traits Truly Successful Leaders Should Possess appeared first on Lifehack.

7 Things That Will Prevent You From Being Successful

Success is a beautiful word that tingles in our ears. Many desire to be successful, yet success seems to visit just a few and closes its door to many. Perhaps only few people are willing to make their environment conducive enough to welcome in Success. Success doesn’t care how much you wish for it, if it did, everyone would be successful. If you want success to find you attractive and be associated with you, avoid these 7 things.

1. Procrastination

“I will do it later” is often equivalent to “I will never do it,” though that is never the real intention behind procrastinating something. The person who doesn’t want you to succeed is not your ex, neither is it your co-worker, nor destiny, but your dear habit called procrastination! Procrastination is not only the thief of time but the thief of your health, destiny, life, and success. If you continue to live with procrastination, you will continue to push the gym and eating healthy to “later,” you will continue to push starting your business, going to school, or writing that book to “later”—which never really seems to arrive!

If you do not take procrastination to court and have a divorce today, it will live with you forever and make you unsuccessful. Procrastination and success can never live together. Where there is procrastination, there is no success; where there is success there is no procrastination. If Bill Gates had procrastinated with Microsoft, he wouldn’t be a billionaire today. Instead of procrastinating your multi-million dollar idea, start now!

2. Fear of Failure

If you are afraid to fail, then you are not ready to succeed. Failure is not an obstacle, but a stepping stone to success. The more you fail, the higher your chance of reaching success if you do not give up. Failure is a teacher—it teaches you what didn’t work out and, if you allow it, it will motivate you to find other ways that will work out. Unsuccessful people allow failure to cripple them. They give up in the face of failure and remain stagnant. If you want to succeed, you need to give up that fear of failure.

People who are crippled with fear may have an amazing idea to start a project, but they are often afraid it may fail, so they don’t start at all. But instead of feeling intimidated by the voice of fear and failure inside of you, ask yourself: What if it succeeds?

Failure is not the end of the road, giving up is! Be persistent.

3. Ignorance

The world is continuously changing, if you refuse to learn, you will be outdated. Knowledge is power. Learning doesn’t end in school. Whatever field you are in, you need to learn and update yourself with information constantly. Successful people have a habit of learning. If you find yourself constantly failing at something, don’t convince yourself success is on the way. No! Genuinely ask yourself whether your failures are not self-inflicted as a result of your ignorance. If you want to open a coffee shop, but know nothing about coffee, no amount of determination and persistence will make you successful at it.

Persistently approaching your dreams in ignorance will persistently give you failure and defeat as results. Find time and learn first. Whatever you want to endeavour in, spend 90% of your time learning about it. Do not do anything without first learning, do not go into a business you do not fully understand.

4. Lack of Purpose

Everybody has a plan for you. Your TV cable company has a plan for you; they know you will help them increase their sales this year. Your internet service provider has a plan for you; they know you can’t afford to live without it. Your landlord has a plan for you. Your grocer has a plan for you. Your boss has a plan for you. Mark Zuckerberg has a plan for you; he knows you will log on to Facebook and help build his company. Everyone has a plan for you—except you!

If you want to be successful, you need to have a plan for yourself. If you do not plan to succeed, you automatically plan to fail. Every day you wake up, you need to know exactly why you are getting up. You need to have a purpose and plan for your life. Successful people plan their life, they have a budget, they have dreams and aspirations. In order for you to succeed in life, you need to have a good plan and a sense of direction.

5. Lack of Courage

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to take action regardless of the circumstances. To be successful, you need to have courage to bring your dream to reality in spite of obstacles. Courage is having confidence to take bold decisions regardless of storms. Courage is action taken in faith and expecting positive results regardless of the situation. There will always be reasons why something cannot be done, but courageous people see things as doable and find ways to do it. They do not allow intimidation and fear to dictate their actions and decisions. They are results-oriented.

6. Fault Finding

It’s okay to see the fault, but if you want to be successful, don’t end there. Rather than complaining about what is wrong with something, find out how it can be made right.

Successful people are problem solvers. Instead of complaining about the rain, they invent an umbrella.

7. Lack of Self-belief

When the Wright brothers decided to make the plane and informed their dad, he said “If God wanted us to fly, he would have made us with wings.”

Engineers were told that building the Hoover Dam would be an impossible task—it’s too high, there’s too much water to control. They were told: “You are crazy, you shouldn’t even attempt such a job.”

When the scientists decided to visit the moon, more than half of Americans thought they were crazy. Newspaper articles were written to tell them how impossible it would be to go to the Moon. Other scientists also criticized them for believing such nonsense, explaining to them how it is impossible it would be.

The Wright brothers carried on despite the lack of confidence. Today, all those who criticized joyfully fly around the world. The Hoover dam was witnessed by the nay-sayers. When men landed on the moon, it was broadcast for all to see.

The point is to believe in yourself—it is enough. Don’t allow people to talk down on your dreams and tell you that they are impossible. Believing you can do it is all you need. What dream do you have today? Who is telling you it can’t be done? Go do it and prove everyone else wrong.

Featured photo credit: Photostream via flickr.com

The post 7 Things That Will Prevent You From Being Successful appeared first on Lifehack.