9 Differences Between Successful and Unsuccessful People

9 Differences Between Successful and Unsuccessful People

Last update: 24 March, 2016

Like the extraordinary human beings that we are, we crave success. We’re made to achieve it and to be capable of doing anything our heart desires. The problem lies in that most people have yet to discover the essential ingredients that need to be put into practice to grow into successful human beings.

If you’re willing to do that, then you’re on the right track to read the 9 differences between successful and unsuccessful people:

1. Successful people know what they want and define goals; unsuccessful people don’t.

Someone once told me that one of the essential ingredients to finding our dreams and reaching success is visualizing what we want. When we do this, we’re trusting in ourselves and our ability to do everything necessary to make it a reality.

The next step is drawing a map of our life. It can be professional, personal or both. If you reflect on what your heart truly wants, you’ll understand what you should do. Getting on the right track is what counts.

2. Successful people analyze things from different points of view; unsuccessful people only validate their own opinion. 

It’s a great thing when you get up and research, think through things and feelings, and are aware of the experiences of people who are in the environment in which you wish to have success.

It’s crucial to follow the example of people who have already achieved what you want. I’m not talking about “copying them,” but rather borrowing the things that have a positive and productive effect on your persona.

Taking the people around us into account inspires us to push ourselves further, to share the best of ourselves with others with them and with the world.

3. Success is reached by motivating ourselves to learn new things. Unsuccessful people think they know everything.  

What could more motivating in life than discovering new things and experiences? Life is wonderful and it’s packed full of fascinating moments and situations.

A successful person will put this into effect daily, and their days will be incredible just by getting up and being, or in other words, “feeling alive.”

This feeling fills you with drive to feel good enough to jump over any obstacle that life has put in your path.

Thinking that you know everything will only keep you stuck in one place longer, without being able to move down the path you’ve chosen towards success.

4. Exuding happiness by spending time with the people you love brings you closer to success. 

A great friend and professional in the personal development field said: “When you spend time with the people you love, you condition yourself to think and feel a certain way, and therefore you achieve your goal.”

It’s important to surround ourselves by people with a pure heart who love us unconditionally. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your partner or your family members. Friends are also a fundamental pillar of our personality. We choose them, and we freely entrust them a piece of heart because they make us feel whole. Remember that it’s essential to know how to choose the people around you. 

5. Successful people take responsibility for their actions. Unsuccessful people blame everyone else. 

Mistakes don’t represent something negative. Socially, we’re shown to see failures and mistakes as elements that we need to push away, but failing, learning from what happened and figuring out how to solve it helps us to evolve and move towards our success.

Taking responsiblity for our mistakes will give us a big advantage when it comes to using them as resources to grow and gaining the necessary knowledge beforeheand.

6. Success seeks out good in others. Failure expects the worst.

This point can be summarized in the phrase: “Life gives you what you give put into it.” Therefore, if you want to have success, don’t wish anything bad on anyone; energies are felt and spread. Imagine if someone close to you were trying to transmit that towards you. How would you feel?

7. A successful person radiates happiness; an unsuccessful one shares anger. 

We’re alive to live, not to have a bad time, to suffer or to constantly tortment ourselves. Don’t limit yourself by only sharing the bad times and keep an open attitude about life. Remember that by expanding your minds and perspectives, you perceive a much wider array of horizons that are full of beauty and opportunity.

happy woman

8. Those who wish to have success live in the present, while those who don’t dwell in the past. 

Successful people live in the now, enjoying every moment, and using each one to achieve their happiness and their dreams. On the other hand, unsuccessful people tend to be anchored to the past and are constantly complaining and not moving forward, because those are the chains that keep them tied down.

9. Knowing how to forgive leads to a feeling of abundance that allows you to achieve anything you set your mind to.

Successful people know how to forgive others as much as themselves. By doing this, they free themselves from the anger and resentment that could have followed.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.