5 life skills that promise success

It’s often assumed that those who have a successful, wealthy and happy upbringing will always be in the lead – in terms of good health, contentment and emotional and financial stability. However, a recent study published in PNAS, the official journal of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, says otherwise.

According to researchers, it was people with specific personality traits who were the healthiest and most successful. And these traits helped ensure that they were internally, rather than externally, fulfilled.

Compiled from Reader’s Digest, here is a list of five life kills that promise success.

1. Emotional stability

To be successful in life, start with your own mental health. "Our ability to stay 'in check' with our emotions is one of the most powerful life skills we have," explains clinical psychologist Joshua Klapow. Emotional stability is like a regulator on our life skill set.

It allows us to not be falsely optimistic, overly determined, too self-sacrificing, or too controlling. It allows us to experience life but to come back to a middle ground. Those who were more in control of their emotions could handle typical work stressors better, leading to further opportunities at work and less stress overall. Fortunately, this is a skill you can develop.



2. Determination

The University of Kent conducted a study that outlined the top skills employers look for when searching for new employees. Determination was among the top 10. Very simply, determined people get things done, so it's no wonder that employers would want them on their teams.

Determined individuals are willing to move past obstacles to reach their future goals. According to the PNAS study, individuals who are determined are most likely to fall in the highest wealth range of participants. Determination also boosts health. "Determination is critical for health and well-being as the majority of our health and well-being goals require daily prolonged effort,” adds Klapow.

3. Control

"As we learn to look at the world as a series of events and situations that we can exert control over, we feel mastery and predictability. That allows us to remain calm, to be determined, and to take action," mentions Klapow. Those who continue to exhibit the highest amount of self-control through their lives are less likely to develop health problems, have a substance addiction, have low income, or commit a crime. A person with self-control understands that actions make a difference.



4. Optimism

Just because optimists believe that good things will happen to them doesn't make them unrealistic; instead, it means they try to find the good in everything they do and see. The University College London study, led by psychology professor Andrew Steptoe and his colleague Jane Wardle, showed that this key life skill, when combined with at least some of the other life skills, had profound impacts on our ability to take better care of our health and find success later in life.

A study in Clinical Psychology Review researched the impact of optimism alone on health and success and found that optimistic people are more resilient to life's stressors, allowing them to move past negative aspects of their jobs and everyday lives more easily. Optimists are also less likely to be re-hospitalized, develop heart disease, and have low immunity, and are more likely to live longer and healthier lives.

When it comes to future success, optimists have a lower college drop-out rate and are more persistent in achieving goals than pessimists. Learn to look at the bright side!



5. Conscientiousness

By definition, conscientious people are concerned with doing things correctly. They're typically very organised, pay attention to details, and are generally responsible.

A study in Frontiers of Psychology found that high conscientiousness more consistently determined one's life satisfaction, income, and success than the other life skills examined, including emotional stability and cognitive ability. Conscientiousness is a reliable predictor of academic grades, job performance, marital stability, and physical health.

Have something to add in the story? Share it in the comments below.