Successful People Improve Their Posture!

Body language is just as important in communication as the words that leave your mouth.

Whether you're sitting or standing in front of your audience, work to improve your posture. Stand or sit up straight with your shoulders back, and keep your head held high.

This will make you appear bigger and more confident, and will help you feel more confident as well.

Plus, you'll get the added benefit of aligning your body so you can breathe--and therefore speak--more efficiently.

Posture can demand a lot of work, so make sure to practice in advance.

- Jayson Demers (modified by Amr Badran)

When Speaking, Successful People Lower Their Vocal Range!

Take a look at some of the most famous speeches throughout history, at currently popular politicians, and even at local newscasters. You'll find that most of them have lower tones of voice, and this is no coincidence.

People tend to view speakers with lower speaking voices as having more authority and confidence.

As much as you can, practice speaking in a lower tone of voice.

Don't force yourself or you'll sound unnatural, but if you can get yourself a tone or two lower, it can make a real difference.

- Jayson Demers (modified by Amr Badran)

When Talking, Successful People Avoid “Asides”!

In a scenario that allows for preparation, such as giving a speech to a public audience, "asides" are fine. You have advance time to prepare them, determine if they're relevant, and include them if they are. 

In more natural conversations, however, improvised asides can be damaging! 

For example, if you're in a job interview and you answer a question directly, then spiral into a related story about something that happened to you a few years ago, it could be a sign that you're nervous and looking to fill conversational space!

Instead, focus only on what's immediately relevant.

- Jayson Demers (modified by Amr Badran)

While Speaking; Successful People Use Pauses to Their Advantage!

Using pauses is a good strategy that helps successful people speak slower, which is a great skill, however, it's effective in its own right. 

Work on creatively using pauses to give more impact to your speaking.

For example, if you have an opening for a public presentation that's eight sentences long and you make a significant point after sentence three, throw in a sizable seconds-long pause.

It will add more weight to whatever your last sentence was and give you audience time to soak it in.

It also gives you a chance to collect your thoughts and prepare for the next section of your speech, adding to the total amount of authority and confidence you project.

- Jayson Demers (modified by Amr Badran)

Successful People Speak More Slowly!

Some of us speak faster when they’re nervous. Some of us are naturally fast talkers. Regardless of your motivations, conscious or subconscious, speaking too quickly is an indication of a lack of authority or a lack of confidence!

In addition, while speaking quickly, you're more likely to make mistakes in your enunciation, and you have less time to think through your words.

Focus on speaking more slowly in your conversation, allowing your words to draw out and giving your sentences a weightier rhythm.

Your audience will have more time to digest the words you're speaking, and you'll be less likely to make any critical errors that compromise your speaking integrity.

- Jayson Demers (modified by Amr Badran)

Successful People Are Networked!

Successful people build extensive networks of contacts — both in the office, and outside of it.

Successful people leverage their network to help them take advantage of opportunities, and to solve problems.

- Peter Economy

Successful People Are Articulate!

Successful people are good communicators — they know what to say, how to say it well, and who to say it to. They're also good listeners — taking notes when necessary.

- Peter Economy

Successful People Are Team players!

Successful people know that they can't do it all themselves!

By leveraging the power of teamwork, successful people can achieve far more than they ever could alone. So they join or put together teams of talented and energetic individuals who can help them achieve their goals.

- Peter Economy

Successful People Are Innovative!

Successful people are creative and innovative!

Instead of doing things the same way over and over again, they look for better, faster, and lower-cost solutions to common problems.

They experiment and are willing to take risks — and occasionally fail — in pursuit of their goals.

- Peter Economy

Successful People Are Enthusiastic!

Successful people have real passion and enthusiasm for the work they do, and they aren't afraid to let it show.

Their enthusiasm is real — it comes from their hearts — and it's infectious, spreading to coworkers and customers alike.

- Peter Economy (modified by Amr Badran)

Successful People Are Resourceful!

Successful people don't let problems or obstacles get in their way or slow them down! 

They're resilient — they try a variety of different solutions until they find one that works; and they never give up.

- Peter Economy (modified by Amr Badran)

Successful People Are Self-Starters!

Successful people don't wait for someone else to tell them what to do, or when to do it — they take action themselves.

When you're a self-starter, you look for opportunities all around you, and when you identify one, you act.

That's the essence and the fuel for success in business and in life.

- Peter Economy (modified by Amr Badran)

Successful People Always Listen To The "Little Voice" in Their Heads!

Should you take the raise or move jobs? Should you stay in this marriage or end it? Should you do what you love or do what other people want you to do? All of these hypotheticals have two sides: what you feel like you should do, and what that "little voice" inside genuinely wants you to do.

We can all hear that little voice. We know what it sounds like. We can recognize when it raises its hand to speak. And yet, so often we struggle to actually follow through and heed its direction.

Why?

Because there is a much louder voice that bombards us with big promises and shiny objects and glorified achievements. We let our ego get in the way, when deep down we know what it is we truly want.

The reason why this is such a challenge for people to learn and accept--and why it often times takes a lifetime--is because the ego always promises safety. The ego promises avoidance of hurt, it promises instant gratification, and it promises acceptance.

That's why we take the corporate gig instead of traveling the world, or we write someone else's book instead of writing our own. The ego's road isn't vulnerable, or scary. It's nice, safe, and secure.

The problem is that, sometime down the road, usually in a moment of quiet, that "little voice" will raise its hand again and ask to be heard. And the more you ignore it, the more it will rumble beneath the surface. This, I believe, is one of the big contributing factors to the infamous "mid-life crisis."

How else could you possibly wake up and question every aspect of your life?

You wouldn't.

There would be no crisis at all.

Honor yourself. Listen to that "little voice." Trust it.

Your heart will never guide you wrong.

- Nicolas Cole (modified by Amr Badran)

You’re a Direct Reflection of the People You Spend the Most Time With!

The people around you are your mirrors. They are the ones who allow you to see aspects of yourself--and vice versa. If you spend time with people who mirror your own insecurities, or fears, or judgments, then you're going to see those traits every single day and begin to believe in them. They will be reinforced in you to the point where you decide that is "who you are."

On the flip side, if you spend time with people who challenge your fears, your insecurities, and the parts of you that need "work," you will inevitably change. You will soak up and inherit different traits.

Deliberately choosing the people around you is how you can sculpt yourself.

You want confidence? Hang around confident people.

You want to learn self-awareness? Hang around self-aware people.

You want to learn any skill, any craft? Hang around people who practice those things and do them well.

The challenge with this is knowing when to walk away.

Sometimes people come into our lives at a crucial time because something in us wants to learn--and they too want to learn something from us, and so a mutual friendship begins to form. But every relationship is a path, and knowing when it is time to move on to the next one (whether that means staying friends or walking away completely) is where most people struggle.

You have to be exceedingly deliberate with how you spend your time, and with whom.

- Nicolas Cole (modified by Amr Badran)

Successful People Realize That All Growth Occurs In Change!

Most people want and look for security. There's nothing wrong with that.

The difficult lesson is knowing the value of change.

"Change is inevitable." When we speak this cliché, it's insinuated to be a bad thing. We fear change. We have to keep a close eye; otherwise "change" will creep up on us.

I challenge you to seek out change. I challenge you to welcome change with open arms.

Think about it like a workout routine. If you go into the gym and do the same exercises every day, over and over again, eventually they won't become difficult anymore. Your body will get used to them, and your growth rate will plateau. You will become "comfortable."

And then, at some point, that comfort will begin to work against you--because the truth is, you need change in order to continue moving forward.

Instead of waiting for change to find you, go out and find it.

Look for the little signs when you are beginning to plateau, in any way, and change up your routine deliberately.

Be on the offensive.

Stay one step ahead of yourself.

Whether it's your craft, or your job, or your relationship, or your health, look for change.

Look for ways to keep it fresh, to make your mind and body work, to do what feels "unfamiliar."

All growth occurs in change.

- Nicolas Cole (modified by Amr Badran)

Successful People Understand that Self-Knowledge Is Worth More Than Personal Achievement!

Such a difficult lesson, and one that must be practiced diligently throughout the entirety of one's life; the difference between contentment and achievement!

You can immediately tell when you meet someone which category they fall into. They either emit a genuine confidence to pursue their goals for self-exploration, or they emit an ego-based confidence rooted in personal achievement!

I'm not telling you to not set goals and achieve them. I'm asking you to be aware of where your sense of self-worth comes from!

If you pursue things in the name of personal achievement, you will never be fulfilled--and I say this from experience.

True fulfillment is calm, and motivated only by creative freedom--a desire to further understand yourself and your craft. Personal achievement is fleeting. And so, in order to both "achieve" externally and find a sense of fulfillment and happiness, you have to keep a close eye on which is which.

Otherwise, do you know what's going to happen?

You're going to climb that big mountain in front of you, grind your face off to reach the top, and before you've even taken in one single deep breath and enjoyed the view, you'll notice the next mountain and think, "Oh, actually I haven't achieved anything--I must need to climb that mountain, too!"

- Nicolas Cole (modified by Amr Badran)

Successful People Realize That “Small Daily Habits” Are More Important Than “Big Infrequent Home Runs”!

Anyone can talk the talk. Not many people can walk the walk!

A terrible habit quite a few people fall into, is believing that "one day" it'll all come together! What does that even mean, "one day"!?

What are you going to do, wake up and find yourself in a $5-million mansion with two Ferraris parked outside?

What!!? Is it just going to "appear" out of nowhere?

"One day" is today.

"One day" is right now.

You're not going to "be patient one day." You're going to be patient NOW.

You're not going to "start doing things differently one day." You're going to start doing things differently NOW.

You're not going to "finally make it work one day." You're going to make it work right NOW.

Big leaps happen by adding lots of tiny steps up over a long period of time.

If you think you can skip that process, you're wrong.

Whatever it is you want to become, become that to the best of your ability right now.

Whatever it is you want to do, do that to the best of your ability right now.

In weightlifting we would call this "training until failure."

Every day; everything you do; train until failure.

- Nicolas Cole (modified by Amr Badran)

Successful People Realize That The "Easy" Road Ends Up Being More Difficult!

This is probably one of the earliest "big" lessons we learn in life!

When something seems too good to be true, it usually is!

Handouts don't happen. Free things aren't really free.As one of my mentors would say, "If you tell me quick and easy, I think long and difficult."

The reason a path looks "easy" is because it hides its difficulties in plain sight. And you choose the easy road because you did not take the time to really understand what it was you were looking at.

Sometimes we do this by accident; sometimes we do it on purpose (despite all the red flags we may or may not want to acknowledge).

But regardless, the lesson is one we all have to learn time and time again--the "easy" road is rarely easy. In fact, it usually ends up being more difficult than if you had just done things the right way from the beginning.

Nicolas Cole (modified by Amr Badran)