Breaking the Ceiling of Success 

There are countless books, seminars, courses, and videos from people claiming to have the secrete to success, whether from self-proclaimed business gurus or other types of people, who can range from grifters to genuine leaders.

While some of this content can be genuinely motivational and helpful, it is rarely backed by science, as most of it is based on anecdotal evidence or simple intuition.

This is why Dr. Steve Tufs, Ph.D. and clinical professor at the University of Florida, has dedicated much of his research to finding what sets successful people apart from the rest.

According to Dr. Tufs, there are three main elements separating what he calls the victim mindset from the doer mindset: clear planning of goals, a wide sphere of influence, and the ability to listen.

Planning Your Goals and Developing Strategies

Setting goals is like making a new year’s resolution for many people. It’s something you tell yourself but never actually take the step to make it happen.

Dr. Tuff recommends that if you want to fulfill your goals, you start by writing them down and sharing them with someone who can help you and make you accountable.

According to the data in Dr. Turf’s research, people who merely think about their goals have a likelihood of 43% of taking action to achieve them. In contrast, people who write them down are 52% likely to take the first steps, and those who share their goals with an accountability partner are 75% likely to take action. 

Another crucial element of planning to reach your goal is to have a clear measure of conversion for how your actions result in your desired outcome. 

This means you should set your goals in terms of “I need to do X amount of Y to achieve Z.” For example, “I need to do X amount of exercise to burn Y amount of calories in order to lose Z amount of weight.”

This works for short, medium, and long-term goals.

Widening Your Sphere of Influence

There is a common misconception that you need a specific type of personality to succeed at creating a business or undergoing any other kind of enterprise. In reality, there is no correlation between professional success and personality type.

Where there is a clear correlation and, as a matter of fact, a relationship of causality, is between having an extensive sphere of influence and a successful career.

In simple terms, your sphere of influence means how many people you can directly influence and how many people are influenced by those you influence. In other words, your sphere of influence acts like a domino effect. The more people you can influence, the more help you’ll be able to get to achieve your goals.

Listening and Learning

Being able to listen is an essential yet underrated skill when it comes to sales and businesses. Listening to a potential client or networking partner develops empathy and connection, allowing you to know how you can add value to them.

Listening is crucial for any learning process. It allows you to learn from people who are more skilled or experienced than you and overcome obstacles and impasses.

Here’s the twist. According to Dr. Tufts, listening to just anyone is not practical. In general terms, you shouldn’t listen to people with the same level of skill and experience as you in your field because this may lead to mutual indulgence.

It’s also not useful to listen to people who are too far above your level. It may give you unrealistic expectations of what you can achieve, given your current ability.

The most valuable people to listen to are those who are just slightly above your level, as they can relate to you and give you advice, having been where you are not very long ago.

Final Thoughts: Master the Fundamentals

To tackle all these principles, it’s imperative you focus on mastering fundamental skills. While everyone wants to polish their craft and do everything necessary to grow, they often forget about polishing the most simple and vital skills.

These include easily socializing and empathizing with others, basic organizational skills, leadership, and foresight.

You can continue to learn how to polish such skills and listen to other incredible entrepreneurial minds like Dr. Tufts on the What’s Your 1 More Podcast, a space to grow and learn your financial leadership today.