Learn From The Best: 21 Things Every Successful Person Puts To Practice

You and I know this:

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." — Lao Tzu

What many do not realize is the first step on the road to success happens in the mind. Every great achievement started in someone's mind, and every lasting achievement was sustained by a strong mind.

The existence of these minds is why every now and then, small teams knock out bigger firms and why, sometimes, Average Joes just keep pulling straight A's.

But what exactly about the human mind do successful people know that you don't?

The following 21 things successful people understand are a cocktail of findings from two of psychology's brightest souls, Daniel Kahneman and Dan Ariely, and some entrepreneurial geniuses.

To beat the best, learn from them.

1. You become what you think.

Small thoughts create small men, and great thoughts create great men.

2. Ninety-five percent of your actions are ruled by your subconscious.

What you listen to, see and say about yourself will determine the state of your subconscious. Choose wisely.

3. Everything you see was born in someone's mind.

Dreams precede greatness.

4. Once expanded, the mind never regains its original size.

In other words, knowledge is never wasted.

5. Your outer world reflects your inner world.

Your reality is only bound by how much you can dream.

6. Your mindset has room for one reality at a time.

You can be happy or sad, rich or poor, but never the two opposites at the same time. Make your choice. What do you want to focus on?

7. Lies are self-reinforcing.

If you believe a conclusion to be true, you will most likely believe the arguments that support it. So, start with the facts, and then move to a conclusion.

8. Intuitions serve your immediate well-being.

Unfortunately, there are times when your immediate well-being will be the wrong phone call, the wrong food choice or the wrong expense. This is why it is wise to always be skeptical about your intuitions.

9. What you perceive, you easily believe.

This happens even when it's not true. Always question your perceptions.

10. You are most likely one decision away from your greatest success.

Remember to choose wisely.

11. Reciprocation triggers compliance.

You are less likely to oppose the people who help you.

12. Repetition can drive any skill or information into your subconscious.

Beware of the information to which you expose yourself.

13. Your mind loves patterns because they require little effort.

Here's how you can use this: If you want to drive big changes in your life, start with smaller changes. If you want to make a big request, introduce a smaller one first.

14. The Halo Effect will cause you to love a bad thing or hate a good one, depending on the first information you receive.

Why? Patterns are easy on the brain. To increase your chances of being accepted, always open with your strong suits.

15. Emotions accelerate conclusions.

Reason slows them down. That's why the greatest marketers sell feelings, and the best speakers tell stories.

16. The most plausible things are not the most probable.

The majority of the things you fear will never happen.

17. Small, repeated wins have more motivating power than sparse wins of bigger value.

If you wish to journey all the way to greatness, line your path with small victories.

18. The price for greater is what you currently hold.

But since you fear loss more than you love gain, your dreams may appear to be too much of a risk.

19. Pre-commitment is the simplest cure to procrastination.

Set every task as an engagement you cannot cancel.

20. Choices dilute efficiency.

The fewer the exit plans, the more accurate your mind becomes.

21. Not all risk takers are successful, but all successful people are risk takers.

Armed with these, I hope you'll be able to nudge your life in the only direction that matters: forward.

I'm rooting for you.

This article was originally published on Greataholic