The ability to create success starts with a mindset that aligns with taking action, learning rapidly and adapting to change. Successful people think differently about success. It’s not all about your IQ or the kind of car you drive. True success is having a growing network of people you know how to tap into, achieving fulfillment in what you do, and being able to see opportunity everywhere.
1. It’s the Team that Wins
Successful people know that nothing monumental is achieved in isolation. If you’re able to be great at one thing, you can become successful, but not without the help of other people who complement your strengths and make up for your weaknesses. Even if you can’t hire a team, you can network with people and collaborate on projects that achieve a common goal. It’s important to network not just with people in your industry, but also with anyone who can motivate you to be better and challenge you to learn more.
2. EI is More Important than IQ
Everyone’s heard of “IQ” as a quantitative measurement of intelligence, and it’s often thought to define one’s potential success. However, nobody builds a great career without having a network, and many thought leaders argue that your ability to build and use your network is the greatest determinant of your success. Best-selling business author Joshua Cooper Ramo suggests in his latest book, “The Seventh Sense,” that networks are at the heart of all systems, including the economy—now more than ever, with technology connecting the globe.
Emotional intelligence is about being self-aware as an individual among other people, and conducting yourself in a way that lends empathy to others. It’s what allows you to work well with teammates, motivate yourself and the people around you, hone your focus on positivity and harness your strengths while outsourcing your weaknesses.
3. You Define Your Own Success
Tony Robbins says, “Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.” Many assume they’ll feel more and more fulfilled the further they climb up the ladder in their industry. That’s because they have a society-derived idea of what success is, and they haven’t created their own definition of success. What success looks like for you may be different from what it looks like for someone else. Success isn’t defined by an amount of money or a title, but by your sense of fulfillment. If you aim for what success looks like in society’s eyes or in someone else’s, you may not enjoy the fruit of your labor. If you aim to achieve what makes you feel like you’ve created a life you love and are proud of, then you’re working toward what success looks like to you.
4. There is No Destination
Successful people know there is no destination; once you get where you’re trying to go, there’ll always be the next mountain to climb. They do their best to stay present and savor the journey. This mindset allows you to remain open to opportunities whenever and however they may come. The more opportunities you can perceive, the more of them you’ll seize.
Final Words
Defining what success is in your own terms makes you more likely to achieve it. No matter your goal, networking with people, building a team and staying open to new ideas and opportunities will help you win.
