The road to success is paved with failures, setbacks, and hardships. However, a few have the passion, courage, and determination to make their dreams a reality.
To help you on your own path to success, here are the top 30 thoughts, sentiments, and lessons that some of the most successful men and women in the world like Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, J.K. Rowling, and Oprah Winfrey, have learned while becoming self-made millionaires and billionaires…
Be Misunderstood
Be willing to be misunderstood if you’re trying to do something innovative. You understand what you’re building, you know how it’s going to help others improve their business, life or both, so who cares if someone doesn’t get it? They will, and you’ll appreciate that you didn’t let the criticism get to you. “I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you’re going to innovate.” – Jeff Bezos
Choose Friends Wisely
You are the sum of your the 5 people closest to you. While many people user terms like “network = net worth”, it is important to understand exactly what that means. Keep like-minded individuals around you and people who want to see you do well, it makes a difference.
Nothing Is Perfect
Perfection is the greatest obstacle to productivity. While most people feel thing’s need to be perfect, most successful individuals will say they look for 80% of perfection. Essentially if they can get their employee’s to reach the 80% of mark of what they believe is perfect – that’s more than enough.
Be Prepared To Fail
Most successful entrepreneurs will speak of the failures they experiences, over and over again, until they finally saw success. Failure is success turned inside out. Use failure and set-backs to fuel the fire and proceed forward. “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” – J.K. Rowling
Don’t Waste Your Life
You only have one life, that’s it. Live every day as if tomorrow is not for certain and always remember that this is your life, your destiny…we won’t be here forever. So what type of legacy do you want leave when its all said and done?
Broaden Your Intentions
Social currency is growing rapidly where companies are not only trying to enrich themselves but also using the profits to make the world a better place. Tying social currency to a business or your job will open many doors and bring positive energy into the world that will circle back to you. “We make the future sustainable when we invest in the poor, not when we insist on their suffering.” – Bill Gates
Pay Your Dues
There are two things that they say are guaranteed in life; death and taxes. While nobody enjoy’s cutting a check to Uncle Sam its our duty to do so and also the law. Don’t curtail this responsibility, it leads to more troubles down the road…
Be A Contrarian
Contrarian view points have always lead to “game-changer” idea’s. Some of the largest companies in the world began with an idea that nobody thought was good. Peter Thiel is one of the largest contrarian investors. “The most contrarian thing of all is not to oppose the crowd but to think for yourself.” – Peter Thiel
Forget About Popularity
Silicon Valley exec’s will tell you they see the same pitch over and over again. Be different, be unique, it goes a long way and will make you stand out in the crowd.
You Are Who You Are
Many people enter the business world and the first thing they do is try to emulate others. It is very important to be “authentic” when in business. When you try to emulate other people, you will fail…but being yourself, being authentic, will always be valued.
Don’t Make Things Harder
In a world full of overthinking, over-explaining, and overdoing, we need to remember to not complicate things that are naturally simple or easy. Occam’s razor says: With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one. “There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult.” – Warren Buffett
Money Vs. Morals
Money doesn’t make you a good person. Jerks with money are still just jerks. So know that going forward on your road to success, there will still be people you don’t like. “Of the billionaires I have known, money just brings out the basic traits in them. If they were jerks before they had money, they are simply jerks with a billion dollars.” – Warren Buffett
The Price Of Innovation
Be prepared for people to think you are crazy when you innovate. Everyone who did something worth remembering was at one point considered out of their minds. “When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for everyone telling you you’re nuts.” – Larry Ellison
Clarify Your Goals
Figure out what your dreams are and follow them. Most people want to do something great, but the first step to doing that is to be specific about what you want and how to get it, then working for it until you make it happen.
Never Make Excuses
Don’t let disadvantages become excuses for not following or giving up on your dreams. Commitment is crucial is you want to see a project through to the end. Almost everyone will give up, remember that. Don’t be one of them.
Success Is A Trick
Remember that success teaches you nothing. It only tricks you into thinking you can’t lose. In other words, stay humble and remember you too were at one point unsuccessful. “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” – Bill Gates
The Most Valuable Teacher
Unhappy customers are the greatest key to learning and improving. I’s important to be a contrarian and ignore criticism when you’re creating. But once you’ve created, you have to be willing to listen to the opinions of those it was created for.
The Importance Of Importance
You will only keep trying if something is important enough to you. If your heart isn’t in it now it won’t be in it later. As mentioned above, you have to know what you want before you can get it.
Question Everything
Always question yourself and how you can do things better. Just because something is complete doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. “The single best piece of advice: Constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.” – Elon Musk
The Sign Of Importance
If you’re working on something truly important, you will be excited to wake up in the morning. If you dread what you’re doing, maybe it’s time to move on.
A Life Guarantee
Remind yourself that it is impossible to live without failing if you’re truly living. There’s no easy way to success, and everyone has failed, including the richest people alive.
Be Courageous
It takes just as much, if not more, courage to stand up against friends and loved ones. Fighting your enemies is easy, but fighting those we love is difficult even though it’s sometimes just as necessary. “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” – J.K. Rowling
Every Choice Matters
Our choices show who we really are, not our talents and abilities. All the talent, drive, and commitment in the world doesn’t mean anything if you make the wrong choices…
Always Have Integrity
Have integrity. Do the right thing even when no one is watching. “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” – Oprah Winfrey
Stop Guessing The Future
Remember that life will lead you to places you could never imagine or anticipate. And if you assume too much about what the future holds, that leaves you blindsided by unexpected events. Be as agile as you can be if you want to remain successful.
Don’t Be Attached To Anything
Never try to hold on to things too tightly. Be prepared to let everything go. This goes especially for bad ideas…
The One Thing You Truly Have
Keep in mind that the only thing you have for sure is the present moment. “Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” – Oprah Winfrey
A Failing Strategy
In an ever-changing world, the one strategy that is guaranteed to fail is being unwilling to change. Look at the book industry today, it’s almost completely online thanks to Amazon. Industries can dry up quickly, and if you want to be successful you have to be willing to adapt your strategy.
Progress Is Progress
Do things that are easier first to make more progress and build momentum. What starts off as small will quickly build even in small amounts. “I think a simple rule of business is, if you do the things that are easier first, then you can actually make a lot of progress.” – Mark Zuckerberg
The Core Desire
Never forget that everyone you come in contact with has a core desire to express who they are. Holding this back or hiding it from the world is a good way to go nowhere.
