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During your journey through life, you will meet obstacles and at different times, you will achieve or fail. It’s our destiny as humans. However, as another ancient, the Greek philosopher Epictetus said, ‘It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.’
Successful people aren’t created successful, they become successful through their attitude towards the challenges they face.
How you react to the challenges of life is the real secret of success. Successful people know what’s going on inside themselves, and are aware that their habits and behaviours are completely within their control.
Habits can be consciously formed. All it takes is 30 minutes per day for our behaviour to become a habit. Successful people have seven habits, and while you don’t have to adopt all seven of them, changing just a few of your habits could set you on a path towards a more successful and a happier life. You’ll quickly start noticing the difference inside yourself.
1. Be Joyful
By far the number one habit of success and successful people is to exude joy. People want to be around people who are joyful. We’re all artists, we get to do something incredible and amazing and fun, so we already have it inside us. There is joy not only in creation, but also in the reaction generated by your art. Successful people are exciting, energized, moving forward, looking forward and celebrating. See what you can do tomorrow or today to celebrate, to exude some joy. Share the fun that you’re having being an artist. Celebrate yourself and your art. Celebrate both the small successes and the large ones.
2. Compliment People
Success always shows gratitude and appreciation for others that have gone before us. As Isaac Newton said, ‘We stand on the shoulders of giants.’ Compliments create positive energy. Share your enthusiasm for the achievements of others, including your contemporaries. The best way to build a circle of successful friends is by complimenting and appreciating their achievements. Hand out lots of compliments, starting today. It feels good to compliment people, and in turn you’ll feel more successful.
3. Accept Responsibility
Successful people accept responsibility for their failures. When something bad happens, successful people don’t find excuses. They don’t blame others. They accept full responsibility, whether that’s true in the facts of the event or not. The expression ‘taking the high road’ is about accepting responsibility. It’s your life. It’s your art. If something bad happens or something fails, step up and take full responsibility. Only when you take full responsibility will you have the power to make change. The next time things don’t go the way you want, try accepting full responsibility for that failure.
4. Keep A Journal
Successful people have a sense of perspective about their life and their career, and about how both are tracking. They tend to go back and review their progress. It’s vital to have perspective about your life and career. Keeping a journal is the best way for you to be able to reflect and plan. Write down your aspirations, set goals, and comment on how you are progressing. Go out and buy a journal. Make notes every day about your thoughts, ideas, goals and plans.
5. Make Plans and Set Goals
The flip side of understanding your past is taking responsibility for your future. Successful people set goals for themselves and work out how to achieve them. Without a plan, a goal is just a fantasy. Think of one goal that you want to achieve in your future. What’s the first step you need to take to get to that goal? What will it feel like? What will it look like? What will it sound like, when you’re standing in the achievement of that goal?
6. Welcome Transformation
Successful people live with the knowledge that they are always changing. It’s important to see that your career is transforming, your artistic practice and your art is transforming, and that you are transforming as a person. Everything in nature changes. It’s important to operate from a perspective that realizes that everything is in transition. Things are not stuck or fixed. As you go through your day tomorrow, notice how you have transformed from the way you are today.
7. Learn
Successful people are continually learning. They’re curious, and are always wanting to find out more. There’s always something new to learn. Tonight, make a note in your journal about what you learned today. When you plan for tomorrow make a note of what you need to learn, then find a way to learn it. As an ancient Chinese proverb says, ‘Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.’
