Ten characteristics successful people share

Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, but most of us have to reach success in the good old fashioned way, with hard work. But it takes more than just putting your head down and getting to work. The truly successful people each have certain undeniable traits they share in common. If you want to learn how to get out of the rat race and achieve all your goals, read these 10 characteristics of truly successful people.

A.Thomas Edison famously tried and failed at countless innovations he pushed through. He never gave up and ultimately came up with the light bulb. It was his persistent attitude that got him through it. He once said: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." That's the definition of persistence. Whether you fail one time, two times or even a thousand times, do not give up. In business and in life you must be stubborn if you want to achieve your goals.

B.Keeping yourself focused on the task at hand is easier said than done. If you work at home it can be difficult to stay focused with all of the distractions around you. It's also difficult to keep your head in the game when the whole world is outside waiting for you.

But to be successful you have to hold yourself accountable because you know that you and only you determine your successes and failuresin life. Success can be measured in many ways. To be successful financially, you must have self-discipline in your expenditures. Measuring your incoming and outbound money can be difficult, but the proper tools can help monitor oneself.

C.Successful people act fast and decisively. They do not waver in their decisions because they truly believe that what they do is right. Decisive people act quickly, and when it comes to innovations, half of the game is being the first one through the gate. Don't be afraid to make a bold business decision because while you're deciding, your competitors are running right past you.

D.Do you want to know why successful people attain their goals? It's because they make them. Do you have a goal for today? I don't think so.Remember that success is not going to fall right on your lap, you have to go out and grab it. Every day is a new chance to accomplish some goals. Successful people make both short-term and long-term goals. By keeping your goals in sight you can take steps to make them all a reality. Every day you should have at least one attainable goal you can accomplish by the end of the day. If you keep building on that every day pretty soon you will reach your larger goal of being successful. Use a smartphone app like Wunderlist to create tasks, assign deadlines so you can track your progress and reach your goals.

E.Enthusiasm comes from passion. If you are passionate about what you do then you'll never work a day in your life. So become enthusiastic about your next project or idea. When you encounter failures, learn from them and don't let them get you down. These are merely speed bumps on the road to success. Embrace change, rise to the challenge and good things will come your way.

F.Know who you are, what your abilities are and what your limitations are. This will help you focus on the areas that need improvement while playing up your strong points. If communication isn't your strong point, then surround yourself with people that can help you fill in the gaps in your knowledge to build a well-rounded team. Don't be so hard-headed and think you can do it all. Even one of the most successful entrepreneurs, Steve Jobs, needed Steve Wozniak to build and program the first Apple computer. Jobs had the vision and the drive, Woz had the technical know-how.

G.As the saying goes, no risk no reward. Don't hesitate and be afraid of what others will think and certainly don't be afraid of failure. Do you think Steve Jobs knew the iPod, iPhone and iPad would be a hit? Nope. Apple took a risk and you should too. With said, taking a blind risk at certain failure isn't what I'm saying to do here cither. Do your due diligence and then take the plunge.

H.Learning doesn't stop when you graduate from college. For successful people, learning is a lifetime endeavor and they are inquisitive and always willing to find a lesson in every adventure. Most successful people are not geniuses, they are people with a passion for learning and trying new things.

I.If you want to be a leader, you'll need to know how to communicate effectively with others. You can get books or take courses to help you improve your skills if they are lacking. Effective communication is essential for building better relationships with your team and improves your networking capabilities as well.

J.You can never underestimate the value of hard work. Every successful person has to work hard. They have to be willing to put in the hours required to get the job done. Successful people know that sacrifices will have to be made along the way and they accept it.