Self-reliance.Top achievers rely primarily on their own resources and abilities.Seventy-seven percent give themselves an A rating for this trait.Self-reliance is not how you feel or how good you are；rather，it’swhether you have the gumption to take definitive action to get things moving in your life.It includes plain old willpower and the ability to get goals.
Two-thirds of the respondents say they’ve had clear goals for their lives and careers.And half of those we interviewed give themselves an A in willpower.Among other capabilities，willpower encompasses the ability to be a self-starter and to persevere after a project has begun.
General intelligence.This is essential for outstanding achievement because it involves your natural ability to comprehend difficult concepts quickly and to analyze them clearly and incisively.At least that’s the way our respondents see it—43percent said it was a very important ingredient of their success，and another 52percent said it was fairly important.
Ability to get things done.Nearly three-fourths of our high achievers rank themselves“very efficient”in accomplishing tasks，And they agree that at least three important qualities have helped them to do so：organizational ability，good work habits and diligence.
A physics professor summarizes his success formula this way“，Sheer
hard，tenacious work，with the ability to pace oneself.”He admits working up to 100hours a week.
Besides the five listed here，there are other factors that influence success：leadership，creativity，relationships with others，and，of course，luck.But common sense，knowing your field，self-reliance，intelligence and the ability to get things done stand out.If you cultivate these traits，chances are you’ll succeed.And you might even find yourself listed in Who’s Who someday.