First and foremost, you must take care of yourself both mentally and physically. People who are successful in life tend to take better care of themselves than those who allow their health to deteriorate. Get regular checkups, have time to yourself and time with friends and allow your mind to shut down at night so you are not overloaded with stress when it is time for sleep.
Demonstrating respect for other people will help you succeed in life by creating connection and relationships with others. Those connections and relationships can help you both personally and professionally. Respect for other people will also help to ensure that people respect you, a key component in being successful.
You will not be successful if you do not believe you can be. Being successful means believing in the talents and abilities that you have and being able to use them. Write down a list of all your positive qualities and talents; reread the list whenever you are starting to feel down or as though you can't be a successful person.
Successful people manage decisions by thinking things through, not by relying on gut feelings or emotions. Decisions made based on emotions are usually wrong and lead to problems. Think through each decision with your head and get a second opinion if you are feeling doubtful in what you chose.
Details can make or break a successful person. Life is lived in the details, so pay close attention to the small things in life. Remembering how a person takes her coffee or her favorite color will make you seem attentive, which will make you memorable to those around you. Successful people know the details are what counts and are sure to focus attention on them whenever possible.
No one person can do everything on his own. Create a support network for yourself by your willingness to help others in times of need (or just when they need your assistance). People will remember your kindness and generosity and be more willing to help you get ahead when the time comes. Successful people know it is necessary to have a team to surround them when times get tough, and helping others is the first step to creating that team.
You will not have all the answers and there will be times when you will need to accept the criticism of others. Remember that criticism should be used as a learning experience and teaching tool, helping you to see how to fix a problem and avoid making the same mistakes. Every person makes mistakes; the successful person learns how to fix her mistakes and move on to greater situations.