Carly Ries
"A great man is always willing to be little."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Often times when people make it big, heads and egos get big as well. But for people who want to not only achieve success but maintain it, this is not the correct route to go. To maintain it, you must remain humble.
Too often, successful people mistake humility for low self-worth or importance. But it isn’t. In fact, humility can be a great indicator of high self-confidence. People who see it as such don’t need to be boastful or arrogant about their achievements. They’re aware and appreciate their successes but don’t need to rub them in others’ faces.
Being humble makes you more relatable, approachable, and more likable, which can cultivate meaningful relationships and expand future opportunities. People will not only want to continue to work with you, but they’ll actually be cheering on your continued success. Below are a few steps to take to remain humble even when you’ve reached your goals.
Like what you see? This post gives you a preview of our guide, Unleash Your Inner Awesome: Motivational Quotes With Actionable Steps to Help You Reach Your Goals and Achieve Great Things. Be sure to check it out here.
Actionable Steps
Be Self Aware
Know your strengths and weaknesses. Understand where you can help others and when you need help yourself. Be aware of how others perceive you. No matter how successful you become, remain human, you’re no more important than anybody else.
Listen to Others
People want to be heard, and the majority of innately humble people that I’ve come across are always good listeners. They’re never too important to lend an ear. Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean you need to offer a solution. The act of having another person actively listen to them is often all they need.
Be Grateful
You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, so never take what you now have for granted. Show appreciation and let the little things in life still make you happy and surprise you.
Don’t Stop
One way to remain humble is to develop new dreams, push yourself out of your comfort zone, and keep going. Once you’re successful in one area in your life doesn’t mean you’ll be successful in all. Stay grounded by pursuing new things. It will help you see very clearly that you’re not as big of a deal as some may think you are.
Pay It Forward
Once you’ve reached your desired level of success, remember the journey it took to get you there. You weren’t always at the top and you likely didn’t do it alone. Just as others helped you, it’s time to return the favor.
Be Inspired, Not Jealous
Many people feel like once they’ve reached high levels of success, they need to guard it and keep it, but there’s plenty of success to go around. If others are reaching new heights around you, let that motivate you, not bring you down. Be happy for them. You’d want the same if the tables were turned.
Be Coachable
Just because you’ve reached success doesn’t mean you don’t still have a lot to learn. Be coachable. Allow criticism and be open to feedback. Do that, and future opportunities will continue to roll in.
Ask for Help When You Need It
You may be at the top, but that doesn’t make you immune to needing help. Never be too proud to know when you can’t do something alone. Support from others is a gift, not something you should be ashamed of,
Apologize When You’re Wrong
Know when you’re wrong and admit to your mistakes. Never let your ego get big enough that apologizing is below you. It never is.
Be A Team Player
Want what’s best for others and do what you can to build positive opportunities and experiences for those around you so that everybody can benefit in the long run.
Be the Best Leader You Can Be by Being the Dumbest Person in the Room
If you are hiring people to work for you, try to hire people smarter than you - especially in their fields of expertise. You need to trust and rely on these people to deal with the issues that you hired them to manage. This is how amazing teams do amazing things.
Food for Thought: How can you practice humility today?