The 6 Mindset Principles of Successful People
Article by Julian Hayes
The path to accomplishing your biggest dreams and goals has never been clearer, thanks to the wealth of information on personal and professional success now available.
However, just because the price of admission to the game has decreased, that doesn’t mean the journey will be a cakewalk. That said, it’s also not quantum physics. In reality, all that separates getting what you want and falling short is a small gap, and it all comes down to your mindset.
If you’re looking to become the best version of yourself, you’ll need to implement certain mindset principles — the same ones the most successful people adopt. Start with these six:
1. Keep Your Word to Yourself
When you do what you say you’re going to do, you build self-respect and a positive identity. Successful people understand that every time you break the promises you make to yourself, you feed your identity as an impostor and weaken your self-confidence as a person of action.
For example, if you commit to exercising 30 minutes each day, then do it. Regardless of the outcome, your character is being positively molded, and that will generate momentum along your journey.
2. Use Envy to Your Advantage
Wanting something you don’t currently have is a behavior rooted in your DNA, but just because it’s a normal feeling doesn’t mean you can’t control it or leverage it to your benefit.
Successful people understand that beneath the layers of envy lies a core need they desire. Ask yourself why you feel envy. If you’re eyeing someone else’s money, for example, figure out what that money would represent for you. Most often, it’s time and freedom. Once you know the root cause of your envy, you can find ways to gain the things you actually want — like time and freedom — right now while building your dream.
3. Don’t Pity Yourself
One of the biggest differentiators between those who stay the course of personal growth and those who get off track is the ability to rebound quickly from setbacks. Successful people understand that life isn’t fair and that they’re not entitled to anything. They also understand that wallowing and making excuses for themselves only zaps their personal power.
When you blame external circumstances, you’re effectively giving your personal power away. The key in life is not what happens to you, but how you react to what happens to you.
4. Understand That Failure Is Feedback
Failure is about perspective. In fact, there is no such thing as failure unless you deem it to be so. Successful people understand that failure is an illusion created inside their minds, and they perform mental alchemy to construct empowering realities instead. When successful people chase after a goal, two things can happen: They either achieve their desired result or get feedback. Falling short of your goal isn’t a failure, it’s a lesson you can use for next time.
5. Operate With an Investor’s Mentality
Just as the stock market always experiences fluctuations, your personal journey will experience peaks and valleys. Investors who stay long term with their investments despite the flux are often rewarded for their patience. This same logic applies to your personal development. Successful people understand that emotions and outcomes rise and fall along the way. The key is to stay the course and view the journey as a marathon, not a sprint. Operate with an investor’s mentality and delay gratification today for something great tomorrow.
6. Fixate on the Vision, But Be Flexible on the Details
Think of your goals as the destination and your various actions, habits, and strategies as your vehicles. Numerous potential vehicles can help you arrive at your desired destination; the key lies in finding the right ones uniquely suited to you. Successful people are stubborn with what they want, but they understand that arriving at the end destination will involve detours and unexpected side roads to explore. What gets you to Point A won’t necessarily get you to Point B.
As you keep growing and progressing, you need to continually evolve and be open to new ideas. If you don’t or aren’t, then you could miss opportunities and further extend your timeline.
A version of this article originally appeared on SUCCESS.com.
Julian Hayes II is the founder of The Art of Fitness & Life. He is an author, health and wellness consultant, and speaker operating at the nexus of creativity, health, and business. His mission is to help you integrate health and wellness into a life you love while increasing your energy, productivity, and performance at work. His book,Body Architect , is a real-world guide designed to help you create a life you love while creating a body you love.