Psychological Foundations of Success

• The world always steps aside for people who know where they’re going. Successful people know what they want.
• The future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious.
• Those who envision themselves as successful perform better.
• The key driver or recovery lies in visions of future selves.
• The secret of man’s being is not only to live but to have something to live for.
• Successful people are a little crazy. They utilize unconventional thinking, a rejection of traditional beliefs, a lack of concern with what others might think, and the confidence to take on ambitious projects from which more “sane” people would shy away.
• Flexible thinking is a prerequisite for creative thinking.
• Uncommon accomplishment requires uncommon ambition.
• Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
• True success comes from a combination of vision and strategy.
• We cannot think, feel, will, or act without the perception of a goal.
• Aim above the mark to hit the mark. People who set more challenging goals tend to accomplish more than those who set more modest goals.
• True success comes from achieving things, not avoiding them. Focus on the outcomes you desire, not the ones you want to avoid.
• What gets measured gets done.
• Success consists of a series of little daily victories.
• Set goals with short time horizons because as the deadline for a goal looms, people think more about that goal and get things done.
• Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.
• An uninspiring person believes according to what he achieves. An inspiring person achieves according to what he believes.
• Successful people believe they would be successful.
• Hope is good breakfast but bad supper.
• Choose the identity you want, and begin acting accordingly.
• We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
• Failure is not falling down, but the staying down.
• The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces.
• Happiness is ultimately about progress.
• Everyone may want to get to the top, but if you want to enjoy it, you should take the stairway rather than the elevator.
• Avoid thinking that permanent fulfillment is just around the corner if only you accomplish certain goals.
• Persistence is good. Progress is better.
• Never let “school” interfere with your education.
• The unexamined life is not worth living.

Source: Psychological Foundations of Success by Stephen J. Kraus