5 things you can do to be successful

  What makes some people more successful than others? Sure, there are those who seem to be born with success in their blood – but what can e...

 

What makes some people more successful than others? Sure, there are those who seem to be born with success in their blood – but what can everyone else do to put themselves on the path toward success? Here are five things you can do to make sure that your life as an entrepreneur, small business owner, employee or job seeker isn’t just successful, but happy and fulfilling as well.

Make a plan

Start by defining your core objectives and setting actionable goals to get there. Identify strategies you can use to achieve your goals and outline how you’ll stick with them over time. Once you know what you want, you’re much more likely to follow through on it. You may also want to think about how long it will take for you to reach each goal (which can help motivate you).

Set goals

Successful entrepreneurs know that, without goals, there’s no sense of purpose or direction. Answering these three questions will help you set some goals that are right for you: What do I want? Why do I want it? How will I achieve it? Before long, you’ll have specific benchmarks to aim for—and track your progress toward achieving them (or not). (For more on setting goals, check out our ultimate guide.)

Take action

The first step to success is simply taking action. You’ve got to get up and moving in order to get where you want to go, so don’t sit around waiting for good things to come—make them happen! Every great success story began with someone just like you taking that first step, then another and another.

Be persistent

It’s good to be confident in your abilities, but there’s a fine line between self-assurance and arrogance. You don’t want to come across as cocky or overconfident because it could lead to failure. If you have doubts about your abilities, constantly check them against successes until they fade away.

Enjoy the journey

Ultimately, entrepreneurs are usually successful because they enjoy what they do. Sure, hard work and persistence are important, but if you aren’t truly passionate about your business, you won’t be able to endure all of the setbacks that are sure to come. It may seem like your peers are having more fun than you—but don’t let them fool you: Entrepreneurship is no walk in the park! If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.