The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey is a self-improvement book. It is written on Covey's belief that the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions.

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I recommend starting that path by reading Stephen Covey's best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

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Don't have time to read all 432 pages? I get it -- most of us don't. Here's a summary of the entire book for you:

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Now on to my own list of what I've found to be common characteristics of successful people. The only disclaimer I'll make is that success is whatever you define it as.

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1) Self-Discipline: This doesn't mean that all successful people wake up at the crack of dawn and go to sleep after midnight. This means that they do what they say they are going to do. Something that's related (and that I'm working on) is the ability to separate emotion from action. You won't get very far if you only do things when you feel like it. Set your goals and do it despite how you feel.

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2) Take consistent action: This is important because successful people do this even when they are stepping into the unknown. They compound consistent actions over time (not overnight). Sprinting to a goal over time leads to burnout. A steady jog to your goal gets you there without losing steam. It's possible to overthink and get yourself stuck. Do you have a project sitting there waiting to be finished? Get going and push yourself out of your comfort zone!

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3) Exude Confidence: This is NOT circumstantial. This only comes from a deep level of introspection, reflection, self-discovery, and self-acceptance. Successful people have this unshakable mindset to fail over and over again and believe in themselves no matter what!

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4) Continuous Learners: I like this one because it involves a growth mindset. Successful people keep up to date and evolve. Some people are really good at regurgitating facts. This is more than that because life is not always black and white. Invest in speaking with mentors, challenge your brain, and enroll in courses that make you a well-rounded human being.

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5) Fail forward: I appreciate when successful people welcome fear and are vulnerable about when things don't work out. That willingness to fail publicly and demystify the journey is a strength. Personally, I retook almost every major standardized exam to becoming a physician until 2019. I share this story with mentees on the medical journey because things don't always go as planned. Failure can either crush you, or ignite grit and determination.

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6) Exercise is a priority: I know, I know! Why did I have to talk about exercise right?! As much as we avoid it, exercise can give you the stamina that coffee can't and keeps you sharp. If that's not enough, exercise can put you in a better mood, which may translate to higher productivity.

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7) Take responsibility: This doesn't mean that you take the blame for everything, but that you don't let certain things define your worth. Successful people are able to take all criticism as a learning opportunity, instead of tearing them down. They own what they are responsible for and don’t give anyone else that power and control. Many people want to get to their goals, but there are excuses after excuses. The sooner you take responsibility for your current state of being and what's in your control, that's when you’ll have a breakthrough.

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8) Patient: Delayed gratification is tough! But successful people have mastered that some things take years. Patience is more important than having unrealistic ambition because you need long-term sustainability to make it to the finish line.

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9) Have multiple streams of income: This is one of those things that happens over time. Successful people don't put all their eggs in one basket or ignore their finances. They work on their skills and are able to find different ways to invest and monetize outside of their first niche.

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Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment below. Cheers!