5 things Bill Gates thinks will guarantee your success

folarin okunola

June 28, 2016 12:16 PM

Over the years, Gates himself has pointed out some attitudes he believes could lead to continued success and the best part is that they are good guides for anyone, in any field.

US billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates is left handed

There aren't very many role models for lifelong success out there that are better than Bill Gates. Microsoft, the company he founded and built-up, created an entire industry.

With a net worth of almost $80 billion, Gates is the richest man on the planet. He also achieved his dream to have a PC on every desk. What more can you ask for?

Over the years, Gates himself has pointed out some attitudes he believes could lead to continued success and the best part is that they are good guides for anyone, in any field.

Here are the most relevant attitudes Bill Gates looks for which anyone can develop:

1. Knowing how to say no.

Gates got this advice from Warren Buffet, a fellow billionaire and close friend of his. This advice is useful to everyone, whether you are rich and successful, or not. There will always be opportunities, things to do, causes you care about, and so on. Knowing when and how to say no to projects, social invitations, and other requests for your time could be the most important skill you need.

2. Welcoming criticism.

"Embrace bad news to learn where you need the most improvement," says Gates in his book Business @ The Speed Of Thought. Although it is never nice to hear someone tell you how you fucked up, the absence of that kind of feedback could impede your learning process and slow your growth. Listening to constructive criticism will give you the perspective you don't have but need.

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3. Optimism.

In today's world, it can be very hard to be optimistic. Without optimism though, no one would ever start a company, invest in a new idea, or try out a new product. "Optimism is often dismissed as false hope," he said in a Stanford commencement speech in 2013. "But there is also false hopelessness."

4. Being willing to fail.

"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose," Gates said in his book The Road Ahead. You may enjoy success more than failure but the truth of the matter is failure will teach you the most and give you the best opportunities to grow. Keep that in mind.

5. The ability to focus on a goal and keep progressing toward it.

In an annual letter from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's richest man pointed out some lessons from the history of the steam engine. "You can achieve amazing progress if you set a clear goal and find a measure that will drive progress toward that goal," Gates wrote. He went on to add that finding the right goal and the right metric for tracking one's progress is suprisingly difficult.

But then, if you really think about it, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Happy hunting!

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