This is a question I received in my inbox from a high school student in Los Angeles: In your opinion, what are 3 traits successful people share in common? – Sharon
Well Sharon, before we talk about the three successful traits we must first look at ourselves and do some introspection. Only after you have a clear sense of what is unique about YOU can we start to talk about the things that make people successful. It doesn’t matter that there are many opportunities in health care, telecommunications, computer technology or that the hottest selling franchise is Papa John’s Pizza. These only have relevance after you know your:
1. Skills & Abilities
2. Personality Traits
3. Values, Dreams & Passions
What separates the successful from the unsuccessful is not ability. Surely, this plays a role. But it doesn’t fully explain why some people with marginal ability become successful and others with extraordinary ability never really make it.
Instead, I think the determining factor is to be found in how they are focused. Successful people, I think share these three traits:
1. Passion – a person with passion is a person who can set goals. Without them, you can have no clear direction and will drift along the road of circumstances.
2. Determination – without a clear purpose, any obstacle will send a person in a new direction. Without determination, you will easily be lured away from your path.
3. Talent – No one has talent in every area, but everyone has talent. Discover where you rise to the top. What are those things you love to do whether or not you get paid?
**bonus 2**
4. Self-discipline – without self-discipline, a person can easily be swayed by others. Self-discipline is the foundation that makes the others work.
5. Faith – even with everything lining up logically, there still comes that step of faith into the unknown. You cannot reach new lands if you keep one foot on the shore.
“This is a guest post by Patrick McFadden. He is a marketing expert and you can find his marketing blog by typing “Indispensable Marketing” into Google. You can also follow him on Twitter @mcfaddenteaches or subscribe to his newsletter that offers “Marketing Advice That’s Absolutely Essential For Success.”
Thanks Dortha for this amazing opportunity! I appreciate it.
While there are so many traits that can contribute to ultimate success, I agree that there are a few core traits that always seem to appear. In addition to the three you mention, I’d say patience is another. As an entrepreneur, it can be tempting to jump ship at the first sign of hard work, but with patience (combined with passion) you’re more likely to see things through until they start to get better again.
good points, Stephanie–I agree with you that patience is definitely high up there, for entrepreneurs especially! Thanks for connecting!
Thank you so much for the great content, Patrick!
I’m not sure if these are “traits,” but I manage a blog that focuses on “Critical Skills” that are essential in any career in order to be successful: Communications, Production, Information, Analysis, Interpersonal, Technology, Time Management and Continued education. The blog is: http://criticalskillsblog.com if you’re interested. Not selling anything – just trying to get the word out. ~ CCJ
I love that, Charles! Thank you so much for sharing and also for sharing your blog! I’ve gone over and checked it out and followed~ Happy Wednesday!
~Dortha
Terrific! Ill post something soon that points your way and compliments what you are doing. Re Twitter – I’m just getting that set up and don’t yet know how to use it properly. Need to learn! Cheers! ~ CC
Thanks so much, Charles, perhaps we could chat about having you as a guest blogger like we did with Patrick! (:
And re: Twitter–sounds good, that’s one of the things we support our clients in (social media set up and ‘how to’) if you need some help, feel free to connect with me via email virtual.dortha@gmail.com
I have another blog that might be of interest and fun: http://thedoomloop log.com
Posted it. Hope it’s ok. http://criticalskillsblog.com
~ CCJ
I would be most happy to post something for you – so long as it’s relevant to what you are doing. If you see any of the posts I’ve made in my blog, we can use any of them you choose.
Will check it out–I saw a few things that were interesting to me…I’ll let you know!
Gr8! Let me know what you think – feel free to make a comment or two. Enjoy the movie! 🙂
CCJ