The Commonalities Of Success

As an avid pursuant of success, I researched what common traits those who have already achieved success portray. Listed below is what I determined to be the most influential of those I came across. I manipulated my findings in order to appeal to, but not limited to, student athletes as I currently possess the same title as a football player at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Develop a Passion

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Amongst successful individuals, I found passion to be the most common trait. Passion allows a person to be more mentally equipped to overcome inevitable obstacles on the way to success. When you look at athletics for instance, it is not just the most innately talented individuals that prosper, it takes more than that. For many, what takes them over the hump from average, to transcendent, is their passion. Take Kobe Bryant for example. As the number thirteen pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, coming straight out of high school it is inarguable that Kobe is and was extraordinarily talented. But when you talk to his peers, teammates, coaches, trainers, they all mention one thing; his work ethic. This stems directly from his passion. You tell me, when you look at the man above, can you see the passion that he has for playing basketball?

The Old Adage, Work Smarter Not Harder; Why Not Both?

youtube.com / Via youtube.com

Often derived from the afore mentioned passion, work ethic is a staple in the development of success. People often confuse working hard with working for long periods of time. It is imperative to do both in order to reach the upper echelons of society. One most dedicate time as well as develop a proficiency. In the video above, Will Smith, a success story in his own right, articulates what it means to be hyper-focused down right ferocious. This mentality is necessary to be great at any one thing.

Success Lies Outside Your Comfort Zone

Via cosmic-fitness.com

In life we often get stuck doing the same things and expecting different results, by definition, this is literal insanity. People reject exercise and expect to lose weight. Students refuse to study but are surprised at abysmal grades. The sad reality is normally that people don't lack the knowledge of how to fix their problem, but instead are terrified of doing something that makes them uncomfortable. Until people accept the obligation to create change on their own, they will remain entrenched in the lives they currently live. Albert E.N. Gray once wrote a document that was titled "The Common Denominator of Success." He persisted that the common denominator was simply to do things others did not want to do. Success lives outside your comfort zone and everyone else's'. It is your choice to step outside and actualize your potential or remain cozily cuddled up next to irrelevance.

Surround Yourself With Success

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"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." These are the words Jim Rohn so intuitively stated. Although it is a very simple concept, many fail to realize it. And once it is recognized it is even more difficult to put the idea into motion. It's increasingly hard because the people that are the most fun to be around may not necessarily possess the same traits you wish to embody. Furthermore, as you hang out with these people, their lackluster traits rub off on you. In contrast if you are to surround yourself with success, you will pick up on innately successful habits. For instance, Paul Brunson, a former employee of Oprah Winfrey's, said he lived this. Due to always being around the multibillionaire and TV mogul, Brunson went on to describe, by way of his own website (http://paulcbrunson.com/), there were many traits he developed. One of the traits that he focused on, was the ability to invest in yourself, wether it be exercise, reading, or something as outlandish (to many of us) as learning a new language. In other words, make yourself indispensable via a diversified skill set. This is just one example, and the effect of being around just one individual. In the future realize those that you surround yourself with, may be more than just that, they may be a gateway to something beyond your wildest dreams. There's a reason, billionaires tend to hang out with billionaires, millionaires hang out with millionaires, and super heroes surround themselves with other superheroes. The bottom line is success is contagious.

*There is a reason why in the picture above, LeBron James, one of the most dynamic sports figures in recent history is spending the afternoon with Warren Buffet, the Oracle of Omaha. It is presumably to pick his brain and develop new skills along the way.

Over Confidence is Key

Via elitedaily.com

Often, people talk about those that display confidence as arrogant or cocky. These words pack a negative connotation. Yet being overly self-confident is undoubtedly essential to being successful. If someone was to approach you right now, and explain they were going to be the next Michael Jordan, no questions asked, you would most likely assume they were delusional and unrealistic. Is it possible they are just overly self-confident? Was it realistic for Oprah Winfrey to have her own TV show and become exorbitantly wealthy because of it after being fired from her job as a reporter due to being "unfit" for TV? What about when Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for "lacking imagination", was it realistic for him to found one of the most successful companies ever, whose basis is imagination? I challenge you to defy what is realistic. As Will Smith once eloquently articulated, "Being realistic is often the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity." Instead believe unequivocally in yourself.

*In the picture above, an anecdote accompanies the image. What is described in the short paragraph many would describe as irrational and arrogant. In my eyes this is exactly the kind of self-confidence necessary to be transcendently successful.

Separate Yourself

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In recent years many individuals have been laid off. Unfortunately this tragedy has most likely affected you or someone you know. The reality of the situation is, the Bill Gates of the world, the top athletes, the CEOs aren't being let go. There's a reason for that. The people at the top of the food chain, often possess things that those at the bottom do not. To arrive at these positions of power and certainty, it is undeniable that these people have separated themselves at one point or another, most likely multiple times. This makes these people indispensable. It could range from acute intelligence, to personal skills, to physical skills, the application of foreign languages, the drive and determination to not be outworked and so on. It is impeccable to create a noticeable gap so when that day comes, you get a raise instead of a notice that you have been laid off. Continue to invest in yourself and make this a reality. Refuse to be just "another guy."

The End

In conclusion these are the traits I wanted to share with you after my in depth research. I hope moving forward you will be able to apply these to your everyday life in order to be more and more successful.