Being successful in life pdf

There may not be a perfect combination of ingredients that can guarantee success, but 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.

Research by psychologist Carol Dweck suggests that there are two basic mindsets that influence how people think about themselves and their abilities: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. People who possess a fixed mindset believe that things such as intelligence are 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 skill 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? Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares an exercise that can help you introduce a healthy habit into your life or get rid of a bad habit that's been holding you back.

Overall intelligence has long been believed to be one factor contributing to success in different areas of life, but some experts suggest that emotional intelligence may actually matter even more. Emotionally intelligent people are able to understand not only their own emotions, but those of others as well.

To improve your emotional intelligence:. Mental toughness refers to the resilience to carry on and continue trying even in the face of obstacles. 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? In a long-running longitudinal study, psychologists followed a group of children who were identified by their teachers as highly intelligent.

As they compared how these subjects fared throughout childhood and into adulthood, researchers found that those who ultimately were the most successful in life shared some key characteristics, including perseverance and willpower. 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 motivators that keep you feeling inspired? While extrinsic rewards such as money, awards, and praise can be helpful, many people find that they are most motivated when they are doing things for personal satisfaction.

If you are doing things because you enjoy them, because you find them meaningful, or because you enjoy seeing the effects of your work, then you are driven by intrinsic motivations. Research has shown that while incentives can be a better predictor of some types of performance, intrinsic motivators tend to be better at predicting performance quality. 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? Psychologists have long attempted to link specific traits or personality characteristics to success in life and work. However, research often fails to show that the MBTI actually correlates to performance.

According to some more recent research, there are certain traits that tend to be consistently tied to success. 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:. Conscientious people consider the effects of their actions. They also consider how other people will react and feel.

You can nurture this trait by:. Life is full of situations that are not always clear. People with a great deal of potential for success are better able to accept this ambiguity. Rather than being rigid and inflexible, they are ready to adapt when the unexpected comes their way. You can learn to embrace ambiguity by:. In addition to being able to accept ambiguity, success often hinges on the ability to quickly adjust to change. You can nurture this ability to adjust by:. Or maybe you just want to spend an entire day playing with your kids?

Why you want to learn how to be successful in life will be personal to you. Your partner, parents, and friends may have their own definition of success.

Most people obsess over how to be successful because we all want to feel like we matter. Without achieving any success, we might look back on our life disappointed by our lack of impact on the world.

Striving to achieve a greater purpose is what keeps us fighting to survive and grow. While you might not become an international success, your life can still have an impact on others. The goal of achieving success will help you live a more purposeful life by pushing you to overcome obstacles, work a bit harder and pursue happiness. I want to prove her wrong just so I can leave a nasty comment telling her a few months from now that she was SO wrong about me.

If someone doubts me, I do whatever it takes to prove them wrong. Nothing will motivate you better than a fuming rage deep inside you. The silver bullet is that you need to put in the work everyday for years.

Get a calculator, reach out to some nonprofits and start crunching numbers. Unless, everyone around you is a giant success. Live life your way. Maybe you want to be a digital nomad , you can talk to your boss about working remote for three weeks while you work abroad. It can actually be really great for building your career. Entrepreneurship and being successful is all about taking ownership. You talk a big game about wanting freedom, but when it comes to designing your first store, you ask for so much feedback.

But what you need to realize is that the best thing about entrepreneurship is that you can create your business any way you want. And your expertise will help you find your answer to the question of how to be successful. Roadblocks, bad days, failures, procrastination: what do they have in common? Yesterday I had a bad day and then halfway through the day, I realized I just had a bad sleep the night before and I just started laughing. Because I realized that the solution to my problem was easy.

Save money. Every month, you should deposit some of your money into a savings account. Consider asking your employer to directly deposit a portion of your income into your savings account. Invest cautiously. If your workplace offers a retirement savings plan, put your excess incomes in that. Manage your time. Putting off important tasks until the last minute can cause you unnecessary stress, and increase the likelihood of errors and negligence. Manage your time so that you have enough time to complete tasks effectively.

Use a planner to help keep you organized throughout the day, week, and month. Set reminders on your smart phone and make use of its electronic timer for better time management.

Make a list of all the things you need to do in a given day, and check off each task as you complete it. This will help you stay organized and motivated. Part 3. Enjoy the present moment. If you are constantly dwelling on the past or daydreaming about the future, you are missing out on the present moment.

Remember that the past and the future are simply illusions, and that real life takes place here and now. Start paying attention to negative thoughts so that you can move on from them and enjoy the present moment.

If a negative thought arises in your head, then acknowledge it, label it a negative thought, and then let it fade away. Get in the habit of paying attention to small details around you.

Appreciate the feeling of the sun on your skin, the sensation of your feet walking on the ground, or the artwork in the restaurant you are eating in. Noticing things like these will help you silence a rambling mind and appreciate every moment. Don't compare your own life to other peoples' lives. Unfortunately, many people measure their own success by comparing it to the success of those around them. If you want to feel accomplished and happy, you will have to value your life for its own sake.

Many people have the tendency to compare the low points of their own lives with the high points of other peoples' lives. Remember that no matter how perfect somebody's life may seem, behind closed doors everybody deals with tragedy, insecurity, and other difficulties. Rather than comparing yourself with people who are "better off" than you, think about all of the people who are homeless, chronically ill, or living in poverty.

This will help you appreciate what you have rather than feeling sorry for yourself. Try engaging in volunteer work to help make this more apparent. This can help to boost your happiness and confidence as well.

Count your blessings. No matter how much you achieve in life, you will always feel unhappy if you constantly focus on what you don't have. Instead, devote time every day to appreciating the things you do have. Think beyond material items; appreciate your loved ones, and cherish happy memories. Part 4. Look after your health. A healthy body supports a healthy mind.

Eat a balanced diet and ensure that you aren't lacking in any necessary nutrients. Establish the cause of any problems you may experience, such as a lack of energy or a lack of concentration and deal with them by discussing with a doctor, nutritionist and related health professionals. Get plenty of exercise too but make your fitness choices according to what you enjoy. Follow up on opportunities. If you have a chance to shine, take it. If you are worried you won't have time and energy for a good opportunity, ask yourself: would this contribute to my end goals?

If it would, then get rid of other commitments in order to pursue this opportunity. Remember, some chances only come around once. You can't bank them. This doesn't mean you should throw away all your savings or get rid of your safety net. It just means you should say yes when you are given an offer to move ahead.

Surround yourself with positive people. Make friends with people you admire for various reasons: because they are happy, kind, generous, successful at work, or successful in other ways. Join forces with those who have achieved things you want to achieve, or who are on their way to a common goal. Don't let jealousy get in your way: nobody's success is a threat to yours.

Choose to spend time with the positive people, not the ones sucking your energy. If you have friends or family members who always make you feel bad about yourself, limit the time you spend with them. Also, make sure to identify relationships that are not helping you to move towards your goals, that stress you out, or that require too much of your time and energy without being reciprocal.

Look for mentors among the people you admire. If you think you could learn from someone, ask for their advice. Set boundaries with others. Advocate for your own needs. Be caring towards others, but don't accept abuse from anyone. Remember, being a good person does not mean you have to take violent or disrespectful language or actions from anyone.

Listen to your loved ones when they tell you they need space, or want to do something alone. Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. Emily Silva Hockstra. Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

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