The 5 Predictors of Success
By: Dan Miller Source: AARP The Magazine Date Posted:
You've gotta have faith—and more
Finding fulfilling work is no accident. A number of traits indicate whether a person is likely to be a candidate for moving into work that provides a sense of meaning and accomplishment. Some traits may not be naturally strong areas for you, but each can be learned if you are ready to take charge of your career and life. Here are the top five predictors of success.
1. Passion Bill Gates was able to build Microsoft and become the richest man in the world because he was passionate about his vision of putting “a computer on every desk and in every home.” Passion, defined as “intense emotional excitement,” goes beyond mere enthusiasm.
2. Determination Without determination a person can easily be lured away from his or her path. Just recognize that if you respond to circumstances, any obstacle will send you off in a new direction. But with determination you can establish priorities that will guide you through even challenging and unexpected circumstances.
3. Talent Talent allows a person to focus. No one has talent in every area; discover where you rise to the top. What are those things you love to do whether or not you get paid? Sometimes we discover that our first sense of “calling” is guided more by others’ expectations than as a true reflection of our strongest areas of competence.
4. Self-discipline Without self-discipline a person can easily be swayed by others. Self-discipline is the foundation that makes the other predictors work. Knowing those predictors is the initial step, but acting on them always requires self-discipline. Maya Angelou persisted in her writing even when others discouraged her. Today she enjoys more than $3 million in yearly income.
5. Faith Even with everything lining up logically or financially, real success requires that step of faith into the unknown. As a young boy, Norman Vincent Peale fought against strong feelings of inferiority. Over the years he developed and refined the message that anyone could put the principles of positive thinking and strong faith into practice and dramatically improve his or her life. His book The Power of Positive Thinking has sold more than 20 million copies and has been printed in 40 languages.
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