Many famous people who seem to be successful really aren’t They may have attained monetary wealth, but that alone is not true success. The strength of your character, the quality of your behavior, and the amount of your giving are the true measures of success.
You could be a billionaire but if no one loves or respects you, there’s not any true wealth in your life. I am sure you can think of a few people who have great monetary wealth, but little else in terms of values, compassion, or people who truly love them.
The greatest wealth that any person possesses is in their health, relationships, talents, knowledge, and integrity.
So what are the characteristics, values, and practices of truly successful people? Here’s a list of 85 from A to Z.
Truly successful people are…
- Appreciative – They appreciate the important things that they have such as their health, family, friends, and home. They appreciate the gifts they receive from others regardless of how small.
- Assertive – They take action with self-confidence, but never with aggression or ruthlessness.
- Attentive – They pay close attention when people are talking to them. They are excellent listeners.
- Bold – They are not afraid to take chances or fail. They know that failure often provides them with valuable information that will help them succeed.
- Balanced – They are balanced in the amount of time they allocate to work, play, and their relationships. They are also balanced in their choices regarding exercise, diet, and rest.
- Beautiful – Their internal beauty radiates on the outside making them attractive regardless of their outward appearance.
- Courageous – They are courageous in every area of their life. This includes adhering to their values regardless of the circumstances.
- Charismatic – Their true success attracts followers. They magnetize people to their way of thinking and behaving.
- Creative – They have the ability to conceive new ideas, things, and methods in their head and then bring them into reality.
- Courteous – They are polite and well-mannered in all situations and with all people regardless of their status or position.
- Compassionate – They are empathetic to those who are less fortunate than them and they take action to help where they can without the desire for publicity.
- Decisive – They carefully analyze choices, evaluate the information, and then make a decision based on their intuition (or gut feelings).
- Disciplined – They are disciplined in maintaining their exercise routine, healthy eating practices, and goal-achievement strategies.
- Dependable – They meet all their obligations and agreements with all persons regardless of who they are.
- Diplomatic – They deal with sensitive matters in the most tactful manner possible to avoid hurt feelings, conflicts, or hostility.
- Efficient – They are constantly looking for ways to make things easier, more effective, and less time-consuming.
- Easygoing – They are casual, free-spirited, and undemanding.
- Empathetic – They are able to put themselves in the place of another person.
- Environmentalists – They do their part to preserve the planet and strengthen the economy by recycling waste materials, purchasing energy-efficient products, and installing sustainable energy devices when possible.
- Fit – They exercise regularly, maintain a healthy diet, and avoid (or quit) unhealthy habits.
- Frugal – They are smart in all their financial dealings and they don’t allow anyone or anything (e.g. advertisements) to influence their purchase decisions.
- Flexible – They are able to quickly adjust, adapt, and improvise as conditions, plans, and schedules change.
- Focused – They have developed the ability to direct their full attention to the matters before them. If interrupted they are able to quickly return to where they were without much loss of momentum.
- Generous – They give their time, and resources when appropriate, to anyone who is in need. This includes giving a homeless person money without being concerned about how they got there or how they may use it.
- Genuine – They rely on simply being themselves because they know that authenticity attracts support, trust, and love from others.
- Gentle – They are gentle but firm in their dealings with people. They have no need to be rough or cruel.
- Happy – They create their own happiness by taking control of their thoughts and actions.
- Hard-Workers – They are always willing to go the extra mile to succeed.
- Honest – They are truthful in all their personal and business dealings. They are not swayed to modify this standard by potential financial gains or by pressures from other people.
- Humble – They remain modest and down-to-earth regardless of how much wealth or power they have.
- Intelligent – They have above-average intelligence. They show brilliance in the areas of their unique talents and special interests.
- Ingenious – They are clever at inventing and organizing things in order to fulfill a need.
- Inquisitive – Their strong desire to learn and get to know people inspires them to ask a lot of questions.
- Innovative – They create and lead. They do not imitate and follow.
- Inspirational – The way they behave and live inspires others to demand more of themselves.
- Judicious – They are sensible and think things through before speaking or acting.
- Just – They are fair and well-grounded in their actions.
- Joyful – They always try to maintain a cheerful attitude in spite of any difficulties that may exist in their life.
- Kind – They are kind to all people regardless of their social standing.
- Knowledgeable – They are well-informed in a broad range of topics and experts in their chosen field, recreation, and special interests.
- Keen – They are passionate about their work.
- Leaders – They lead by example and by being courageous.
- Loyal – They are loyal to their family, friends, business associates, and clients.
- Loving – They know how to give and receive love without measure.
- Lawful – They follow all laws and pay their fair share of taxes. If they find a law to be unjust, either they take action to get it changed or they stop complaining about it.
- Mediators – They readily take on the role of being a peacemaker or negotiator to preserve or enhance relationships between two (2) individuals or groups.
- Motivators – They inspire people to live up to their potential.
- Multicultural – They appreciate and learn from all the different cultures, ethnicities, and lifestyles of people throughout their country and the world.
- Nonconformists – They do not follow popular methods or trends. Instead, they create their own path.
- Neighborly – They are very considerate of their neighbors in terms of being quiet, clean, and respectful of their privacy.
- Neat – They are tidy with their possessions and careful when they use them.
- Organized – They create well-thought-out plans and develop systems that support easy and efficient execution of them.
- Optimistic – They maintain a positive attitude regardless of setbacks or negative opinions from others.
- Open-Minded – They listen to all points of view without prejudice.
- Punctual – They are on time regardless of the event or whom they are meeting.
- Patient – They are able to wait without becoming anxious or angry. They do this by having reading material or electronic devices available so that they can stay productive while they wait.
- Perceptive – They give their full attention to what people are saying and they do not allow their minds to drift. This gives them a superior ability to interpret communication and behavior.
- Perfectionists – They are perfectionists in the sense that they demand the best from themselves and those who work for them.
- Quick – They have the ability to respond rapidly in impromptu situations.
- Quiet – They have the ability to quiet their minds and meditate.
- Quirky – They are unusual because they do things and behave in ways that most people only dream about.
- Respected – They earn respect through love and not fear.
- Reliable – They follow through on all agreements regardless of how small.
- Real – They do not put on airs or try to be something they are not.
- Resourceful – They find a way to get things done effectively even when the most ideal resources are not available.
- Self Confident – They believe in themselves and in their ability to overcome any obstacles that may arise.
- Self-Made – They create their wealth through their own efforts and not through inheritance or a lottery win.
- Selective – They carefully pick with whom and where they spend their time.
- Students – They have an endless desire to learn about a variety of topics. They are lifelong learners who read books, attend seminars, and take classes.
- Tolerant – They accept people of all ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, social classes, and nationalities.
- Tactful – They are sensitive, polite, and skillful in their interactions and communications with people.
- Tenacious – They remain determined, positive, and diligent until they reach their goal no matter how long it may take.
- Teachers – They love to teach others how to overcome obstacles, achieve their potential, and succeed in the shortest amount of time possible.
- Unaffected – They are not affected by their wealth, position, or title in the way they treat and respond to people.
- Unshakable – They are not distracted by naysayers or criticism.
- Uncommon – They are exceptional in their fit appearance, cut above behavior, and extraordinary performance.
- Visionaries – They are pioneers who are able to imagine things that don’t exist, create them in their mind, and then bring them into being.
- Virtuous – They firmly adhere to the values that they have established for themselves. They do not base their values solely on any religious or other institutional doctrine or the way their parents raised them. Instead, they decide on their own.
- Vegetarian – In their quest for maximum health and quality living they lean toward a vegetarian or vegan diet.
- Willing – They are eager to take on work that makes a difference even if it is outside their area of responsibility.
- Warmhearted – They are friendly to everyone they meet.
- Wise – Through their intense desire to live in the best way possible they acquire wisdom.
- Xenodochial – They easily make friends with strangers.
- Youthful – They are young at heart in their thinking and behavior. They are interested without prejudice in the thoughts and practices of young people.
- Zany – They are playful, comedic, and self-depreciating.
This list represents an extremely high standard, I know. But it gives us a definitive target to shoot for.