The road to success isn’t easy but believe it or not, some basic ground rules can make an enormous difference. Today we’re going to share with you 50 life lessons that can help you succeed in business. It’s all about cultivating the right mindset so that you can keep yourself moving forward when others give up and get left behind. Let’s take a look at 50 life lessons that can help you succeed in business!

1. Money isn’t good or evil. It’s mobile power that the successful have learned to use.

Money isn’t an evil thing. It’s an opportunity. If you understand that money gives you options to succeed, then you understand what you need to know about money.

2. Bills and laws affect everybody, so you better stay aware and vote every chance that you get.

You are part of society, so you need to be aware and participate in politics, like it or not. Bills eventually become laws, and these affect you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like the players involved. You’re still part of the game, and ignorance is never the road to success.

3. Personal success is completely on YOU.

Becoming successful is your responsibility and yours alone, so don’t think that anyone owes you anything. It’s up to you to build your success on your own.

4. Take advice only from people with the experience to back it up.

Don’t take advice from people who don’t have the success or qualities you admire. These days everyone seems to have advice that they seldom bother to follow themselves.

5. The uninformed opinion is worthless and reflects poorly on you.

Don’t parrot the opinions of others. If you haven’t done the research, then don’t form an opinion until you do.

6. Always believe you can succeed. Just because you don’t have the skills now doesn’t mean that it will always be the case.

Always believe that you can accomplish anything. You might not have the skills and wisdom today, but the more you see and do, the more you will learn and grow until your skills and your knowledge match your appetite.

7. Stick to your chosen field.

Don’t take a job just because it pays well. Stick with jobs that align with your goals because you can make money doing anything. It’s a matter of your commitment to be the best in your chosen field.

8. Check the map before you start the road trip.

Know where you are going. If you travel a road and don’t know where it leads, you aren’t moving forward. You just can’t admit to yourself that you’re lost.

9. Start thinking differently about your future finances now.

Adapt now to this financial reality or fail later – if you aren’t working hard enough to be 3 to 5 years ahead of the curve, you’ll end up working for the rest of your life. Period.

10. Invest aggressively.

Don’t wait to buy on the dip. You’ll make a lot more money investing on the margin if you play your cards right.

11. Spend your money wisely.

You need to learn to prioritize your spending. Those fancy clothes might last you a few months or maybe even a year or two, but investing in education to sharpen your skill-set will last a lifetime. You can still have nice things but always go with knowledge first if you want to succeed.

12. Stop lying to yourself if you want to grow.

Learn to be brutally honest with yourself and don’t rely on the opinions of others to define who you are. When you can admit your shortcomings to yourself, then you are empowering yourself to change them.

13. Your road to success is uniquely your own.

Don’t waste time comparing your success to that of others. We all start the game with different advantages and disadvantages, so their reality is not the same as yours. Focus on what you’ve got and what you can do. Compete with your previous achievements rather than the achievements of others. Success comes from playing the cards you were dealt with, so you should only compete with yourself.

14. Understand the value that you are providing before entering into business.

Every business relationship is based on mutual value. If you don’t know the value of what you are providing to someone, then you’re losing money, or you won’t get their business in the first place.

15. You don’t have to yell.

You don’t have to be loud to get your message across. Rather, you should learn to speak economically and succinctly. Simply put – don’t learn to yell. Learn to properly communicate if you want to succeed.

16. Social Media is for business, not amusement.

Social media like Facebook and LinkedIn is a networking opportunity, not a novelty. Use it to make useful connections instead of wasting time telling your friends what you had for lunch.

17. Learn a business model before discounting it as a ‘scam.’

Something isn’t a ‘Scam’ just because you don’t understand it. Do your homework before you make a judgment on the value of something new. Careful consideration will get you more opportunities than simply ignoring something because you don’t want to do your homework. Think about this – some business opportunities won’t be profitable if you don’t know how they work, so sometimes, when people lose money, it’s their fault – not the fault of the business.

18. Leaders don’t just lead.

A leader isn’t just there to inspire. The best leaders learn to recognize and foster talent in others and themselves. You don’t need a fancy title either, to learn and to practice leadership skills like this.

19. Don’t let toxic emotions get in your way.

Take notice when emotions start getting in the way of your path to success. When emotions get in the way of thinking rationally about your success, it’s probably the unhealthy kind – so pay attention.

20. Understand that worthwhile things take TIME.

You’re going to have to learn patience. Even the most aggressive business model needs time to grow properly. It’s not about the money in the early stages; it’s about building a strong foundation so that your business will grow up strong. Keep the goal in sight and realize that slow, steady progress is healthy and expected.

21. Fear is a wall unless you are strong enough to make it a doorway.

Everyone has fear, but not everyone dares to keep moving forward. Your future success is going to depend on how you deal with fear. It can be a wall that stops you or the constant challenge that makes you feel alive – it’s all up to you.

22. Emotional outbursts have no place in business.

Get in the habit of waiting a few seconds when you feel emotionally ‘pushed’ to say something. Words have serious consequences, and you can burn many bridges forever if you don’t think before you speak.

23. Skyscrapers can’t kiss the sky without a firm foundation.

Building a foundation is time-consuming, but you’ll only have to do it once if you do it right. Don’t worry if your business isn’t immediately making you lots of money. Practice self-discipline. Work on building a foundation, improving your services or products, and extending your reach. ‘Fast money’ comes and goes, but a firm foundation can last a lifetime.

24. Learn to see what’s actually in front of you at all times.

Save the dreams for nighttime where they belong. One key aspect of success is your awareness of the reality that’s all around you. Learn to see it, assess it, and use it. Sugarcoating reality isn’t ‘optimism’ when it comes to business. It’s just dangerous and unrealistic thinking.

25. Life isn’t fair. You can’t decide what happens, but you can decide how you interpret it.

Life is not fair, but you can make it ‘balanced’ with the right outlook. A lesson that you need to learn now is that sometimes you are going to fail. You can either learn from it or let it beat you. Get wise or go home!

26. Practice self-reliance as much as possible.

Friends and family want you to succeed but asking for their help should always be a last resort. Learn self-reliance now and empower yourself so that you can be the one who helps others instead of the one always asking for a ‘handout.’

27. Entrepreneurship is really about raising the bar, not self-employment.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t just about making money. It’s about cultivating skills in others and making changes in your industry that drive up the quality of services or products in your range of influence. You aren’t just employing yourself; you’re setting a standard. When you can start to see it like that, then you’ve taken an important step in the right direction.

28. The goal of business, however, Is about making money.

Understand that ultimately the purpose of a business is making money. While others may benefit from your services, the bottom line is that business is about creating value that others recognize and will gladly pay for.

29. A little “flash” can open a lot of doors.

It sounds frivolous, but get a fancy car. It starts conversations, and it’s a sign of success and status in every city across the globe. The envious might make jokes, but it will open doors with those who reserve their business for people who are doing something right with their own business.

30. Don’t let a first impression cost you a lucrative business opportunity.

Despite the car advice, don’t limit yourself by judging others too quickly. Many wealthy people don’t look the part, driving something practical rather than flashy and dressing casually for comfort. Always do your homework because a quick judgment can cost you a lot of money.

31. Travel opens your mind to new possibilities and strategies.

Travel every chance that you get. Not everyone gets the opportunity, so take advantage. Travel increases your worldview and overall awareness, and you might find some business opportunities that you can’t get at home.

32. Sometimes you have to burn bridges to force yourself to move forward.

Don’t be afraid to burn bridges when you have to. Sometimes, the road to success means stepping out of your comfort zone and cutting off the ‘dead weight.’ It’s a painful truth, but that’s the cold reality of it.

33. Don’t stop believing in yourself.

You won’t get far if you don’t believe in yourself. When you develop an unshakeable faith that you can do anything, you’ll have access to power reserves that help you keep going when others hang their hats and go home.

34. Don’t let ego blind you to numbers or other facts.

Kings and Queens have advisors for a reason. You’ve got business advisors and cold, hard analytics. While you might be tempted to ignore these tools, that’s a mistake. Check your ego and use every tool at your disposal to guarantee your own success.

35. You don’t need brand-name clothing to stick out.

Designer clothes don’t define you, so don’t waste a lot of money on big-name brands or chasing current fashions when you can focus on your business. Rather, take what you’ve got and wear it well, and focus on defining yourself as a person rather than a shallow collection of designer clothing.

36. Invest in people just like you would in a good business.

Learn to recognize talent just as you have learned to recognize business opportunities. When you invest in a business, then you will get quick returns for a time, but when you invest in people, you can potentially benefit for a lifetime.

37. Money IS important.

Admit it; no matter what people say, money matters. It decides how many choices you can make in regards to your business and your overall lifestyle. Get in the habit of making money whenever you can so that when the time comes that you have more options, you’ll have time to focus on them and what they can do for you.

38. Understand what ‘networking’ really means.

Understand that networking isn’t about just building contacts. It’s also about showing the world who you are and what you can do. Treat it seriously and make a plan for your networking because it’s a useful and valuable tool that too many people waste.

39. Help others once you’ve helped yourself first.

Invest in yourself first. While we always want to help others, taking time now to invest in yourself will help to ensure your success, and it will put you in a position where you can help others without hurting your own success.

40. Never waste time. You can’t buy more.

Live your life to the fullest. Today could be your last day, so make every minute count that you can. When you learn to make the most of life, you’ll naturally move towards success because you’ll inherently realize the importance of everything you decide to do.

41. Don’t be lazy keep raising the bar.

Don’t just settle for a mediocre life. Keep pushing. Too often, people put off their success because they tell themselves that life is ‘good enough’ when they are just scared of pushing their limits. Keep pushing for something better, and you’ll get it.

42. Learn when to say no.

Don’t be afraid to say ‘no.’ Don’t make promises lightly. People will notice that you always deliver on your word, and this is vital in building your brand.

43. The ‘rat-race’ isn’t about employment; it’s about life.

The ‘rat race’ isn’t just about your job. It’s also about simply doing the things that you’ve got to do for everyday life. The sooner you realize that success doesn’t grant you immunity from the little things that make life work, the better. No matter your place on the board, ‘rat race’ rules still apply.

44. A plentiful harvest requires letting your ‘crops’ grow.

If you want success, you’re going to have to sacrifice. This can mean giving up on impulse buys. It can mean missing out on fun trips with your friends. It might even mean staying single for a while. It’s worth it, though, because when you achieve your goals, you’ll be able to do and have a lot of things in the future that your friends can only daydream about.

45. Something is in your way. What are you going to do about it?

How you deal with failure or ‘roadblocks’ determines your actual strength of character. Anyone can get lucky, but it takes strength of will and character to fail and keep on moving up the top despite it. Failure is a teacher, and once you realize this, then it loses its power to stop you.

46. Failures can be milestones on the road to success.

You’re going to fail a lot more than you are going to succeed unless you are very, very lucky. Chase your goals but EXPECT multiple failures with the firm belief that you will still succeed. No one gets to the top by giving up.

47. Rejection is unavoidable; keep moving.

Rejection isn’t a failure; it’s a lesson. Move past it as fast as you can once you’ve learned from it. Let it teach you, not define you, and don’t let it reduce your upward momentum.

48. Get out of your comfort zone often.

If you are always comfortable, then you aren’t learning as much as you need to be. The road to success is full of uncomfortable areas but always shying away from them is a mistake.
Learn about the things that make you uncomfortable instead of just avoiding them because you might find an opportunity you would have otherwise missed.

49. Be the author of your own life.

Be proactive. If life is a book, there are readers, and there are writers. Be the author of your own life by being proactive. Make sure that each page is better than the last and give the rest of the world a great read and a reason to become the authors of their own lives!

50. Keep it professional.

Don’t let emotions creep into business ever. A great example is an email. If a client has sent you some heated words, respond to the email but don’t send it. Wait a few hours or even a day and read it again. You’ll see that your original email has emotional components. Cut those out, send it, and you’re done. The important thing is realizing that emotion can creep in without our notice, and once you realize that, you can apply the ’email’ example to other business interactions. Always keep business professional and never emotional. It’s an important key to your success!

Some final words on taking charge of your own success

Today, we’ve given you 50 life lessons that can help you to get ahead and win the rat race. As you can see, it’s all about empowering yourself with the right mindset and self-discipline. While it is going to require some sacrifice on your part, take the lessons you’ve learned today to heart, and keep on pushing your way to the top.