Why are some people more successful than others? Why are some people extremely rich while others spend their whole lives in poverty? What is the reason that some people have more power and influence than others?
These are the questions that have existed since humanity started evolving and living in hierarchical structures.
For most of history, there has been an existing gap between rich and poor, successful and unsuccessful, influential and non-influential. And with the rise in capitalism, this gap has only grown wider.
Numerous research has been performed, and theories like the great man theory and trait theory have come and been rejected.
There is no definite answer to what makes successful people different from others and what is the exact thing that brings extraordinary success. It is more of a subjective thing that you can’t answer objectively.
However, you can find some common thread of behaviors, believes, and mindsets in most, if not all, of successful people.
Jack Canfield, renowned personal development coach and the author of 66 best-selling books, calls these common traits between successful people the success principles. Principles that successful people live by that make them successful.
He has compiled these principles in his book called The Success Principles and the Success Principle Workbook. Both are a must-read for everyone.
What Are The Success Principles
The success principles, in Jack’s own words, are the set of rules to live by. These principles guide many successful people’s lives, their behavior, and decisions in life.
Jack collected these principles from his own life and by interviewing 75 extremely successful people in North America, including people who own major silicon valley companies, top bloggers and influencers, Olympic athletes, etc.
The principles mentioned in the book have been beta-tested on many people, and the results have been satisfying enough to prove that they work.
What people can expect after reading all the 17 success principles is a system that works. It’s like if we say that success is a lock that requires a combination to open, and success principles are that combination.
If you know the combination, it doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, young, orbital, male, female, college-educated or not, the lock will open.
And even if you’re missing even one number, the lock will not open, no matter if you have got three PhDs from Harvard.
According to Jack, if you apply all the success principles in your daily life, then it is possible to completely change your life for good in just 50 days.
What Successful People Do Differently Than Others
You don’t achieve success until you possess what success demands. And since only a percentage of people are really successful, we can conclude that it is something different from others.
Though success in every field demands a different skill set, the mindset and other life skills remain the same.
So we asked Jack since he has worked with many successful people, what are the few things that almost all successful people do differently than the majority.
1. They Have Specific Goals
Many people have things they wanna accomplish that they call goals, but when you dig deeper, they are nothing more than just wishes.
The difference between a goal and a wish can be figured out when you ask someone to describe their goals. The more vague it is, the more likely that it is just a wish.
For example, you’ll see many people saying their goal is to make a million dollars, ask them how or when exactly do they plan to achieve it, and most won’t be able to answer. These people just wish to have a million dollars, but they probably won’t ever achieve it.
On the other hand, successful people can talk about their goals and plans for hours, and they absolutely love doing it.
You can ask them as many specific questions about their goals as you want. They won’t go blank because it is their goal that they are determined to achieve, and they have it in their as specific as it gets.
2. They Believe They’re Gonna Come Out Just Fine
Uncertainty, fear, loss, hardship, sorrow, grief are all a part of life, and they come in almost everyone’s life.
However, the difference between a successful and unsuccessful person is that the successful don’t panic, get lost, or accept defeat.
Instead, they have a strong belief that whatever may come, they’ll come out just fine. They can handle it, they have the resources, and they have the will.
Even if they don’t have the actual resources, they always have the resourcefulness, which is what matters the most.
They are able to pivot quickly without going into fear or panic because fear and panic at such times hinder your brain process and make it harder for you to think rationally and creatively.
3. They Pivot Quickly
Pivoting is also a very dominant skill of successful individuals that is not found generally in a lot of other people.
They ask themselves- “how can I be of service to the most number of people with the skills and resources I currently have.”
The pivoting skills of a lot of people and businesses were put to test by Covid lockdowns last year. Only the people and businesses who were quick to pivot to the new normal were able to survive.
A great example could be of the gym owner who not only survived but thrived in the times of Covid restrictions.
While gyms were the worst hit and most gym owners were panicking, a success-minded person said, what are the resources I currently have, and how can I make use of them.
He had all the gym equipment and people were at home, so he pivoted and decided to rent the equipment, sanitize them and install them in people’s homes for a fee. Soon, he was making more money renting the equipment than he was making earlier selling the gym membership.
All the smart business owners did exactly this. Hairdressers were selling bundled appointments at discounts to be used when restrictions ease. Make-up artists were selling online home makeup tutorials.
