Five Traits Of Highly Successful People There are a couple of traits all successful prodigies share. How many of these do you tick off?

Over the course of 12 years interviewing people from all walks of life, I've noticed that there are a couple of traits all successful prodigies share. Whether it was a philanthropist, a startup guy in his 20's, or a seasoned athlete, there were certain characteristics that separated the go-getters from everyone else in the room. In this list, we've put down five of the most common personality traits of highly successful people. How many of these do you tick off?

1. THEY DON'T QUIT EASILY Every successful person you will ever cross paths with will tell you this: "Don't be afraid to fail." All successful people know that in order to succeed, one must fail over and over again, without being afraid to dust themselves off and try again afterward. They are present beings who don't live in the past, and take every obstacle as a stepping stone for a better future.

2. THEY ALWAYS GO THE EXTRA MILE They don't slack. They don't complain about being the last one to leave the office on Thursday, or find an excuse for every problem they're ever faced with. Take UAE business legends Mohamed Alabbar or Khalaf Al Habtoor for example: these high-fliers have stated in interviews more than once, that they work around the clock, seven days a week, and never settle for anything less than spectacular.

3. THEY LOVE WHAT THEY DO (AND THEY DO WHAT THEY LOVE) Working passionately for a cause or a purpose has always been the cornerstone of successful businesspeople around the globe. While characteristics such as strong values, perseverance, talent, ambition, intellect, discipline, and luck all contribute to business and career success, following your passion can often make the biggest difference of all.

4. THEY ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN Thorough business/career plans are blueprints for your business. They are your guiding light for whenever your business swerves in the wrong direction. Business plans aren't just documents that you compile at the beginning of your venture, then throw in the back of your cupboard when the ball starts rolling. On the contrary, your plan will change over time as your business develops, and in turn, one must have several plans as your objectives change.

5. THEY ARE ALWAYS EAGER TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW A true heavy hitter will realize that they probably don't know much in this life. They are life-long learners who are not afraid to step out of their comfort zone to learn something new. Their headstrong perseverance helps them jump in, head first, into experiences, without being afraid to fail. The natural-born achievers live to achieve, even if it means failing 100 times over.

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