10 Things Successful People Do to Achieve Greatness

Dan is the CEO & Founder of Inspiyr, aspiring to help people live a happy and successful life.

Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs… These names all come to mind when we think of successful people.

And even though all three are great examples of success, there are lots of other people who are successful in their own way that we may not be as familiar with their names.

But their habits? Well, that’s a different story.

You see, successful people all do similar things. As Brian Tracy says,

“Success leaves tracks.”

It’s these “tracks,” the behaviors and habits, that set them apart from the ordinary folks who just work their 9-to-5 jobs, clocking in and out every day, never looking to get ahead.

If you want to be one of the greats, if you want to be a big success in life and leave ordinary behind, learn from these 10 things successful people do and get ready for the big results that are sure to follow if you do them consistently.

1. Successful people commit to their goals.

When successful people set a goal, nothing gets in their way of achieving it. They commit 100 percent to the outcome, knowing that one difference between successful and unsuccessful people is that the successful ones commit to a goal and don’t stop until they achieve it.

2. Successful people persist until they achieve them.

Obstacles to success are normal and should be expected. They can’t always be planned for. However, you can decide when you commit to success that you’re going to persist no matter what obstacles arise.

Go around them, go over them, or push through them, but persist no matter what happens. That’s what successful people do, and so should you if you want to mimic their success.

3. Successful people take responsibility.

Successful people know that they are the masters of their own destiny. You don’t hear them complain about the things that stopped them from success. You won’t hear them make excuses.

Instead, they push forward knowing that they are the only thing that will make or break their success.

4. Successful people work hard.

Have you ever met someone who is super-successful and lazy? Neither have I.

The truth is that the road to success is paved with hard work. If you want to achieve great results, you’ll need to wake up early, stay up late and put in your time.

Success doesn’t just come to those who want it. You’ve got to pay your dues.

5. Successful people find people who are doing what they want and emulate them.

A college professor once gave me some of the best advice I ever received. He said,

“If you want to be wealthy, hang out with wealthy people. If you want to be funny, hang out with funny people. And if you want to be poor, hang out with poor people.”

The truth is that people naturally mimic the behaviors of those around them. Mindset is contagious. So if you want to be a big success in life, spend time with others who are already successful.

Don’t know anyone successful? That’s okay. You can read books written by them or about them. Listen to their radio interviews or watch them on TV.

Attitude and success is contagious, so catch it by hanging around some of the greats.

6. Successful people believe in themselves and their vision.

The school of hard knocks ain’t easy, so if you want to achieve big results, you’ve got to believe in yourself.

The world’s most successful people have unshakeable confidence in themselves and in their vision. Without it, they’d have to give up too easily after a few obstacles got in their way.

How’s your confidence? Do you believe you can achieve your dreams? I’ll tell you something in case nobody told you before:

You can do whatever you want in life, you’ve just to first believe it, and then work like mad to get it.

7. Successful people take care of themselves.

When was the last time you saw a successful person who was obese or extremely overweight? Sure, these people exist, but they’re the exception to the rule.

Most successful people know they need energy to get ahead, and the best way to have that is to eat right, exercise and get proper rest. Which brings us to our next point…

8. Successful people rest and recharge.

Hard work is a requirement for success, but you can only push yourself 24/7 for so long. Successful people work hard and then unplug so they can refresh their minds and bodies.

If you’ve been pushing it to the limit, think about unplugging for a long weekend or more. Once you get back to the grind, you’ll be more effective at getting the results you want.

9. Successful people never stop learning.

Successful people believe that learning never ends. This doesn’t mean they’re going to school to get new degrees, although they may.

Even without formal education, they’re constantly reading and learning from others around them, perhaps from books, trade magazines or conferences, or from others who are ahead of where they want to be.

What have you learned recently that can get you closer to the success you want? If you haven’t picked up a book, trade magazine or listened to podcasts that can get you smarter in your field, it’s time to start.

10. Successful people make a lot of mistakes and learn from them.

Successful people aren’t afraid to take risks. Because of their unshakeable confidence, they treat any mistake as a learning opportunity.

Think about the last mistake you made. Didn’t make a sale? Reevaluate your sales call and make it better next time. Screwed up a presentation? Read a book on how to present successfully so you can crush your next one. Failed in your last relationship? Reflect about how you contributed to this and what you can do in your next relationship.

So go take some risks, don’t be afraid of making mistakes, and if you stumble, learn from it so you can be better next time.

Bottom Line

These are 10 things successful people do. How many of them are you doing today? If not all, or most of them, it’s time to upgrade your behaviors so you can get the success you deserve.