How do you define success? Is it about wealth? Is it about power? Is it about happiness? Success means something different to each person, like beauty, it exists in the eye of the beholder. It is up to each of us to determine what success means to us and do something to bring it into our lives.

The late zig ziglarone of the most respected experts on success and motivation argues in his book Born to winthat: “Success cannot be defined in one sentence, but involves many things. It could be argued that the definition depends on the individual and that one size does not fit all.”.

Despite this, successful people share attributes that don’t happen by accident or luck. They originate in habits, built one day at a time. What we have to remember is: if we live our lives, the way most people do, we will get what most people get. If we settle, what we are going to achieve is a stable life. But if we give the best of ourselves, every day, the best will come back to us.

These are the traits highly successful people cultivate:

1 – Take responsibility for your life: You are totally responsible for your life. This is the fundamental principle you must adopt if you plan for happiness and success in life and work. You have to stop blaming others for your failures and take responsibility for your mistakes. Nobody can live your life for you. You’re in charge. No matter how much you try to blame others for the events in your life, each event is the result of the decisions you have made and are making. “The moment you accept responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you gain the power to change anything in your life.” ~Hal Elrod

2 – Live your life with a purpose: what separates motivational and successful people from others is that they believe they are doing what they were put here to do. Not living life on purpose is about spending just enough effort to get by with the least amount of trouble. But when you live life on purpose, your goal is to be the best you can be. Being successful means finding a cause you believe in, building your business around it, and contributing something to society. “If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it and let it become you and you will discover that great things happen FOR you, FOR you and BY you.” ~ Alan Armstrong

3 – Be willing to pay the price of your success: Many times we feel comfortable in the situation in which we find ourselves. Getting comfortable does not mean that we like the situation in which we find ourselves, but that we enter a comfort zone. Our comfort zone is a place where we are used to the routine or familiarity of a situation, but feel unable or unwilling to do anything to make the necessary changes to get out of that situation. There is always a price to pay for our achievements, but in the long run we will reap the rewards of peace, happiness, and fulfillment. “Everything you want has a cost. Clothes, furniture, successful career, relationships. You or someone else has to pay for what you want. Even the things you get for free. Someone put time, money, their heart and effort into what you want. whatever you have received”.

4 – Stay focused: We live in an age where our focus is on short-term gains and instant gratification. We want immediate results, even in areas that naturally take time. If we don’t succeed quickly, we move on to the next fad. In the long run, most of us achieve little or nothing. How do we avoid falling into the trap of immediate profit and achieve the success we long for? The answer is to stay focused on our long-term goals and invest our energy and resources to achieve them, even as we see many others looking for a quick fix. Focusing requires giving up something in the present because we are investing our time in something that will be worthwhile in the future. Successful people maintain a positive approach in life no matter what is going on around them. “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog ​​that barks.” ~Winston Churchill

5 – Become an expert in your field: A distinguishing factor that all successful people have in common is their desire to be seen as experts in their profession. Whether you’re a NASA administrative professional, CEO, or engineer, experience is something to strive for. So no matter who you are or what you do, make a decision today to work to be the best in your field. How? Surrounding yourself with people who lift you up. By spending time with people who are experts in their field, you will naturally “pick up” some of their wisdom, as experience is contagious.

6- Never give up: “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to achieve it. Time will pass anyway.” ~ Count Nightingale

When you are faced with an unexpected obstacle in life, how do you respond? Do you give up or move on? Successful people don’t give up. They promise to reach their final destination. They may never get there, but they don’t let obstacles stop them from trying. This means continuing despite failures and disappointments. When you are totally committed to achieving your goal, giving up is not an option. You must be willing to do whatever it takes to make this happen.

7 – Create an effective action plan: Many of us set goals, but not many of us create massive action plans to make those goals come true. A powerful plan of action takes you from where you are right now directly to achieving your stated goal. With a well-designed plan, you can achieve just about any goal you set your mind to. An unwritten goal is simply a wish or a fantasy, and is likely to stay that way.

8 – Don’t delay: “Accumulate enough tomorrows and you’ll find you have nothing left but a bunch of empty yesterdays.” ~ Harold’s Hill

Nobody knows how long he has left to fulfill his dreams, and we must remember that we do not have forever. Life is short. There is no title for “Live your dreams”. You qualify yourself by presenting yourself and working. You get permission by deciding. High achievers know this too, and they pursue what they want with as much energy and passion as possible, for as long as they have. “Don’t wait for tomorrow for something you could do today. Your future will will either thank you or shamefully defend you.”.

Success can be defined in many ways. I think we achieve success when at the end of the day we can say… it was a good day. I hope to do it again tomorrow.

“Success is peace of mind, which is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.”