14 Attitudes That Make All Creative People Succeed

Success has several definitions depending on who you ask. The only thing that matters is that you’re successful according to your unique definition of what being successful means. Two traits that are common among successful people are ambition and creativity. Truly successful people combine these elements to build the life of their dreams. These are some of the key factors to high achievement that are understood by ambitious, creative, and successful people.

1. All days are created equal

Highly motivated people do not see a distinction between the days of the week. Many people dread workweeks and look forward to weekends as a time to relax and forget about their problems. People with drive understand that every day is an opportunity to learn something new and grow as a person. They may even utilize weekends to get additional amounts of work done. They treat their life as a continuous entity and treat every day with equal importance.

2. Time is more valuable than money

Many people are frugal with their finances, but when it comes to their time they are much more than generous. Ambitious people realize that time is the most precious commodity of them all, and they learn to get the most out of every minute of their day. Oftentimes we feel obligated to accept every invitation or request for help from our family and friends. Focused people do make time for others, but only if it’s important. They have the ability to say no to people when they have more pertinent issues to take care of.

3. Being busy means being inefficient

We all have access to the same twenty four hours in a day, yet some people are able to be much more effective with their time. People who pride themselves on being busy are most likely busy doing things that are insignificant. Many of us are slaves to our to-do lists and incessant errand running. Highly effective people simply ignore items that aren’t both urgent and high priority.

4. Everything is connected

Everything in our world is connected. Our interactions with other people, inanimate objects, nature, and technology just to name a few. Creative people understand that every waking moment is a chance to make connections between seemingly disparate phenomena. They look at instances and objects and try to understand their relationship to the whole. Eastern philosophers have named this sense of connectedness the tao and in the west stoic philosophers referred to it as the logos. Innovative individuals are always seeking to find the underlying meaning of everything they come across or experience.

5. Your education is your most important asset

Many highly successful people claim that you can strip them of all of their worldly possessions and dismantle their empire, but if you just leave them the knowledge they gained along the way they’d be able to build it all over again from scratch. Knowledge is one of the few things that cannot be taken from you once you’ve obtained it. Many high level achievers are voracious readers and have adopted a continual learning process that doesn’t stop until they’re six feet deep. Many unsuccessful people see learning as a tiresome shore, and cease learning new and relevant information once their formal education is completed. Expert level knowledge in any field will likely lead to a prosperous career.

6. You must question it all

Emotionally intelligent people understand that the key to finding the right answers is asking the right questions. Instead of simply ceding to unfortunate circumstances or attributing good fortune to pure luck, they are inquisitive as to why things are happening. They question the zeitgeist of our current society. They question the true motives behind people’s actions. They even question their own deep-seated assumptions. True intelligence does not lie at the surface. Continuous questioning is the key to finding the truth.

7.You create your reality

We are often advised to be realistic by our friends and family. This definition of realistic simply means – don’t deviate from the norm. The most successful people in the world realize that true reality is about perception. The most successful people in the world are able to turn their visions into reality. Ford had a vision of the mass production of automobiles. Jobs had the vision of phones with the same capabilities as high-speed computers. The Wright brothers had a vision for making heavy pieces of metal travel through the sky. Many of the world’s most inventive innovations did not seem realistic before they came to fruition. Reality is defined by the scope of one’s own vision.

8. Purpose comes first

Action without purpose is worthless. All people who make an impact have a sense of purpose that directs their decision-making. Having true purpose means that you’re motivated by more than selfish desire. You understand that you have something to offer the world that only you can provide. You treat every day of your life as part of a mission that you’re trying to complete.

9. Everything deserves maximum effort

Successful people have high standards for their work regardless of the task at hand. Even if they had to start at the bottom, they took pride in their daily duties from the very beginning. Only self-deluded assholes think that the job they’re currently doing is beneath them. The people who make something of themselves to their job well regardless of whether it pays minimum wage or millions.

10. Steer clear of the noise

There’s a significant amount of distraction in the world. The media tries you keep your attention away from what’s truly important and attempts to get you to focus on things that are trivial. There’s nothing wrong with entertainment, but successful individuals realize that it’s in your best interest to focus on your own life more than the lives of the people you see on T.V.

11. No one believes in you more than yourself

People with extremely high aspirations come to the realization that they may not receive a great deal of support from their peers. More importantly, they’re completely fine with that. Your dreams are unique to you and therefore impossible to be felt as strongly by anyone else. People who have a grand vision for their lives find the motivation they need from within.

12. You can’t be afraid to be laughed at

If you attempt something that’s bold and daring, people are going to laugh at you, call you crazy, or scoff at you. It’s imperative to develop thick skin and be able to withstand the criticism and envy of those around you. What people think about you is their business, not yours.

13. Don’t worry about what other people are doing

Other people’s actions, words, and thoughts have very little to do with you. You can’t be successful if you’re continuously distracted by what other people are doing. You should only be concerned with yourself and the people that are closest to you. Anyone else is ultimately irrelevant.

14. Stay on the path and never deviate

You can try different approaches. You can bounce around from various areas of a chosen industry or field. You can have moments of self-doubt and anxiety. You can take some time to yourself and clear your head if you’re feeling frustrated. You can’t deviate from the path. You’re not finished until it’s done.