Do you know what uber-successful people have in common?ย
Not people who inherit their wealth, but people who build their wealth. People who come from humble beginnings. The type who reaches a caliber of financial success that surpasses the generation before them. Iโm talking about the rags to riches type.
People like Jay Z.ย
We all know now that wealth is not only measured by material gains. But wealth is also measured by personal fulfillment, creative fulfillment, spirituality, and happiness.ย
So what is it?ย
I know you know where Iโm getting at becauseโduhโitโs in the title.
Itโs their mindset.ย
Yup, thatโs right. Weโre going to be talking mindsets today. What mindset drives their incredible work ethic. What traits helped these anomalies take their skills to the highest heights.
**Before we go into the meat of the article, if you have doubts regarding your skill or ability in your chosen pursuit, I highly recommend reading Outliers (audible) by Malcolm Gladwell if you havenโt already done so. It changed my life and expanded my mind. Before reading this book, I had a belief that you either have it or you donโt. I had a very black and white prisoner concept of talent. Great books have a way of changing your life, donโt they? Ahh, cheers to great books!ย
Successful Mindset 1: They Are Growth-Oriented
Have you ever worked with a Mr. or Mrs. Know It All? Itโs excruciatingly painful to work with them. Successful people are burning with curiosity and consider themselves lifelong learners. If you know everything, then there is nothing else to learn. If there is nothing else to learn, then your growth is halted.ย
If youโre going to change your life, it starts with your mindset. People who change the world are voracious readers. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet famously have disciplined reading schedules.ย
Remarkably successful people are also wildly dynamic. They have multiple interests that span across different industries and areas of study. Iโm sure youโve heard of the famous Steve Jobโs story of when he dropped in on a calligraphy class 10 years before the first Macintosh was released. He loved typography so much that he added beautiful fonts to Macintosh computers and pioneered the first computers with fonts.ย
Successful Mindset: They Create Unique Systems for Themselvesย
Successful people understand that we are all incredibly unique and lead different lives. What works for one person will not necessarily work for the next person. They choose activities and routines that elevate their own life. They donโt choose an activity because society tells them to or because itโs trendy. They set up their day so that everything they spend their time on directs them towards their focal point.
A great example of this trait is Gary Vee. He famously says that he never reads. He is not a reader, and reading is not his way of learning. Itโs never black or white. You have to do what works for you.ย
Just because another writer writes the best at 4 am doesnโt mean itโs the most effective writing time for you. Just because Warren Buffet reads five hours a day doesnโt mean that this is the best method for you. Experiment and see what works for you.
Speaking of experimenting, Tim Ferris, author of 4-Hour Workweek (audible) and lifestyle experiment blogger, recently wrote the book Tribe of Mentors (audible). In this book, he interviews 140 people at the top of their fields spanning across different industries and asks them the same 11 questions. He says the common variable he noticed amongst 90 percent of the people was that they all have some form of morning mindfulness.ย ย ย
Successful Mindset: They Choose Their State of Being
What do I mean by they choose their state of being?ย
When I was a kid, I was timid, anxious, and fearful. I was afraid to try new things, step out of my comfort zone, and take risks. Anything new was terrifying.
And because I remained idle during my development years, I never built high self-esteem. I always felt not good enough for things. Trivial tasks like standing in front of twenty people in a classroom felt like someone asking me to go out in the jungle and hunt for my food.ย
Itโs not that I wasnโt capable of standing in front of twenty people. Weโre all capable of doing this. Itโs just that I colored it with my feelings, the story in my head. The story was: Iโm not good enough to stand in front of twenty people.ย
The Susan capable of standing before twenty people was there all along, right next to the Susan who felt incapable. All versions of you are always in parallel with each other. You just have to choose the version that sets you up to win.ย
Iโm sorry if that was such a pitiful example; I think the over-simplistic explanation makes it easier to understand.ย
Side Note: Tony Robbins speaks a lot about changing your state. If you want practical steps on how to change your state, read here.
TAKE AWAY
Now that you know success is a symptom of your mindset, what will you work on today? Successful people are growth-oriented, aware of who they are, and confident. If you work on these key areas of your mindset, you will find success.ย
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Books Recommended in This Article
Tribe of Mentors by Timothy Ferris
The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
