What Are You Doing To Acheive Your Dreams?

"I think the question is, what are you doing to achieve your dreams?" -Cameron Diaz

Do you find yourself sitting at home on a Saturday night, feeling all of your missed opportunities, and not knowing what to do? You feel like life is passing you by and that others have their lives together. Perhaps you feel like a failure in comparison. There are people who have achieved the same goals that have been eluding you- do they have some secrets? Here are 40 things successful people do. Spoiler Alert: they don't just work hard.

1. They believe in themselves. Successful people know that things are going to work out. They don't sit around waiting for something to "happen" or for someone to call and make them a star- they take action and make it happen.

2. They think positive thoughts, and are optimistic about their future. Positive people attract positive situations.

3. They do not blame others: they take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that follow from those actions, and then learn from the mistakes they have made so they will not repeat them again in the future. 

4. They listen to their intuition. Intuition is often a more accurate mirror of reality than our conscious minds. If we want to develop those skills, we can train ourselves to trust our intuition.

5. They go after what they want in life, not what they are worth. Successful people understand their worth, but they know that money and status are not the only things they need or desire in life- they also have needs for family and friends, hobbies, and quality time with loved ones.

6. They work hard and smart. They don't waste time. They are focused on achieving the end goal, and they understand that if you want to make money, you have to spend money.

7. Successful people have the guts to be honest with themselves about who they are, what they want, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and about the fact that there is no one else in this world exactly like them. Once we accept ourselves and our gifts in this way, our lives become more fulfilling- other people will appreciate us more too.

8. They accept that you can't please everyone and that negativity just comes with the territory. They also know that it's not their job to take care of other people's feelings- if they want to do that, they should become a therapist or write a blog! They focus on themselves and on their relationships with people who appreciate them as they are.

9. Successful people spend time alone in nature, meditating and rejuvenating their spirits.

10. Successful people have fully accepted the fact that the real solution to the problems of life is simple: live according to your values and be around people who share those values, and you will have a happy life. They do not give up when they encounter obstacles, they adapt and keep going.

11. Successful people are curious: they like to learn new things, they grow, and they change. They know that life is a process of learning and growth. They embrace change as part of their lives instead of seeing it as something to be avoided- that way, it becomes less scary and more exciting!

12. Successful people earn more than enough money to feel secure in their lifestyle- and then they spend less than what they make so that eventually all of their bills will be paid for the rest of their lives.

13. Successful people understand that our happiness and success depends on the quality of the relationships we have. They try to surround themselves with good people who they can learn from and who they can trust to support them when they need it.

14. Successful people also know that money is not the only thing in life, so they make time for their friends, family, and hobbies, too. They make time for non-material pleasures.

15. Successful people are dedicated to being good role models: like parents who are good role models for their kids and teachers who are good role models for their students (ages 5-100).

16. Successful people understand that the best way to achieve meaningful results and make a difference in this world is by being ethical and honest. Otherwise, we are just burning time in this world rather than living it.

17. Successful people are willing to take risks, experiment, and learn from their mistakes. They know that we don't learn anything new if we keep doing the same things over again, over and over!

18. Successful people surround themselves with like-minded positive friends who support them and are also working on achieving their dreams- they need each other so that they can encourage each other to keep going when times get tough.

19. Successful people don't focus on the negatives. They focus on the positive and on their dreams.

20. Successful people have learned to shift their focus from what is going wrong in their lives to what is going right.

21. Successful people have a powerful sense of purpose, knowing that they contribute something meaningful to the world through their work and accomplishments, and this knowledge takes them beyond desperation and into a state of peace and fulfillment even when times are tough because they know that what they do matters.

22. Successful people are grateful for the opportunities they have been given, and they help others find their own sense of purpose and meaning in life by sharing their knowledge. They know that the best way to give back is by paying it forward for others.

23. Successful people are not just focusing on their own lives, but also thinking about the bigger picture- they think about how to support other people's dreams, too, and are accordingly making choices that add value to society instead of just making money. They know that if we don't help those around us when we can, then there is no one left to help!

24. Successful people do things with integrity. They are honest with themselves and other people, and they live by the golden rule.

25. Successful people allow themselves to be creative and express themselves fully in life: they know that creativity is what gives us the strength to live fully when life gets tough.

26. Successful people have learned that there is no perfect time; they have learned to relax and to be patient in some ways, but not in others- they know that when it comes to success, we need everything in our lives just right or nothing will ever happen!

27.

Conclusion: Being Successful is a Matter of Prior Preparation

You cannot be successful if you wait for success to come to you. You cannot be successful if you follow the media or popular opinion and think that happiness and success can only come with "wealth" or "positivity". 

If we want to succeed, we have to do things in our own time, in our own way, at the right time. We have to find out what works for us and stick with it- and keep trying! Every person who has ever achieved great things started by being unsuccessful first- how did they do it? One key is that they practiced a lot before they got good at something, whereas others just did it once and were successful instantly.