Marissa Mayer, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett…what do these highly successful people have in common? Studies have shown that successful people have a unique approach towards the role they play in their environment. These approaches are not intrinsically hardwired in successful people, but rather can be learned and practiced by anyone. Take a look at these 7 beliefs to see how the mindsets of successful people can impact your goals and perspectives.

1) What’s time, anyway?

The average person, if given a week to complete a task, will instinctively utilize their time such that they finish the task in a week. However, successful people don’t work within deadlines – when they are given a task, they work on it immediately and efficiently, regardless of the time frame. Once they get one task out of the way, they then use their “free” time to complete other tasks. The result is ultimate efficiency and increased productivity.

2) I control my world

Successful people recognize that they are in control of their goals and they don’t let others interfere with their mission. They don’t blame others for their shortcomings but change their approach if they aren’t achieving their desired goals. Successful people also surround themselves with other hardworking and remarkable people. They understand the impact and influence of the people around them and they consequently seek to surround themselves with people that support, motivate, and constructively challenge them.

3) Success is ongoing

Successful people don’t cling on to their success – they recognize that success is ongoing and they measure their value by the daily, tangible contribution they make to their organization. These individuals seize every opportunity and are never too proud to get their hands dirty doing the grunt work. As blogger Jeff Haden describes of successful people, “no job is ever too menial, no task ever too unskilled or boring”. Successful people are willing to do what it takes to make each day a success.

4) Failure is my accomplishment

One of the most instinctual reactions in the face of failure is to blame other people, events, or circumstances. Sometimes external situations will result in your failure, but most of the time, failure is your accomplishment – and that’s okay! Everyone fails but successful people see failure as an important opportunity to analyze and learn from their mistakes so they can make bigger accomplishments in the future. They view their failure as an opportunity to gain feedback so they can succeed next time. Consider Steve Jobs after he was fired from Apple…he went on to create Pixar – one of the best animation studios in the world! And not to mention the astounding success of Apple after Jobs regained his title as CEO. Jobs was quick to learn from his mistakes and he leveraged that knowledge to build an empire that was even bigger and stronger.

5) I am a lifelong learner

Many opportunities are created simply by saying “yes”. Successful people in business are willing to say “yes” (even if it means extra work) because they view it as an opportunity to learn new skills and perspectives. These individuals are committed to ongoing improvement and they understand that progress takes shape when they put themselves out there with the objective to genuinely learn. In the words of Albert Einstein, “learning is not a product of schooling but the lifelong attempt to acquire it”.

6) Going the extra mile

Most people claim that they’re willing to “go the extra mile” but like many statements, those words rarely translate into action. Going the extra mile means putting in more time, generating more work, and sometimes sacrificing other priorities. Successful people are willing to go the extra mile and aren’t looking for praise or recognition when they do so. Rather, they go the extra mile because of a genuine desire to learn and excel at their work – and it’s this determination that makes them different and successful.

7) Living with passionate determination

Successful people are passionate people and they are genuinely interested and energized about what they’re doing. They approach tasks with a positive energy that helps them turn obstacles into opportunities for learning and improving. They believe in themselves and their goals, and they work passionately to get the job done well.

About the Author

After graduating from the HBA program at the Richard Ivey School of Business, Aaliyah launched her career as Marketing Coordinator at Uberflip! Prior to her HBA, Aaliyah also completed a Bachelor in English at Western University.

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