The 10 Ways To Achieve Success In Both Business And Life

In life, like in business, you have the people who are out there living it to the fullest and the bystanders letting it pass them by. You have the people who sit around and mope all day about how miserable their lives are, then you have the people who are out there crossing things off their bucket lists on a regular basis.

In business, you have the people who started from nothing and didn't do anything to change their situations, like the people on occupy Wall St., then you have the people who saw whatever little opportunity they had and made the most of it.

Success is more than an idea, it is a state of mind. Although success is relative to each individual, the key to achieving success is the demeanor in which you go about living your life and taking advantage of opportunities that come to you.

Whether it be in life or in business, you should never take anything for granted and you should learn how to make the most of the situations that are presented to you. Here are the 10 ways you can be successful in business and in life:

Learn to listen to your gut feeling.

Your gut feeling is one of your most innate senses. It usually comes in at random, sporadic times when you least expect it, yet need it most. There is no way to turn this instinct on or off; however, when you realize you are in a tough situation, your gut feeling is the most trusted way to go. Gut feelings are particularly helpful when it comes to reading people, either it feels right or it feels wrong.

If your gut is giving you a negative feeling about a particular person or situation, then it would be best not to question it. We do not fully understand this instinct -- but ask yourself, has your gut ever led you in the wrong direction?

Have an open mind when it comes to unfamiliar ways of thinking.

People love to be in their comfort zones, once we find a particular way of doing things, we are very reluctant to change the way we go about it. However, times do change and it's important that we keep an open mind when it comes to new ideas and ways of thinking.

This is especially true when it comes to the way you go about living your life. Don't try to force your beliefs onto others. Just because something works for you doesn't mean it will work for someone else. Be open to other people's thoughts as a situation in your near future may arise where your way of thinking may not work and another one does.

Accept new technologies and try to learn as much about them as you can.

If you read Arthur Miller's "Death Of A Salesman," you understand the importance of keeping up with the times. No one wants to be the old hag that is left behind because of an ignorance of new technology. While you can survive without a single idea of pop culture, it will be hard to last long without keeping up with technology.

Have an open mind when it comes to understanding the new technologies out there; it will help you keep up with the times. You don't want to end up being considered old just because you can't keep up with the technology.

Constantly educate yourself.

Just because you graduated college does not mean you stop learning. Your life experiences from now on will prove to be the best teachers. College has given you a good idea as to what to expect in the real world, but your experiences will forever ingrain new lessons into your mind.

Go to seminars in whatever field you work in and brush up on old skills while seeking to learn new skills that can prove to be useful. This is important to the development of your skills beyond the college dorm room and it will help you keep up to date with the times.

Give back when you can.

Great success is coupled with great responsibility. Do not take your success for granted. You may have worked hard for what you achieved, but know that you are now in a position to help those who are less fortunate. Now this doesn't mean you have to give away everything you have to people less fortunate, but it wouldn't hurt you to give a helping hand.

There are people who will never get the same opportunities as you. Help open up doors for these people, it will not only show others the importance of helping out, but it will also make you feel good about yourself. Who knew that with such little effort you can make a big difference in someone's life.

Know that being street smart is just as important as being book smart.

While school is important, being book smart is not the only thing that you will need to excel in this world. Book smarts help you understand what you are talking about and will give you an idea on which path to choose, however street smarts allow you to use your intuition to analyze any situation at hand.

Your street smarts will allow you to see things that were never really presented in those books you read. A perfect balance between street smarts and book smarts will prove to be a handy tool in your future endeavors.

Care for yourself.

There is nothing more important that your health. As Kanye once said 'wealth can't buy health.' You want to operate at maximum levels at all times that you are up and working. This requires you to get enough rest and proper nutrition on a regular basis.

While partying and drinking is fun and it gives a certain adrenaline rush, you must ask yourself: is the hangover worth it? Operating at 80% versus 100% can be the difference between you completing your work and you saving your work for tomorrow.

Treat others with respect.

Your beliefs, hobbies and reputation are some of the few personal things that you have. No one wants to associate themselves with a pompous prick who is only interested in themselves. Any business relationship and friendship is based on what value it brings. No one wants to be used, treat others as a you would treat yourself rather than a means to an end.

This will prove to be useful in the long run, as people have really good memories when it comes to getting screwed over. Just because you may not necessarily need someone now, how do you know that they won't be useful to you in the future? That is why it is always important to be courteous and treat others with respect.

Make self-examination a habit.

In life and in business, you will go through many phases, you will make mistakes and you will come across countless obstacles on your way to achieving your goals. If you do not examine yourself, you risk living a stagnant life. It is crucial that you reflect on the mistakes you made and what you learned from that experience, so you know not to make those mistakes again.

You also want to think about the people you met and what you learned from your daily interactions with them. There is always something you can learn from someone you meet, take advantage of people's experiences and try not to make the same mistakes they did.

Find a passion and commit yourself to it.

Anything that you want to achieve is going to take time and, most importantly, effort. Time is our most valuable asset and if we are truly invested in something, our efforts and time will be all we have to offer. That is why it is important that we choose a goal that we really enjoy because we must be committed to it.

Nothing comes easy in this world and if we really want something, then we are going to stop at nothing to make it happen. If you find yourself losing interest in particular goal, then it was never meant to be. Finding your passion may be the most difficult part of your life, but once you find it, you will stop at nothing to make your dreams come true.

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