I often remember the saying my Mom used to say to us as children, " Dimmi con chi tela fai, E ti dirro' chi sei" . Translated it means, "Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are." I've learned that if I decide to surround myself with greatness, I shouldn't waste the moment. I should take notes, pay attention, and ask as many questions as I can.
I've been blessed all my life to have met wonderful, smart, successful people who are happy in what they do. I said successful. That does not necessarily mean wealthy. Success means different things for different people. But one thing I find in common is that these people are truly happy doing what they do. They not only are goal oriented, but they are consistently growing every day. I've asked many successful people questions like "What do you do first thing in the morning? Or “How do you manage your time?” It was during these times that I uncovered basically that they all had the same traits leading to their success. I began reading books on leaders of industry, actors and actresses that have been around forever and still on the screen, athletes, famous authors, and all of them have a process. There are many books that have been written on how to become successful, what follows is different. The following are character traits the successful people I have observed all have in common. I've narrowed it down to a few for you to consider adopting.
The first trait they had in common is they all started the day before the sunrise. These people do more before 6am then most of you do in a day. And most of them get up before their alarm clock wakes them up at 4am. Why? They have a goal, not a dream. The difference is the action part. You just can't say what you are going to do, you need to put action to it. Rising before the sun gives you time to get things off your to do list before the interference of the world. Beat the sun and you beat the competition. Your goals don't have weekends, nor does it take vacations. I give gratitude for my blessed life and for the gifts that will be given to me throughout the day. I then review my plan, which takes us to our next trait.
I realized that all these people have a plan. Every night before they went to sleep, they wrote a plan for the next day. They were totally organized. They would prioritize the most important things they had to get done first and focus on completing those tasks before going to the next one. They never guessed as to what needed to get done that day. Every day has a plan and the plan had to be executed. And they would not go to bed until the list was done. They all live by the saying, "A goal without a plan is just a wish".
When I asked them what did they do on their down time, they all stopped in their tracks, Down time? There is no dilly-dallying, or time a wasting. Time is sacred, something we can never get back, so why waste it? Scrolling through the phone is not even a thought for them. Talking about the weather or anything you don't have control of is a waste and takes your mind off your goals and your day. Stressing about what can happen is also a waste of time. Time is better spent living the day and being ready if something does come up. Maximize the day and the outcome will be your reward.
Stressing about things is not one of the traits these people have. They just don't get flustered. They are calm and deliberate in their problem solving. They don't get upset, frustrated or mad. They basically don't panic. They live for the day, yet they are prepared for tomorrow. They operate well under pressure. They don't sweat the small stuff. Stressing doesn't solve anything. It stops you in your tracks. They let fear drive them. They are ready when there is a blockage in the road towards their goal. They can easily change their plan and decisions.
Lastly, these people are decision makers. They don't take days, weeks or months to make one. Some even say they decide on the spot, then figure out how to do it. It's what I call "Working Backwards". Some started new businesses during the pandemic, never doing the work themselves, advertised, got customers, then built their business, all without the clients knowing any difference. And they were all happy with the work. Now not all their decisions are good ones, in fact at first most of them were bad. But the more decisions you make the better you will be at it. Procrastination is not even a word in their dictionary. They stressed that decisions can be changed as they progress, but they still constantly are making them.
These are the traits of the successful that I work hard to emulate follow, EVERY DAY! I get up at 3:50 every day, before Alexia wakes me. I give gratitude for all I have and for the gifts that will be bestowed upon me as the day progresses. I definitely don't dilly-dally throughout the day. If I stop, it’s to take a 15-minute nap so that I can recharge and continue my day. I review my plan for the day and don't get to sleep until I'm done with that list. When tragedy strikes, I work hard not to get flustered. I'm prepared for it. Talk myself out of panic and move a different direction, staying focused on my goal, executing, my plan. I don't use the words "I will try" or "Yeah but:..” And I’m constantly making decisions. They may be bad ones at times, but I don't let that stop me. I'm constantly working toward my goals and grow every day. I always look past the finish line and do one more than I'm expected to. Do others see me as successful? I don't know. What I do know is that at the end of the day, if I am happy with what I've accomplished, if I've helped others reach their goals then I am a SUCCESS TO ME.
Be happy, Be healthy, Stay Disciplined and LIVLIFE.
Dr. Livia Valle, Mom/Chiropractor/Health and Wellness Coach.