What does it take to become a Super Achiever?

As part of my research towards my PHD, I have had the incredible privilege of studying a number of super achievers, from around the world. It has been an excellent opportunity, amazing experience and very fascinating time, during which I have learned much and made a number of very interesting observations. I have spent time observing from both a distance and where I was invited in, as closely as possible, trying to uncover common denominators or pointers, which made these people stand out and become super achievers. I have searched to try to isolate the common denominators, which they all shared and hope my brief outline of these characteristics in this article, will support you to try to develop or enhance these characteristics in yourself.

Vision
The first thing I noticed was that every one of them had a crystal clear vision of exactly what they wanted to achieve in their future. It was not always written down, but when asked about where they wanted their lives and businesses to go in the future. Without exception, they all looked thoughtfully upward and with passion and absolute clarity, they described in vivid detail, exactly where they saw their lives a few years into the future. They could describe with absolute clarity what they wanted to happen in their futures, as though they had travelled there already and seen the future, which they wanted to create.

When they were asked to speak about their future, it felt as though they were describing something, which had already happened. I felt like I was speaking to someone who believed, so emphatically in their future possibility, that nothing could stop them from achieving it. They believed that exactly the future they had foreseen would unfold, All that was left for them to do, was take action daily and exactly that future would become their new reality. Their passion, belief and commitment felt almost contagious.

None of them had stopped trying to achieve even greater excellence.
Despite the incredible success they had already enjoyed, they all felt that they could still achieve even more. The difference was that they now had goals and a vision, which were bigger than them. They all thought bigger than their own selfish needs and wanted to build a legacy for themselves, some of which would last generations after they changed from one form of energy to another, when they reached the end of their human experience.

Why
One of the things which also stood out for me was their ability to describe exactly “WHY” they wanted to achieve whatever it was they were looking to achieve in the future. They had a fire of inspiration in their bellies, a deep rooted understanding about exactly “WHY” they were doing what they did every day. These reasons transcended self and focused on things like legacy, philanthropy, supporting others to grow, financial freedom for their immediate and extended families, community service and significance.

Belief
Every one of the great achievers I researched, also had an incredible belief in their ability to do whatever it took to bring their vision and dreams to life. They were not all born with natural talent or skills, which were above average. They just believed that they could do it and did.

Hard work
None of the achievers I researched achieved their greatness through pedigree; they had all worked really hard and had shown sufficient patience, as they travelled the path towards achievement, to wait for the results they wanted. None of them had got a free pass to the big time or the upper echelon of the corporate world. They had got to where they were with guts, determination and good old fashioned hard work. They were not afraid to work long hours and showed real discipline to do the tough stuff when required.

Life Long Learners
Without exception, every one of the super achievers I researched was 100 % committed towards consistent and persistent, lifelong learning and growth. They were completely engaged in consistently improving, learning and listening. I felt like they were constantly processing new information and absorbing as much daily experience as possible. Always exploring and looking for ways to expand. Constant improvement was a prerequisite every day and asking questions, listening, growing and learning was just a way of life for them.

Sense of Humour
There were a few exceptions to this, but generally all the super achievers, had an incredible sense of humour and did not take themselves too seriously. They saw the value of enjoying life and they allowed themselves to laugh a little bit. Yes of course there were varying levels of this, but in general they all had a good sense of humour. They were able to see the funny side of circumstances and even laugh at themselves, when they made mistakes. Their sense of humour was quite refreshing and one of the factors I think helped them mitigate or overcome challenges, as they came their way.

You are no different
I can tell you right now that there is not a single characteristic, which I identified in any of these super achievers, which you can’t develop in yourself. Start today; invest the time to introduce these few crucial success criterion into your experience and you too will gradually become a super achiever.