Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBuild a Growth MindsetImprove Your Emotional IntelligenceDevelop Mental ToughnessStrengthen Your WillpowerFocus on Intrinsic MotivationsSet Achievable GoalsNurture Traits Linked to High PotentialCultivate Strong Social SupportAvoid Burnout
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Build a Growth Mindset
Improve Your Emotional Intelligence
Develop Mental Toughness
Strengthen Your Willpower
Focus on Intrinsic Motivations
Set Achievable Goals
Nurture Traits Linked to High Potential
Cultivate Strong Social Support
Avoid Burnout
Close
Success is often defined as the ability to reach your goals in life, whatever those goals may be. In some ways, a better word for success might be attainment, accomplishment, or progress. It is not necessarily a destination but a journey that helps develop the skills and resources you need to thrive.
At a Glance
There are many different tactics for how to be successful in life, but the strategy that works best for you may depend on what success means toyou. If you think of success as doing well at work or earning a high salary, your professional goals and accomplishments will take priority.
While professional success can be one piece of the puzzle, it leaves out many other important areas of life. Family, romantic relationships, academics, and athletics are just a few areas where people may strive for success. Your definition of success may vary, but many might define it as being fulfilled, happy, safe, healthy, and loved.
Because goals are self-created, what people view as success can vary depending on their needs, goals, and situation. There may not be a perfect combination of ingredients that can guarantee success. Still, there are some basic steps you can follow that can improve your chances of being successful in life, love, work, or whatever happens to be important to you.
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People who possess a fixed mindset believe that things such asintelligenceare static and unchangeable. Those with a fixed mindset believe that success isn’t a result of hard work—it’s simply a consequence of innate talents.
Because they believe that such talents are something people are either born with or without, they tend to give up more easily in the face of a challenge. They quit when things do not come easily because they believe that they lack the inborn skills needed to excel.
Those who have a growth mindset, on the other hand, feel that they can change, grow, and learn through effort. People who believe that they are capable of growth are more likely to achieve success. When things get tough, they look for ways to improve their skills and keep working toward success.
People with a growth mindset believe that they have control of their life, while those with a fixed mindset believe that things are out of their control.
What can you do to build a growth mindset?
Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast
Overall intelligence has long been believed to be one factor contributing to success in different areas of life, but some experts suggest thatemotionalintelligencemay actually matter even more. Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to understand, utilize, and reason with emotions.Emotionally intelligent peopleare able to understand not only their own emotions, but those of others as well.
To improve your emotional intelligence:
How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?
Mental toughness refers to theresilienceto carry on and continue trying even in the face of obstacles.People who possess this mental strength see challenges as opportunities. They also feel that they have control over their own destiny, are confident in their abilities to succeed, and are committed to finishing what they start.
What can you do to improve your mental toughness and increase your chances of being successful in life?
These characteristics tend to be part of an individual’s overall personality, but they are also something you can improve.Delayed gratification, learning to persist in the face of challenges, and waiting for the rewards of your hard work can often be the key to success in life.
Strategies you can use to improve your willpower include:
What is it that motivates you the most? Do you find that the promise of external rewards keeps you reaching for your goals, or is it the more personal,intrinsic motivatorsthat keep you feeling inspired? Whileextrinsic rewardssuch as money, awards, and praise can be helpful, many people find that they are most motivated when they are doing things for personal satisfaction.
While it is often the external motivators that get people started, it is the internal motivators that kick in and keep people going in order to maintain those new behaviors.
What can you do to boost your sense of intrinsic motivation?
25 Motivational Quotes You Didn’t Know You Needed to Read
Whensetting goals:
One of the biggest reasons people don’t follow through on their goals [is] because they aren’t what THEY want to do. Make sure your goals align with your personal values and needs, not what you ‘think’ you should do.—DIVYA ROBIN, LMHC, PSYCHOTHERAPIST
One of the biggest reasons people don’t follow through on their goals [is] because they aren’t what THEY want to do. Make sure your goals align with your personal values and needs, not what you ‘think’ you should do.
—DIVYA ROBIN, LMHC, PSYCHOTHERAPIST
According to some more recent research, there are certain traits that tend to be consistently tied to success. Researchers Ian MacRae and Adrian Furnham have identified six key traits that can play a role in how well people do at work. However, they note that there are optimal levels of these traits. Too little of these characteristics can hinder success, but so can having too much.
If you are trying to learn how to be successful in life, consider what you can do to nurture these key traits:
Conscientiousness
Accepting of Ambiguity
Capable of Adjustment
Courageous
Curiosity
Competitiveness
Somepersonality traitsand types may be better suited for certain jobs than others. However, no specific personality trait can guarantee success, nor can being low in that trait doom someone to failure.
While there are differences in opinion on just how muchpersonality can be altered, nurturing some of these high potential traits might help you develop skills that can serve you well in many different aspects of your life.
Doing things alone can be difficult, but having astrong social support systemcan make things easier. Differenttypes of social supportcan be important for success.
Having even one close person in your life that you feel you can go to in any circumstance is more helpful for your relational well-being than having 10 friends who are surface level. It’s about quality, not quantity.—DIVYA ROBIN, LMHC, PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Having even one close person in your life that you feel you can go to in any circumstance is more helpful for your relational well-being than having 10 friends who are surface level. It’s about quality, not quantity.
Mentors, friends, co-workers, and family members can cheer you on when things get tough and even offer advice and assistance that can help you improve your chances for success.
Burnoutcan happen when you are exposed tochronic stress. It can seriously impede success and lead to exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced performance.
Reduced motivation makes it harder to stick to your goals and can make you feel apathetic and uninterested.
Self-care strategies, such as getting enough sleep and engaging in healthy eating, can relieve some stress. But addressing burnout often requires getting to the bottom of the issue that is causing the problem.
Sometimes, this might mean reassessing your goals. If your goals are creating too much stress or if you are trying to achieve too much too fast, it can be a recipe for burnout. Look for ways to reduce stress, whether that involves shifting your goals, changing your plans, or even doing something more significant like moving somewhere else or changing jobs.
“I Can’t Do This Anymore:” What to Do If You Are Experiencing Burnout
Keep in Mind
10 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Crum AJ, Salovey P, Achor S.Rethinking stress: The role of mindsets in determining the stress response.J Pers Soc Psychol.2013;104(4):716-733. doi:10.1037/a0031201
McLain DL, Kefallonitis E, Armani K.Ambiguity tolerance in organizations: Definitional clarification and perspectives on future research.Front Psychol. 2015;6:344. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00344
Mussel P.Introducing the construct curiosity for predicting job performance.J Organ Behav. 2012;34(4):453-472. doi:10.1002/job.1809
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