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27 Traits Of Successful People

Is it really possible to become a successful person in just one day? I actually believe you can become a successful person in just one second.

Why? Because to be a successful person you only have to change your thoughts and start to think like a successful person. Your have to program your brain to respond differently to situations that it was previously refusing.

But how exactly are successful people made and how do they think? I’ve read and studied a lot of books on the subject, as well as experimenting and asking around. The following is list of 27 traits that distinguish successful people from ordinary people. If you take the commitment to apply every day each principle in your life, you’ll start to see amazing results in no time.


  1. They are positive. Successful people don’t let negative events alter their ego. They see the glass half full and not half empty. They are known as the ones who raises positiveness among others. Benefits: other people want to stay with them because they make them feel better.

  2. They say yes to everything. They take every opportunity they can. They are not afraid of doing something new, like giving a talk in public. They take everything like a challenge with themselves. Update: what I really mean is that they are not afraid of trying something new, but at the same time they still focus on those few activities with the highest return.

  3. They don’t say no. Of course they can’t say yes to everything. But instead of just saying no, they explain their answer instead of finding excuses.

  4. They never criticize others. Successful people don’t criticize others when when they are not listening, because otherwise people among them will recognize them as persons who tend to talk behind others.

  5. They never complain. Every one is able to complain about things. Bad things happen and complaining about them it’s not a good solution to stop them to happen.

  6. They offer their help for free. Successful people offer their help for free whenever they can. Some examples include blogging and free consulting. They do so to rise their popularity and interest among other people.

  7. They smile. They smile often and genuinely to rise positiveness and build strong relationships.

  8. They offer solutions. Successful people are problem solvers. When something doesn’t work as expected they try to find solutions instead of complaining about the problem.

  9. They give more than what’s expected. When you pay for something, you usually receive only what you paid for. Nothing wrong, but what if you receive something more? Of course you would be happier and you would buy more (or recommend) in the future. Successful people know this and give more than what’s expected so that other people will remember them.

  10. They are genuinely interested in other people. Successfully people are genuinely interested on building strong relationship with others, they don’t just do it because it’s networking is important.

  11. They know how to listen. People like to talk. Why? Because they think there is someone listening, so in reality people like to be listened. Successful people talk less and listen more. If they don’t know what to say, they ask questions instead of talking about themselves.

  12. They make others feel important. They make other feel important by letting them figure out important things themselves. By doing so, they are recognized as intelligent people.

  13. They are calm and they think a lot. They pause before talking, they don’t say everything that comes out from their brain just because they can. By doing so they appear more intelligent and interested in the argument being discussed.

  14. If they’re wrong, they admit it. What’s the worst thing that could happen if you say that you were wrong? I don’t know, but I do know that admitting to be wrong is a sign of superiority, and that’s what successful people do.

  15. They don’t say that you’re wrong. What’s the point? Seriously, how do you feel when someone points out that you are wrong? So why would you want to have all reasons at all costs? What about saying something like: “Hey, I thought something else, let’s try to dig deeper and figure out something more”?

  16. They encourage other people. They inspire others to follow their path. They teach how to became successful at something. Many people do this with blogs to reach the highest number of people possible.

  17. They take responsibility. Successful people are responsible for what they do. Even when something out of their control affects their feelings, they promptly act and take responsibility for improving the situation.

  18. They are excited in everything they do. Can you imagine being excited to hear the sound of your alarm clock in the morning? It’s an awesome sensation and it can be reality if you are excited about what you’ll do today. Successful people are excited in everything they do, and they try to deliver the best possible outcome with every opportunity.

  19. They fail. You can’t be always right the first time, everyone fails, and those who win more are those who fails more. Failure it’s an integrant part of success, and successful people try and fail until they reach their goals.

  20. They learn everything they can. Successful people are avid learners. They try to learn everything they can get their hands on. But they don’t spend their whole days on books because they put in practice what they learnt to see if it really works or not.

  21. They network with other people. You’ll have an hard time becoming successful without the help of other people. Don’t skip this part. Start today and make as many genuine connections as possible. Successful people know this, and they all agree that a huge part of success is built with the help of others.

  22. They are persistent. If you want to see results, you have to persistent and try for a long enough period of time. Successful businesses as well as successful person, are not built over night. They had to work long hours before enjoying the four hour work week.

  23. They are optimistic. Having an optimistic mentality is everything. Scientists are telling us that people who are optimistic are getting the most out of their actions. Being optimistic helps in every situation from work to life. Successful people know this and they are optimistic when they start a new project.

  24. They know how to focus. Probably the most important element in productivity, focus is essential for the completion of your goals. Successful people don’t like to be distracted when they are working, and for a good reason.

  25. They do less, and they do it well. Successful people think that it’s highly unproductive to have a lots of projects going on. To contrast this, they get rid of all the projects where they are wasting time and they focus on the few that are providing the highest value in return.

  26. They are open mind. Everything changes. Twenty years ago nobody was using computers and internet, but today it’s an essential tool for every business. Still, there are many people who don’t know how to properly use one. Successful people embrace changes and take advantage of technology to improve their business.

  27. They are confident. Successful people believe in themselves and in their actions. They know that everything will turn right if you give it enough time and passion.

User contributions

Successful traits contributed by users. Leave your contribution in the comments.


  1. They Take Calculated Risks. Of course, everything involves some sort of risk. Successful people think well and take calculated. Contributed by Mr I.

  2. They make affirmations. Successful people use affirmations to exercise their powerful mind. Contributed by Lindsay.

  3. They make quick decisions. Napoleon Hill in “Think and Grow Rich” discusses that successful people make quick decisions, but are slow to change them. The unsuccessful person makes slow decisions but is quick to change them. These leaders have an unwavering courage to change decisions made even in the wake of immense failures. Thomas Edison failed over 10,000 times when he invented the first light bulb. If he had quit his name might not be known today. Successful leaders continue to move forward with consistent and persistent actions. Contributed by Shirland.

  4. They know they will succeed. Successful people know that they will succeed. Success has been internalized in them from the beginning. Contributed by Walter.

  5. They look ahead. They do not look at their current circumstances and situation as an obstacle but instead look past that to what CAN BECOME. If they stick with it and do not give up. Contributed by Casey.

  6. They are curious. that natural ability we’re born with, that makes learning, growth and development possible as children, and that successful people keep on using in addition to all of their reasoning, analytical, and generally smart grown-up skills. Contributed by Barak.

  7. The define success. They define what success means to them and then go out and get it. Contributed by Tim Brownsons.

Conclusion

We have explored a lot of traits that makes successful people what they are. While it takes an instant for you to start acting like a successful person, it’s very easy to fall back with your old habits, so I suggest you to take one principle a time from the list and to come back often to this page to confront your actions and refresh your thoughts.

Posted on September 14 2009

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Comments

Here are all the comments for this post. I'd love to hear your opinion too.

  1. AvatarKarlil Says:
    September 14 2009 at 16:09

    Great list Oscar. Success is a state of mind, just like many other things in life. People tend to complicate the scenario. I especially love #19. Dare to fail but make sure you learn along the way.

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 14 2009 at 16:12

      Hey karlil,
      If everything would be easy, it would also be boring, that’s why we have to learn, and as with everything with learn with mistakes.

      reply to this comment

  2. AvatarMr. I Says:
    September 14 2009 at 16:24

    Good List.

    I’d add #28: They Take Calculated Risks
    Of course, everything involves some sort of risk. Successful people think well and take calculated risks!

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 14 2009 at 16:46

      Hi Mr. I and welcome :)
      I have added your contribution to the list.

      reply to this comment

  3. AvatarVincent Says:
    September 14 2009 at 16:34

    Hi Oscar,

    “They fail”

    Successful people fail and fail fast. By failing fast, they can move faster towards their goal. Great list!

    Cheers,
    Vincent

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 14 2009 at 16:51

      Hey Vincent,
      I totally agree with you. Successful people fail fast and move to the next big thing.

      reply to this comment

  4. AvatarJerome Morrow Says:
    September 14 2009 at 18:06

    They talk good English.

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 14 2009 at 18:19

      Sorry for my bad English. I’m still studying it.

      reply to this comment

      • September 26 2009 at 20:33

        That’s all right. You have great ideas. What can be more pathetic than expressing nonsense ideas beautifully, right? English is something that can be improved over time. Take heart – you’re doing more than all right. :)

        reply to this comment

        • AvatarOscar Says:
          September 27 2009 at 09:22

          Thanks Jan for your support.

      • AvatarCali Says:
        May 13 2010 at 10:20

        Your English is very good!!

        reply to this comment

  5. September 14 2009 at 18:26

    […] Oscar created an interesting post today on Traits Of Successful PeopleHere’s a short outlineThe following is list of 27 traits that distinguish successful people from ordinary people. If you take the commitment to apply every day each principle in your life, you’ll start to see amazing results in no time. … Successfully people are genuinely interested on building strong relationship with others, they don’t just do it because it’s networking is important. They know how to listen. People like to talk. Why? Because they think there is someone listening, … […]

  6. September 14 2009 at 19:19

    I agree with all these traits but I really do dislike number 7. Smiling is no longer authentic; it’s just something people have been programmed to do to share and convey a sense of trust, happiness, and success. It’s an overplayed marketing tactic that is now generally nothing more than a fake reaction designed to cover up an internally empty world filled with your own materialism, ego, and lack of empathy.

    Don’t trust smiling faces.

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 14 2009 at 20:32

      I hesitated a bit with point 7 for the reason you already said but I decided to mention it anyway because I think that if you can make a generous smile to someone else, he will remember it because true smiles are rare. Thanks for your contribution.

      reply to this comment

      • October 05 2009 at 19:38

        I think that key with smiling is to be genuine. First things first… you change your thinking. As you become a person who is genuinely interested in others, your smile will not be some fake marketing tactic. In fact, you won’t be able to stop yourself from smiling. And believe me—people know the difference.

        reply to this comment

    • AvatarJanet McGlohn Says:
      March 08 2010 at 01:50

      A smile is not just on your lips; you smile with your eyes and your heart!

      reply to this comment

  7. AvatarJarrod Says:
    September 14 2009 at 19:25

    Most English speakers only are proficient in one language (myself included) – sounds like you know AT LEAST two! Good for you!

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 14 2009 at 20:33

      Thanks Jarrod for your support! Have a great day.

      reply to this comment

  8. September 14 2009 at 19:29

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Oscar Del Ben. Oscar Del Ben said: 27 Traits Of Successful People : http://tinyurl.com/rymocy […]

  9. September 14 2009 at 21:15

    First off, nice design, I like it Oscar! Second, don’t apologize for your English, it is normal. That’s why I stopped apologizing when people don’t understand my Italian.

    Out of this list, I would say networking with the right people is crucial. It is not just about what you know but also about who you know. However, as you said, the thing about success is it is just a merely a state of mind. Sometimes you have everything in place but you can’t realize that you can be successful. You will only make it If you break that barrier.

    Keep it up!

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 14 2009 at 21:24

      Hi Adam, nice to see you here and thanks for your comment. I personally believe that networking is the second major part of success after having a solid product or idea. The “build it and they’ll come” philosophy it’s nice but it doesn’t work quite well in reality.

      reply to this comment

  10. September 15 2009 at 03:23

    Oscar, solid post. Off to twitter it!

    Along the same lines of networking with other people, I’d add: they know when to not do it alone, but bring in the right people. I see this a lot now. Brian Clark with Leo of Zen habits. Pam Slim with Jonathan of CareerRenegade. Like minded people coming together to produce something even more remarkable!

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 15 2009 at 08:18

      Hey Brian. I think this is inevitable when you do networking.

      reply to this comment

  11. September 15 2009 at 03:47

    Good post Oscar.

    1. can’t be stressed enough. When an idea is born, it is not perfect. Failure is an inevitable step towards success.

    Mike

    P.S. Did you change your theme? I like it a lot!

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 15 2009 at 08:24

      Hey Michael. Yes I changed my theme, glad you like it! Without failure, life would be boring because everything would work the first time.

      reply to this comment

  12. Avatarlindsay Says:
    September 15 2009 at 11:18

    Hey Oscar,

    first off I am english born, English raised, and recieved top marks for my english literature in my school leaving exams. I have been published in magazines and after all of that… I am INSPIRED by you’re writing. So you have nothing to worry about your english :) The beauty is not in the detail.

    That aside I would agree with all the points above. Especially the smile! But it does have to be genuine. And people can tell. They can feel the vibes which you give off, my life coach calls it energy.

    I personally have had to deal with point 25. ‘They do less, and they do it well’. Something I said in another comment. But it also came down to a lack of confidence in any one particular skill. Which is bizarre because I am generally a confident person… not arrogant… confident. So I had to build my confidence in my own product and services.

    1. affirmations
    2. by networking with successful people and realising that I can keep up.

    Hope its sunny where you are :)

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 15 2009 at 13:28

      Hey Lindsay,
      Thanks for your support. I have added your contribution to the list.

      reply to this comment

  13. September 15 2009 at 12:24

    […] Caractéristiques des gens qui réussissent http://www.freestylemind.com/successful-people-traits/ […]

  14. AvatarShirland Says:
    September 15 2009 at 12:41

    Napoleon Hill in “Think and Grow Rich” discusses that successful people make quick decisions, but are slow to change them. The unsuccessful person makes slow decisions but is quick to change them. These leaders have an unwavering courage to change decisions made even in the wake of immense failures. Thomas Edison failed over 10,000 times when he invented the first light bulb. If he had quit his name might not be known today. Successful leaders continue to move forward with consistent and persistent actions.

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 15 2009 at 13:29

      Thank you Shirland for your contribution. I have added it to the list.

      reply to this comment

  15. September 15 2009 at 13:25

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 15 2009 at 13:33

      Hey Diggy!
      I’m glad you like the theme.
      It took me quite a bit to write this post and I’m happy to hear that from you. Have a nice day.

      reply to this comment

  16. September 15 2009 at 13:30

    Great list Oscar!

    I would suggest that successful people say “no” a lot more than they say “yes.” You mention it the post, but success is more a factor of what you turn down, then what you do. There are so many fantastic opportunities in the world that if you don’t focus on just one or two you are not likely to achieve much of anything.

    You can do anything you want, you just can do everything.

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 15 2009 at 13:39

      Hi John,

      I should change a bit that point. What I really mean is that successful people say yes because they are not afraid of trying something new. Thank you for your feedback!

      reply to this comment

  17. September 15 2009 at 15:45

    Awesome list Oscar!

    I’ve been guilty of failing on #4 and #5. You’ve inspired me to work on those. Thank you!

    reply to this comment

  18. AvatarZandy Says:
    September 15 2009 at 18:15

    WELL DONE Oscar, this is one good article about traits for successful people. Very well thought out. GOOD JOB!!!

    reply to this comment

  19. September 16 2009 at 19:22

    I’m truly happy to have found this post. The first step to success is definitely developing a positive mind. With out a positive “I can Do attitude” there is no point in continuing. It’s not that easy to develop the first time around, but it gets better with time like anything. Practice makes perfect!

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 17 2009 at 00:12

      Hi Jonathan, I’m glad you found it useful! Thanks for dropping by.

      reply to this comment

  20. AvatarWalter Says:
    September 18 2009 at 07:47

    You have stated all of them in detail here. However I would like to add that one distinctive trait of successful people is their belief that they will succeed.

    Success has been internalized in them from the beginning. :-)

    reply to this comment

  21. September 19 2009 at 19:29

    For successful people; failure is not an option. You can never fail; if, you never give up.

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 20 2009 at 10:06

      Hi Kurt and welcome, yes, positiveness and persistency is essential. Thanks for your contribution.

      reply to this comment

  22. September 21 2009 at 21:17

    They do not look at their current circumstances and situation as an obstacle but instead look past that to what CAN BECOME. If they stick with it and do not give up.

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 21 2009 at 23:06

      Thank you for your contribution, I’ve added it to the list!

      reply to this comment

  23. September 21 2009 at 21:25

    […] 27 reasons I'm not a "successful person" http://www.freestylemind.com/successful-people-traits/ […]

  24. September 22 2009 at 18:36

    Great job, Oscar! And, thanks to everyone who’s given feedback and added further inspirational thoughts. This is a very positive, enlightened group of people, I can tell. I’m honored to be among you. Best wishes, always!

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 22 2009 at 18:40

      I’m glad you found the content useful and welcome to freestyle mind!

      reply to this comment

  25. AvatarSneh Roy Says:
    September 25 2009 at 06:11

    Spot on! So very true. Nicely written :)

    reply to this comment

  26. September 25 2009 at 19:47

    Eur/Usd: My System…

    I also want to share an excellent article about the traits of successful people here….
  27. September 26 2009 at 02:39

    […] Traits Of Successful People (tags: psychology business career advice inspiration lifehacks success self-improvement philosophy selfimprovement) […]

  28. September 26 2009 at 13:14

    […] was recently reading a very inspiring post by Oscar at Freestyle Mind entitled ‘27 Traits of Successful People‘. I highly recommend everyone who wants to be someone (and that should be all of you reading […]

  29. AvatarTim Says:
    September 27 2009 at 22:18

    Terrific terrific message here, Oscar. The best I’ve seen yet. I look forward to reading more from you.

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      September 28 2009 at 07:15

      Thank you Tim for your feedback, I really appreciate it.

      reply to this comment

  30. September 29 2009 at 03:06

    […] of the best skills you can learn is to face your fears. Every successful person (that is you) knows how to face fear and how to find a solution. I’ve written a list of 4 […]

  31. AvatarKate Mag Says:
    October 05 2009 at 07:48

    This article inspired me, thank you. I can’t wait for more posts in the future.

    reply to this comment

  32. October 05 2009 at 19:40

    Great article. Although I don’t agree that you can change it all in a day or a second, I think that the list you gave is great for getting started with making the changes necessary to be successful. Renewing your thinking is not easy. Chances are, you didn’t develop your ways overnight and they won’t change overnight. Nonetheless, I believe that every single person is capable of doing it.

    reply to this comment

    • AvatarOscar Says:
      October 05 2009 at 20:02

      Hi Nea, it’s extremely difficult to adopt all those habits in one day, but they are just a mental shift, that’s why I wrote that. Thanks for adding your opinion ;)

      reply to this comment

  33. October 07 2009 at 06:48

    Oscar,

    I’m glad I tripped over your list today. I did so by getting curious as I read other blog posts and article.

    So to your list I’ll add curiosity: that natural ability we’re born with, that makes learning, growth and development possible as children, and that successful people keep on using in addition to all of their reasoning, analytical, and generally smart grown-up skills.

    And of course, there’s curiosity’s close cousin, play!

    I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.
    Albert Einstein

    reply to this comment

  34. October 08 2009 at 15:12

    Man this is such a tough topic and you have done a great job of trying to nail down success.

    My only issue is what does success mean?

    I know lots of people that are wealthy and at the top of their tree yet don’t hit half of those. Is Donald Trump a success? He loves to say no and criticizes others!

    I think maybe something missing is they define what success means to them and then go out and get it, but then again if you did that there would be a list of 1 thing – lol

    Seriously though, I think the list covers off most things we like to think of as demonstrating success in an ideal world and that is pretty much all you can do. I also think you have defined success as you see it, and in that respect I think it’s a brilliant list.

    And yeh if somebody implemented all those they would have a pretty brilliant life!

    reply to this comment

  35. October 28 2009 at 23:25

    A little late, but an important thing!
    Successful people enjoy every day, because every day is important!

    reply to this comment

  36. October 29 2009 at 17:08

    […] in life, you first have to understand that the process is really a shift of your thoughts. In fact, successful people know that you have to change inside before you can pretend to change your outside […]

  37. March 07 2010 at 15:42

    Great article,Thanks for shareing this. All one has to do is have the attitude of Gratitude & believe in thyself……and have FUN in your life!

    reply to this comment

  38. April 06 2010 at 05:48

    They are able to move on. They acknowledge failure and move on to start new things with the expectation of success.

    reply to this comment

  39. April 06 2010 at 05:54

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by cbhs: RT @oscardelben 27 Traits Of Successful People: http://bit.ly/bFwMaO

  40. Avatarrebecca Says:
    May 03 2010 at 13:49

    Great post! I believe having a “prosperity” mindset is also a key trait for successful people. Successful people believe that what what is desired, aspired, achieved are all possible with constant action and faith/confidence. Thoughts like, “I can’t afford that” or “…there’s just no way.”, etc. do not exist in the minds of successful people. Of course, there are always challenges and successful people work to overcome them.

    reply to this comment

  41. Avatarlisa Says:
    July 01 2010 at 15:06

    TYPO…whole not hole #20 ;)

    Awesome Blog! God Bless.

    reply to this comment

  42. Avatarsarbjit singh Says:
    July 16 2010 at 08:46

    Hi,oscar ur blog is mindblowing.I’ll apply all this thought in my life nd one day u will find me on a front page of newspaper in list of sucessful people plz dont show ur weakness to people that ur english is not so good..ok u r superb

    reply to this comment

  43. Avatarjaylu Says:
    July 22 2010 at 05:58

    Successful people are humble.

    People don’t want to listen from successful people, specially if they think highly of themselves. If you are just starting, you need to be humble and listen to them. To be able to change your life and be successful, you need to be doing what you don’t want to do because of your pride.

    reply to this comment

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