Six Things Successful People Do Differently.

Everyone is looking for that one magic pill to take and instantly become successful. Here are some realities:

• It's hard. You're going to have to work at it.
• It's fleeting. Never, never, never give up. Stick with it.
• It's capricious. You have to be in the right place at the right time with the right people.

How does one get successful? You need to work at it — every day.

I've found six inter-related behaviors of highly successful clients I've tracked in my 11 years coaching:

1. They Self-Motivate

Get out there and make things happen. Most people expect their boss, their job, or their colleagues to somehow get them motivated (directly or indirectly) so they can perform their duties.

Successful people have an internal engine that revs them up in the morning and keeps them energized all day long. Or they leverage external motivators on a regular basis to keep them at a peak performing state.

Check Out: Five Ways To Make Your Commute Bearable

2. They Push Until It Hurts

Most (if not all) of us procrastinate in one form or another. We put things off, we extend deadlines, we miss delivery dates.

Successful people get things done, on time. They push themselves, their staff, and everyone around them to ensure agreed upon dates are met. Sometime it hurts, sometimes they work late, but in the end, the pushing delivers results.

Check Out: How To Eliminate Procrastination

3. They Partner & Connect

We tend to work with the same people and cocoon within our company. It's safe, it's easy, and it doesn't over-extend our comfort zone into meeting new people. Hey, it's worked so far, so what do you have to lose? A lot.

Successful people regularly extend themselves inside their company and outside into the marketplace. They reach out to connected individuals and influential executives to build solid relationships.

Check Out: Why Networking Is Dead - Part One & Why Networking Is Dead - Part Two

4. They Track

You go on your merry way each day getting your work done, taking on new projects and tasks, and never really step back and look at the big picture.

Successful people are not only working in their job, but they are also working on it — they step back and assess their progress regularly. They track themselves against their peers and clearly know what needs to be done to accelerate and excel.

Check Out: What Have You Done So Far?

5. They Relax

Business is cyclical — so is your career. It has it ups and downs — unfortunately, many people get too stressed out when things go wrong or not as planned. They then take it out on themselves and everyone around them.

Successful people take adversity in stride — they understand the peaks and valleys of the marketplace and office. Instead of devolving down into a funk, they use this opportunity to step back, reflect, and start anew.

Check Out: How To Be More Effective On The Job

6. They Are Positive & Confident

There are so many people in corporate and those who own their own businesses who wander through the day with a negative weight on their shoulders. In addition, they ensure everyone knows about it.

Successful people usually have a glass half-full point of view. They are the energizers, the brainstormers, and the people who hit the ground running every morning of every day. In addition, they project confidence (or at least try to) — they believe in their ability to make things happen, enact change and inspire people. Here's a secret —  they also have a lack of confidence — so they fake it (we all do).

Check Out: How To Be A Confident Executive & Be Like Jack LaLanne

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Successful isn't hard — it just takes planning. You and I can work on it together so you instantly get what I’m talking about - Let’s talk. I’ve worked with thousands of people who wanted to take assertive steps in this area — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

How To Start Fresh In 2011.

We humans are a wily bunch nervous animals. We sometimes let our thinking and facts guide us and other times we let our gut and emotions guide us. At this time of the year, many of us look back at the preceding year and become very critical of our status, behaviors, actions, and results. We kneel and shake our fists to the sky and promise we will change for the better.

And then we start our regular journey — we stick to our new way of life for a little while — a few days, weeks, or months. And then something trips us up — an external influencer, a forgotten promise, or our old friend . . . procrastination. At that moment, all of our fortitude, our plans, and our dreams of change suddenly disappear in an instant. And we replace them with condemnation, past thinking, and surrender. We begin to hate ourselves and think we 'lost our chance' to change in 2011.

Let's change that this year.

I teach this system to my clients every year and most of the time (even I'm not perfect) it works. Enjoy!

1. Make a clear decision on what you're going to change in 2011. Be honest and focus on what really needs changing. Start cutting out pictures of the new you — your new career, your new body, your new situation.
2. Set parameters of your journey. Get a piece of paper and write down where you are and where you ultimately want to be. When you start a trip, you always have a starting point and a destination. You need to do the same thing — make a "AAA TripTik" for your journey.
3. Break up your trip into easily attainable segments. If you are losing weight, set to lose a small amount each week. If you are going after prospects, set your number at what you usually hit each day and then increase it slightly. If you are looking for a new position, begin by targeting and scheduling lunches with key contacts.
4. Build in buffers. This is important — and where most people trip up. Life comes at us quickly and we might forget or drop the ball. Or as I say, airplanes are off-course most of the time, the pilot continuously reorients them back on course. Schedule areas/times if we miss our target, we have the ability to jump right back on board.
5. Track, Track, Track. This is the final step - monitor and measure your progress. If you go below what you plan or even forget, don't get frustrated and quit. Use one of your buffers and get right back on track. The secret is always moving forward — if you drop off, just begin again.

Congratulate yourself — you are taking the first step to change something in your life. Understand, there are going to be a lot of detractors out there trying to talk you out of your behavior, your actions, your beliefs. It always seems they pop up just at the right time when your are at your weakest and they prey on your insecurities to make fun of your plan or progress. Smile and stay on course.

Consistency is the key to your success. Like the ocean, there are soft waves and hard tsunamis, but the water still flows in and out. Keep going, stay true to your course and you will amaze yourself!