Mindset: 3 Traits Successful People Have in Common

Do you know what uber-successful people have in common? 

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. I’m talking about the rags-to-riches type.

People like Jay Z. 

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. 

So what is it? 

I know you know where I’m getting at because it’s in the title.

It’s their mindset. 

Yup, that’s right. We’re going to be talking about 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 haven’t already done so. It changed my life and expanded my mind.

Before reading this book, I believed that you either have it or you don’t. I had a very black-and-white prisoner concept of talent. Great books have a way of changing your life, don’t they? Ahh, cheers to great books! 

Successful Mindset 1: They Are Growth-Oriented

Have you ever worked with a Mr. or Mrs. Know It All? It’s 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. 

If you’re going to change your life, it starts with your mindset. People who change the world are voracious readers. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett famously have disciplined reading schedules. 

Remarkably successful people are also wildly dynamic. They have multiple interests that span across different industries and areas of study. I’m sure you’ve heard the famous Steve Jobs 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. 

Successful Mindset 2: They Create Unique Systems for Themselves

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 don’t choose an activity because society tells them to or because it’s 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. It’s never black or white. You have to do what works for you. 

Just because another writer writes the best at 4 am doesn’t mean it’s the most effective writing time for you. Just because Warren Buffett reads five hours a day doesn’t mean this is the best method. Experiment and see what works for you.

Speaking of experimenting, Tim Ferriss, author of The 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 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.   

Successful Mindset 3: They Choose Their State of Being

What do I mean by they choose their state of being? 

As 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.

Because I remained idle during my development years, I never built high self-esteem. I always felt I was 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 into the jungle and hunt for my food. 

It’s not that I couldn’t stand in front of twenty people. We’re all capable of doing this. It’s just that I colored it with my feelings, the story in my head. The story was: I’m not good enough to stand in front of twenty people. 

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 have to choose the version that sets you up to win. 

I’m sorry if that was such a pitiful example; the over-simplistic explanation makes it easier to understand. 

Side Note: Tony Robbins speaks a lot about changing your state. If you want practical steps on how to do so, read here.

Closing Thoughts on Mindset Traits of Successful People

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. You will succeed if you work on these key areas of your mindset.