Successful People Know They Don’t Know Everything!

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People who have a a noticeable success and hold on to it realize they don’t have all the answers. As a result, they are always on the lookout for new and better ways to do things.

Successful people surround themselves with people who offer different approaches. They have mentors and accountability partners. They are willing to consider ideas that conflict with their current way of doing things. If the new approach is better, they adapt. Their ego doesn’t get in the way of their intellect. When they are wrong, they don’t fight it or take it personally.

Contrast that with people who think they have it down. Their mind tells them they have life mastered. As a result they can’t learn anything. Worse, they don’t see it when the universe says “no”. They stick to their antiquated approach and usually get run over by reality.  

- Derived from an article titled “7 Ways Rich People Think Differently Than the Rest of Us” by Neal Frankle

Successful People Never Sell Themselves Short!

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In order to lead, you need confidence in your own abilities. This is something that Julius Caesar never seemed to lack.

This is illustrated by one notable incident in the ancient Roman's life (involving pirates, of all things). In his account of Caesar's life, Plutarch writes that, as a young man, Julius Caesar was abducted by the pirates that swarmed the Mediterranean Sea.

Livius.org provides a translation of what happened next: "First, when the pirates demanded a ransom of twenty talents, Julius Caesar burst out laughing. They did not know, he said, who it was that they had captured, and he volunteered to pay fifty."

Julius Caesar went on to promise the pirates that he'd personally kill them once he was free. After he was ransomed, he raised a fleet, hunted them down, and did just that.

 

- Derived from an article titled “7 Unforgettable Leadership Lessons from The Ancient Roman Conqueror Julius Caesar” by Áine Cain

Successful People Don’t Get Comfortable!

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No matter how good things look, the best leaders never fail to anticipate the worst outcomes.

In his "Commentaries on the Gallic Wars," Julius Caesar writes: "The immortal gods are wont to allow those persons whom they wish to punish for their guilt sometimes a greater prosperity and longer impunity, in order that they may suffer the more severely from a reverse of circumstances."

Basically, if you're on a winning streak, watch out.

Julius Caesar would have done well to actually follow this advice himself. Instead, he allowed a conspiracy to boil under him once he became dictator, resulting in his famous assassination!!   

- Derived from an article titled “7 Unforgettable Leadership Lessons from The Ancient Roman Conqueror Julius Caesar” by Áine Cain

Successful People Don't Cheat Themselves!

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Even if you're a successful leader, you never want to get to the point where you start to buy your own nonsense.

In his chronicle of the Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar concludes that: "in most cases men willingly believe what they wish" when describing a tactical mistake on the part of his Gallic enemies.

The best leaders behave rationally and don't allow their feelings or preconceived notions to dominate their decision-making. Gut calls and instincts are important too, but the best leaders utilize both — not one or the other.

 

- Derived from an article titled “7 Unforgettable Leadership Lessons from The Ancient Roman Conqueror Julius Caesar” by Áine Cain

Successful People Know That Nothing Is Set In Stone!

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As a general, Julius Caesar new that circumstances could change in an instant. According to Bill Yonne's "Julius Caesar: Lessons in Leadership from the Great Conqueror," Caesar once wrote that "in war, events of importance are the result of trivial causes."

Resting on your laurels is never a good idea — because things can always take a turn for the worst.

- Derived from an article titled “7 Unforgettable Leadership Lessons from The Ancient Roman Conqueror Julius Caesar” by Áine Cain

Successful People Know That There's Nothing Wrong With Starting Small!

Oftentimes, you've got to start out as a large fish in a small pond in order to succeed as a leader. 

Julius Caesar understood this. He managed to climb back into a position of power, even after losing his inheritance in a coup as a young man. 

According to the ancient Plutarch's "Parallel Lives," the general also made a rather curious remark while passing through a small village in the Alps: "I assure you I had rather be the first man here than the second man in Rome."  

- Derived from an article titled “7 Unforgettable Leadership Lessons from The Ancient Roman Conqueror Julius Caesar” by Áine Cain

ٍSuccessful People Take Risks

In ancient Rome, crossing the Rubicon River with an army was kind of a big deal. It was tantamount to a declaration of war and could be punishable by death.

When Caesar crossed the Rubicon with his legion, he put everything on the line. In "The Life of the Deified Julius," Suetonius writes that Caesar quoted an Athenian playwright as he crossed the river, declaring "the die is cast."

He risked it all and it paid off (in the short-term, at least). 

- Derived from an article titled “7 Unforgettable Leadership Lessons from The Ancient Roman Conqueror Julius Caesar” by Áine Cain

Successful People Know that Presentation Matters

The best leaders don't just do amazing things — they know how to present a compelling story.

After a relatively brief war with a certain Pharnacles II of Pontus, Julius Caesar had to sit down and write out a report to Rome detailing his conquest. According to both Greek biographer Plutarch and Roman historian Suetonius, the commander didn't go into too much detail, writing simply: 

"I came, I saw, I conquered."

The phrase proved so catchy that we still remember it, centuries later.

 

- Derived from an article titled “7 Unforgettable Leadership Lessons from The Ancient Roman Conqueror Julius Caesar” by Áine Cain

To Have Less Stress, Embrace the Messiness

 

 

Those who are raised as neat freaks, have a mantra that says: “There is a place for everything and everything belongs in its place”. The television remote stays in the same spot, the pillows are strategically placed, and the countertops are void of dishes.

When you share your life with a family, the opposite is true. The new mantra says: “A clean house doesn’t define you; it confines you”.

Embrace the messiness. It comes with the territory and means you’re leading a busy, fulfilling life—not a Stepford existence.

- Derived from an article titled “7 Thoughtful Ways to Stress Less” by Colette Carlson  

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To Have Less Stress, Power Off

The quickest way to gain downtime is to turn off the phone, TV and computer and enjoy the lack of distractions. 

Many people feel anxious when their DVR is overloaded with recordings and they don’t have the time to watch their shows. Seriously, do you really need to know who’s getting kicked off the island or what has-been star can dance!!? 

Some people say TV relaxes them, but I believe it’s more of a habit than a way to lower stress. TV just numbs you, and when the show’s over, your pressures resurface. Same with the computer. 

Sure, it’s great to connect with old friends on Facebook, but do you really need to know what someone ate for dinner? 

Rather than screen sucking, grab that unopened book from your shelf, call a good friend or grab a cup of your favorite beverage and reflect on your day.

 

- Derived from an article titled “7 Thoughtful Ways to Stress Less” by Colette Carlson  

To Have Less Stress, Say "No" to Others, So You Can Say "Yes" to You

 

Are you turning down distractions disguised as opportunities?

Are you being asked to join social sites that are leaving you no time to network with the people under your roof?

Are you still knocking yourself out to host the annual Labor Day party when all you see is the labor ahead? 

It’s not selfish to say no to others when the intent is to clear some space to say yes to you.

Life does go on even if you aren’t involved in every activity, party or event.

Look at it this way: Being missed makes you more interesting and appreciated when you do show up. 

- Derived from an article titled “7 Thoughtful Ways to Stress Less” by Colette Carlson 

To Have Less Stress, Scale Down on Drive Time

When choosing a new doctor, dentist, hairdresser, whatever, find one as close to home as possible. 

Bonus: with gas so expensive, think of the savings! The same holds true when finding activities for any family members—stay local. 

Sure the ideal preschool, soccer club or SAT study group may be a longer commute, but add up all the drive time in advance and ask if it’s really worth it before committing to rush-hour jams and early alarm clocks. 

Still determined? Set up carpools and recognize you don’t have to be at every activity. Sure it’s fun to participate, but your child will not turn into a serial killer if you miss a few games or performances.

- Derived from an article titled “7 Thoughtful Ways to Stress Less” by Colette Carlson 

To Have Less Stress, Snooze or Lose!

 “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”, says stress lovers! 

But the point is you will be dead sooner as a result. Exhaustion is not a badge of honor. Without sleep, you are worthless to yourself and those around you. 

Staying up even one hour later to finish a task or watch Grey’s Anatomy costs you more than your health. Try irritability, trouble retaining information, minor illness, poor judgment, increased mistakes and even weight gain. 

A Harvard Business Review study of 975 global managers determined that 45 percent of high-earning managers are too pooped to even speak to their spouse or partner after work. This is your wake-up call to get your ZZZ’s. 

- Derived from an article titled “7 Thoughtful Ways to Stress Less” by Colette Carlson

To Have Less Stress, Realize That "Good" is "Good Enough"!

Any perfectionists around here? 

Stop wasting time creating the “perfect” proposal, letter or marketing brochure, seeking the ideal gift for your nephew, the best comforter for your bedroom, or the supremely clean house. Stop at 80% and move on to the next task. 

Otherwise, hours of your life are wasted and nobody notices the difference but you. 

Get over yourself and take a step closer to acceptance.

 

- Derived from an article titled “7 Thoughtful Ways to Stress Less” by Colette Carlson

To Have Less Stress, Give Up The Daily Guilt

Too many of us waste time feeling guilty that our life is out of balance, but you’ll never feel balanced as long as you have goals and dreams. Why? There’s always way too much to do, to learn, to accomplish. 

If you have passion for your work, it’s easy to lose yourself in your tasks and projects since they bring you joy. At a certain point, however, you have to consciously ditch work to spend time with friends and family (minus your phone). 

Quit thinking you need to “touch” everything each day and look at how “balanced” your life is over a period of time, not a specific day of the week. Take this one step farther and realize that it’s about being balanced over your lifetime. It all evens out. 

- Derived from an article titled “7 Thoughtful Ways to Stress Less” by Colette Carlson