11 Situational awareness. Situational awareness refers to understanding how the environment has changed or what resources are lacking or in excess. As conditions change relative to short‐term and long‐term goals, situational awareness allows you to understand the “lie of the land.”
12 Attitude. Generally, an attitude can be positive or negative relative to people, events, ideas, etc. Relative to success, a positive attitude is important in order to navigate the environment and situations. Positive attitudes open more doors than negative ones.
13 Disciplines and habits. Considering that the road to success is both long and difficult, having habits that lead to success, as well as the discipline to follow them, is extremely important. Self‐control takes practice, especially when failure is an option.
14 Integrity. Being honest and having strong moral principles is important as you move toward your goals. It is easy to get sidetracked from your goals if your values are not aligned with your definition of success.
15 Self‐reliance. The capacity to rely on one's own capabilities is sometimes essential along the path to success. You need to have confidence in both your decisions and any actions you take toward your short‐term and long‐term goals.
16 Executive and leadership skills. Leadership can be a nebulous concept, but as a practical skill it is important for success. The ability to lead or guide others becomes increasingly critical, even if you are approaching your idea of success alone. Along the way, you will encounter viewpoints and perspectives that might force you to adapt either your short‐term or long‐term goals. Without the ability to lead, you could be stuck working through issues that could otherwise derail your intentions.
17 Passion, energy, and persistence. Having strong feelings about your goals is important; without them, you are likely to find that your best efforts stall. The energy and persistence to pursue the goals necessary for success are rooted deeply in passion, in having intense emotions and compelling enthusiasm for your continued growth toward success.
18 Punctuality. Punctuality is the characteristic of being able to fulfill an obligation on or before the required deadline or schedule. Being able to complete what is required of you is important because you cannot achieve your goals without understanding the obligation to show up or complete a task when you need to. Punctuality has a cultural aspect as well, as some organizations treat punctuality differently. If we are speaking about personal success and the role of your short‐term and long‐term goals, punctuality is a cardinal virtue, as holding yourself accountable is paramount to moving forward.
19 Ability. When we speak of ability, we are talking about aptitudes. An aptitude speaks to competence in particular domain at a level appropriate to a goal. Ability is the development of these aptitudes toward a goal with an eye on the skills that will assist you in reaching your short‐term and long‐term goals.
20 Organization. Organization ties adherence into goal orientation, which is incredibly important for working toward success. Like any other habit, it is the persistent application of organizational skills that enables you to become more and more organized over time. Undoubtedly, it influences your thought processes and decision‐making.
21 Humility. Being humble focuses you on adapting to the circumstances along your path to success. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses provides the necessary self‐restraint from excessive vanity and myopia.
22 Sense of urgency. You will hear this spoken about a lot in corporate culture, and for good reason. In a constantly changing world and business environment, it is often very important to make a sense of urgency a priority.
23 Loyalty. Loyalty might seem odd in a list of attributes that contribute to success. However, having a positive orientation binds together those who share your passion and common interests. Goal orientation is made simpler with people along your path who share your passion; like‐minded people with common interests. This categorical devotion assists in interpersonal relationships that lead to success.
24 Self‐awareness and emotional intelligence. Introspection is important for knowing yourself, which is paramount when dealing with others and with changes along your path. Being able to empathize with others will not only make you a better leader, it will also help you to overcome failure and difficulty.
25 Authenticity. Being true to yourself alludes to the extent with which you are in congress with your values and personality, the content of your character. Authenticity is the ability to weather the external pressures that might stand in the way of your short‐term and long‐terms goals along your path to success.
26 Values. Values are a tricky category of ideas. They are formative and instructive; however, they also guide your decision‐making, goal orientation, and perseverance. Often, values refer to appropriate conduct and a life lived well. As values pertain to success, as with life, they are about being in congress with what matters to you.
1.4 Methods Are Conscious Actions One Should Take to Pave the Road to Success
1 Being visionary. Having vision is about seeing the path before you and setting short‐term and long‐term goals accordingly. Being a visionary is taking risks on the basis of this goal orientation when others might not otherwise do so.
2 Continuous learning and reflection. I have to distinguish two forms of learning here: active vs. passive. By passive learning, I mean taking the most out of one's mistakes and failures through reflection and trial‐and‐error. In contrast, active learning is achieved by constant reading, seeking advice from mentors and the experience of others who have been through a certain path. The point of active learning is to prevent errors and failures from happening and to minimize their negative influence if they strike. Reflect on your past experiences, learn from failure. Continual personal development and growth guides you to success.
3 Reach your potential and maximize it. Reaching your potential is more than living up to hype; it is about reaching your goals and then setting new ones. Also, understanding your strengths and maximizing them while hedging against your weaknesses allows you to realize what you are capable of achieving.
4 Respect your time. Time management is one of the least utilized, but most important, skills available to anyone pursuing success. Time is an artificial construct, but it cannot be replaced or caught up. You need to live in the moment and challenge yourself to make the most of the “now.”
5 Encourage a sense of urgency. As previously discussed, a sense of urgency needs to be encouraged because seeing the world as a series of goals is only useful if you are working toward them. Believing that the world will wait for your action misrepresents your agency in your success.
6 Establish priorities. Your time is valuable, and you need to learn to prioritize behaviors and goals relative to your definition of success. Prioritizing what matters to you means you are placing it first and making time for it.
7 Be selective. The things we don't do are often as important as or even more important than those we do. Be comfortable with saying no to something that is not vital to your goals.
8 Working hard and smart. Hard work does not mean working until you collapse. Efficiency matters, and being smart about the kind of work you engage in can help you achieve your goals better.
9 Do what is right. Don't ask for permission! There is an oft‐used phrase: It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission. The idea is simple. If you do what is right, this will lead you to the best possible action. Inaction is more detrimental that risking upsetting others.
10 Make good habits. Habits are the bricks and mortar of success. Habits are what create consistency and reaching long‐term (and short‐term) goals.
11 Keep a journal. Journaling is a long‐standing tradition, but for success specifically it is useful. Since we want success to be measurable, keeping a journal allows you to track your goals and amend them on the basis of changes you might