tips to succeed in life

Authenticity is a much sought after leadership trait, with the prevailing idea being that the best leaders are those who self disclose, are true to themselves, and who make decisions based on their values. Yet in a recent Harvard Business Review article titled The Authenticity Paradox, Insead professor Herminia Ibarra discusses interesting research on the subject and tells the cautionary tale of a newly promoted general manager who admitted to subordinates that she felt scared in her expanded role, asking them to help her succeed. Her candor backfired, Ibarra writes. She lost credibility with people who wanted and needed a confident leader to take charge. So know this Play acting to emulate the qualities of successful leaders doesn t make you a fake. It merely means you re a work in progress.

According to research conducted by University of California Santa Barbara economist Catherine Weinberger, the most successful business people excel in both cognitive ability and social skills, something that hasn t always been true. She crunched data linking adolescent skills in 1972 and 1992 with adult outcomes, and found that in 1980, having both skills didn t correlate with better success, whereas today the combination does. The people who are both smart and socially adept earn more in today s work force than similarly endowed workers in 1980, she says.

The classic Marshmallow Experiment of 1972 involved placing a marshmallow in front of a young child, with the promise of a second marshmallow if he or she could refrain from eating the squishy blob while a researcher stepped out of the room for 15 minutes. Follow up studies over the next 40 years found that the children who were able to resist the temptation to eat the marshmallow grew up to be people with better social skills, higher test scores, and lower incidence of substance abuse. They also turned out to be less obese and better able to deal with stress. But how to improve your ability to delay things like eating junk food when healthy alternatives aren t available, or to remain on the treadmill when you d rather just stop.

After following the lives of 268 Harvard undergraduate males from the classes of 1938 to 1940 for decades, psychiatrist George Vaillant concluded something you probably already know Love is the key to happiness. Even if a man succeeded in work, amassed piles of money, and experienced good health, without loving relationships he wouldn t be happy, Vaillant found. The longitudinal study showed happiness depends on two things One is love, he wrote. The other is finding a way of coping with life that does not push love away.

Before you can achieve success, you will have to define what success means to you. While it may take years to realize what you want to do with your life, identifying your passions, interests, and values will help you set goals and give your life a sense of meaning. Ask yourself the following questions
What do you want your legacy to be?
How would you like to be remembered by others?
How do you want to make your community a better place?
What are your subjects of interest?

Be sure to address both short term and long term goals; try to think beyond financial/career goals. Consider which subjects you enjoyed studying in school, and why. This can help give you an idea of what you may be best at or more interested in.

In order to achieve your dreams and be the person you want to be, you will have to start paying attention to your actions. Ask yourself, is what I m doing going to lead me to where I want to be in life?
If you find yourself constantly bored, daydreaming about the future or past or counting down the minutes until the day ends, it is probably because you feel disconnected from what you re doing. Consider changing careers or majors to a field that you care about but remember that it could mean changes you are not thinking of. Does that job pay enough to support yourself? Is it something you might get bored of eventually? Do I really want to commit to that job?
Cherish your time. Try to spend your free time doing things that you enjoy doing, rather than wasting time. For example, rather than spending your weekends watching television, spend them partaking in your hobbies or spending time with loved ones.
Remember that the concept of wasted time is relative. Not everything you do has to be productive in the conventional sense, but it should be engaging and enjoyable.

Education gives you the knowledge, skills, and credibility to achieve your maximum potential. In terms of financial success, statistics have shown that the more education you have i.e. the higher degree you achieve , the more money you are likely to make.
In 2011, the median weekly earnings for high school graduates was $638 while those with bachelor s degrees made $1053. That same year, those with masters or doctoral degrees made $1263 and $1551. Not all education has to be formal. Apprenticeships and long term training programs are also positively correlated with higher incomes.

Learning how to manage your money will help ensure your financial stability over time, regardless of your income. Keep track of your expenses. Review your bank statements often and notice where you spend your money. If you do your banking online, be sure to keep personal records as well. This will help you prevent over spending and ensure that your bank statements are correct.
Understand your income. When calculating your income, be sure to take into account the federal, state, and social security taxes that will be deducted from your gross pay. The resulting number is your net pay, which is what you end up taking home with you.
Prioritize spending. Your first priority should be spending money on basic necessities like food, shelter, and clothing. Don t spend money on luxuries like expensive clothes, cars, or vacations until you have first satisfied your basic necessities. Be honest with yourself and differentiate between your basic needs and your luxuries.
Save money. Every month, you should deposit some of your money into a savings account. Consider asking your employer to directly deposit a portion of your income into your savings account.

Putting off important tasks until the last minute can cause you unnecessary stress, and increases the likelihood of errors. Manage your time so that you have enough time to complete a task effectively. Use a paper or electronic planner to help keep you organized throughout the day, week, and month. Make a list of all the things you need to do in a given day, and check off each task as you complete it. This will help you stay organized and motivated.