How Successful People Achieve Amazing Results

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No one is born a successful person, that’s for sure.  But what makes the over-achievers so different from the common man?

Do successful people “wear their underwear outside their pants?” Or do they eat or breathe differently from average homo-sapiens?  Do they wander-off to the extra terrestrial while the rest are sleeping?

Neither, neether, nor.

Aside from possessing the right mindset, which is a pre requisite to success, and the inherent qualities such as motivation, dedication, determination and perseverance, there are three approaches I’d like to highlight which separate successful people from the rest.

A Proactive Approach to Life

Successful people are proactive, not reactive.  They don’t wait for the golden apple to fall from the sky and straight into their lap. They don’t wait for life to just happen to them.

Instead, successful people are some of the most forward thinking and acting individuals, always proactive in their approach to making things happen, in good times or bad.

There are countless companies and individuals who thrived and are continuing to thrive despite some of toughest economic times this world has seen in the last few years.  I can guarantee you that each one of them proactively sought opportunities to help their cause.

Successful People Start With the End in Mind

This approach is second nature to many successful people.  Without clarity on the end destination, how can one be comfortable that he or she is heading in the right direction?

By identifying the end goal or objective and thinking backward from that point, successful individuals are able to define the most effective and efficient step by step path to their destination.

Most people are not conditioned to think this way, and that’s why you have the wide disparity between the successful people and those who are not as successful.

Successful People Set and Stick to Priorities

All the successful people I personally know maintain a to-do list at all times. Most put this together well in advance or at least early in the morning.  It is proven through several time management studies that this act is one of the most effective time management strategies used by successful individuals.

The premise is simple, rather common sense.  When you know what needs to be done, you are better able to focus on those tasks and best use your time as a result.  When you don’t know what needs to be done (lack of clarity), you essentially end up wasting time in pursuit of clarity, often distracted and pursuing irrelevant time consuming tasks.

Concluding Thoughts

I am definitely not advocating that you give up your human status and turn into a robot, or that you adapt these approaches in your life on a 24/7 basis. I am however advocating a more proactive, thoughtful, productive and efficient approach to life.

I have consistently attempted to adapt the substance of this article into my own life.  From personal experience, these approaches have changed my life for the better, whether that is life in the office as an employee, outside the office as an entrepreneur or at home as just me, myself and I.

Do you consider yourself successful? What approach (es) have worked best for you? Do you know highly successful people? What do you think makes them so successful?

6 Responses to “How Successful People Achieve Amazing Results”

1. Krantcents says:

   July 12, 2011 at 1:00 pm

   Yes! My approach to things always starts with the outcome. What am I trying to achieve? Then I work backwards. I set milestones, monitor my progress and adjust when necessary.

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     August 3, 2011 at 4:04 am

     That’s an excellent approach – while many do keep the end in mind, a lot forget to measure and tweak along the way

     Reply
2. Christa Herzog says:

   July 14, 2011 at 8:12 pm

   Very good advise. I find this one best: “Start with the end in mind”. You need to know the destination to be able to work out a travel route. Many people start something, get into the details and make lots of detours, never reaching a point as they don’t know it.

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     July 15, 2011 at 4:04 am

     Welcome Christa – that is my favorite as well. It saddens me to see the majority wandering with no precise aim

     Reply
3. Nigel Chua says:

   August 1, 2011 at 4:37 am

   I think not only that, successful people often have a very strong, a very good reason “why” that keeps them going on despite failures AND successes.

   I mean, many people know they want to lose weight, but because they don’t have a strong enough reason, they don’t. It’s the same reason, getting deeper down beneath our skins, our wants, and understanding the basics of why.

   Of course, technicalities such as Beginning with the End, Persistence and Proactivity is a welcome booster, and perhaps a natural developed skillset once one has a very strong WHY.

   What do you think?

   Reply
4. Sunil says:

   August 3, 2011 at 4:06 am

   No doubt the why is important. I have seen many over the years succeed because of their perseverance, knowing they want to make it (achieve amazing results) w/o really having the why defined clearly and precisely. There are so many pieces to the puzzle, and any combination of those can work in one’s benefit if approached with passion.

   Reply