4. Strengthen Your Willpower

Mental toughness refers to the resilience to carry on and continue trying even in the face of obstacles. People who possess this mental strength see challenges as opportunities.

What can you do to improve your mental toughness and increase your chances of being successful in life?

• Believe in yourself. Cut out negative self-talk and look for ways to stay positive and self-encouraging.
• Keep trying.
• Set goals.
• Find support. Doing things alone can be difficult, but having a strong support system can make things easier.

If you are trying to learn how to be successful in life, consider what you can do to nurture these key traits:

1. Conscientiousness. They consider the effects of their actions.
2. Accepting of Ambiguity. People with a great deal of potential for success are better able to accept this ambiguity.
3. Capable of Adjustment.
4. Courageous. The world's most successful people often exemplify great courage.
5. Curiosity. People who are successful tend to be curious about the world around them.
6. Competitiveness. Successful people are able to utilize competition to motivate, but avoid falling prey to jealousy.

What can you do to boost your sense of intrinsic motivation?

• Challenge yourself. Pursuing a goal that is achievable, is a great way to increase motivation to succeed.
• Stay curious. Look for things that grab your attention and that you would like to learn more about.
• Take control. Look for ways that you can take an active role.
• Don't fear competition. There might be other people out there trying to reach the same goals as you, but this doesn't mean that you should give up. Don't compare your progress or journey to anyone else's, but you can look to others for motivation and inspiration.

Research by psychologist Carol Dweck suggests that there are two basic mindsets that influence how people think about themselves and their abilities: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset.

• People who possess a fixed mindset believe that things such as intelligence are static and unchangeable. They tend to give up more easily in the face of a challenge.
• Those who have a growth mindset, feel that they can change, grow, and learn through effort. People who believe that they are capable of growth are more likely to achieve success.

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to understand, utilize, and reason with emotions.

To improve your emotional intelligence:

• Pay attention to your own emotions. Focus on identifying what you are feeling and what is causing those feelings.
• Manage your emotions. Step back and try to view things with an impartial eye. Avoid bottling up or repressing your feelings, but look for healthy and appropriate ways of dealing with what you are feeling.
• Listen to others. This not only involves hearing what they are saying, but also paying attention to nonverbal signals and body language.

• Believe that your efforts matter. Rather than thinking their abilities are fixed or stuck, people who have a growth mindset believe that effort and hard work can lead to meaningful growth.
• Learn new skills. When faced with a challenge, they look for ways to develop the knowledge and skills that they need to overcome and triumph.
• View failures as learning experiences. People with growth mindsets don't believe that failure is a reflection of their abilities. Instead, they view it as a valuable source of experience from which they can learn and improve.