I Analyzed the Successful and Happy People Around Me and Here Are 5 Traits They Share

What does it mean to be successful?

Instead of just a dollar value (because you can be rich and miserable), I have realized that those who have attained a sufficient income level to sustain their lifestyle look for something else to make them feel challenged and, therefore, happy. I’ve analyzed people around me, who I have known for close to a decade or more, who display the signs of being successful in their careers and happy.

Here, I define success as having achieved financial freedom, where the income from their career affords them a comfortable lifestyle with the basics like food, a roof over their heads, and one or two getaways for the family each year. Before I start getting comments about this being tone-deaf, I’m not referring to extravagances like splurging on brand-name products, vacations in a Miami mansion, flying in a private jet, or buying a $200,000 sports car. Financial freedom means you can survive comfortably and stress-free without worrying about money.

1. They stay curious about the world.

   Looking for “the next big thing” is second nature to them. They keep their eyes open for new opportunities, and the wheels are always turning. How could they make use of this new material, service or technology? Consuming news sources from around the world, in different languages and from unique perspectives helps to keep their minds open and receptive to the new and exciting. They are the ones who want to make predictions about how new trends will shift markets; often, they put their money where their mouth is — they start investing in opportunities that support their hypothesis. These people have that spark in their eye when they hear about an idea that excites them, and what sets them apart is that they act on it. 

2. They push themselves into the unknown.

   Whereas other people solely fear the unknown, these individuals thrive on it as a combination of fear and excitement. They’re bored in an environment where they know all the potential factors and outcomes; it’s like feeling like you have all the game hacks and there’s no challenge anymore in playing the game. It’s only through venturing into new territories, be it new industries or countries, where these people feel alive.
   
   I have a friend who has moved from food and beverage to travel to enterprise software. They’ve lived and worked on several continents within that same timeline. They’re not job hoppers, and they’re not doing it just for the sake of a higher salary but also because of the higher intrinsic satisfaction of having conquered something new.

3. They step up and don’t give up.

   They’ve got grit, and everyone around them can see it. Some people begin their careers with grit and then gradually lose it as they ascend into cushy jobs where they feel their career has stabilized. This is dangerous and complacent territory. You’ve got to get this done in two months instead of four? Their first thought goes to how to shift resources to make it happen. They don’t accept the condensed timeline as too hard and admit defeat. These people leave no stone unturned, explore all the options, and work smarter and harder than the rest.

4. They’re constantly working on themselves.

   Your 9 to 5? That’s work. Your 5 to whenever you go to bed? That’s all the time you could be spending improving yourself. It doesn’t have to feel like you’re pushing yourself to do more work because that isn’t the objective. The things where you’re working on yourself should be enjoyable, even fun.
   For example, right now, I’m learning Korean, and I’ve gamified it, earning points for each day if I consistently complete my lessons and when I place 1st in the league (does this sound like Duolingo? Because it is). It works for someone like me because I love learning and I’m highly competitive, so my lessons each evening are challenging and fun, and it keeps me disciplined to make daily progress. If you want to work on your health, maybe sign up for a marathon with a buddy and commit to training together until race day. Pick what you want to work on and focus on one thing at a time to make it easier to measure progress. Then, you don’t have the excuse of a second goal distracting you from the ONLY goal.

5. They discuss ideas, not people.

   People who pursue big dreams and act on them spend their time discussing ideas, concepts, and how they could leverage them for their business or how they think the technology would evolve. This group would discuss consumer behaviour shifts and other trends, economic performance and how it impacts industries, new technology and how they could apply it to enhance what they’re doing…this is much more inspiring and intellectually stimulating for successful people versus talking about what so-and-so said at work the other day and how they could read into that.

Do you know anyone around you who displays these traits? They say that even if you sit within a 25-foot radius of a high performer, your performance goes up by 15%, so it would be beneficial to start building a social circle of inspiring people who bring out the best in you. Start doing that today.