1. Result-oriented. Maganda sa tao ang hindi nadadala ng panahon, emosyon or any external happenings. One of the habits of successful people is that they are proactive, or result-oriented. Yun yong tipo na kahit may masakit, hindi gagawing alibi or excuse not to give their best.  If you want to succeed badly, find a way, otherwise you will find an excuse why you failed.

Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ Luke 14:18-20

Successful people carry their own weather, they work hard, they work smart. They are driven by results. They never give up nor makes unreasonable excuses.

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8

Kita mo nga naman mga langgam, walang pagod na naghahakot at nag-iimbak ng pagkain para sa tag-ulan meron silang time to enjoy. Maganda sa tao ang forward-looking, yung inspired sya na makita ang bunga ng kanyang pagod at pawis.

I have seen that there is nothing better than for a person to enjoy his work because that is his reward. Ecclesiastes 3:22

Kung alam mo na kelangan mong gawin ang isang bagay, wag kang pumayag na lumampas ang magagandang pagkakataon dahil lang tamad ka, or takot ka. People who are result-oriented are those people who have faith that can move mountains. They are excited and you can see their eyes lit up when they talk about their dreams. They are unstoppable as they know that what they do will take them to where they wanted to be in the future.

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. -Hebrews 11:1

Bagamat di mo pa nakikita, nahahawakan, pero deep within you, you have that good feeling, that a good result is coming up.

2. Plans.  Maganda sa tao ang may plano. This is a cliché na or palasak na but there is truth into it: “people who fail to plan, plan to fail.” Hindi pwedeng trabaho lang ng trabaho, tapos walang plano, walang techniques kung paano mapapagyaman ang mga bagay na ginagawa.

She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.Proverbs 31:10-31

Buti pa itong babae sa Bible, “she considers a field (plot of land) or real estate and buys it. Yung iba pag nagkapera, bili dito, bili doon.  Ubos-ubos biyaya, bukas nakatunganga. Sa halip na palaguin ang pera, lamyerda dito, lamyerda doon. “One day millionaire”

Yung iba naman ‘hardwork’ lang talaga. Imagine mo kung tinda ka lang ng tinda tapos kapiranggot lang ang kita, kahit ilang taon mo pa gawin yan, imposible na umunlad ka dahil walang plano. Successful people make careful plans for their goals. They have visions of what they wanted to do and where they wanted to go. Great sailor never forget to plan their voyage – they understand the wind, the season, the clouds and the storm, if they need to, they adjust their sail to navigate. Hindi basta sabak ng sabak sa alon, bahala na si batman.

The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. Proverbs 21:5

Kaya nga pag magpapagawa ka ng bahay, hindi pwedeng basta na lang bibili ng semento at hollow blocks at pagpatung-patungin, maganda nyan may plano. “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” Luke 14:28

Faith is not foolishness. Faith is not hallucination and false hope. But faith is knowing that God will help, when we also help ourselves.

“Would you like to get well?” “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” –John 5:6

Kung tutuusin pwedeng hawakan ni Hesus ang kamay ng lalakeng lumpo, pero hindi eh. Jesus said: rise up and walk!

Kaya maraming Pinoy hindi nagtatagumpay, kase walang mga plano sa buhay, gusto lang palagi pag naka abroad, mag magara agad and mag post sa social media as if “they’ve already made it.” Kakanta pa yan, “looks like we made it.” Kaya lang walang naipupundar kase puro pagyayabang kaagad ang inaatupag, sa halip na magplano sa mga ipinadadala sa Pilipinas, pero puro pagmamasarap ang alam. Walang mga plano kaya maraming nanatiling mga talunan.

Walang nakaipon kase lahat naka-iPhone. -Don Magsino

3. First things first. Maganda sa tao ang may mga priorities sa buhay. What are your priorities? I heard one speaker: “Upgrade now, pulubi later.” May mga taong bigo sa buhay dahil walang priorities. Puro lang pagyayabang ang alam.

“But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you…” –Matthew 6:33

For you to succeed, dapat alam mo ang mga bagay na mahalaga, mga dapat unahin at yung mga bagay na makakatulong para mas umasenso, mas umunlad, mas umangat ang pamumuhay. Don’t major in minor things.

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations to be made. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha, the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.”… Luke 10:41-42

Marami sa mga Pinoy ang nadi-distract, nawawala ang focus sa mga bagay na mas mahahalaga. They are distracted for the ‘busyness’ of life that they lose focus on what matters the most. Maghapong nasa office pero puro social media lang naman inaatupag. Kaya maraming negosyo nagsasara kase wala ang atensyon sa paghahanap buhay.

keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.  Hebrews 12:2

Successful people accept defeats and failures as they are part of every endeavours…but what they don’t accept is lose track of their priorities, things that matters the most. They are completers and always give their best shot in whatever they do.

4. Think win-win. Tama ang kasabihan, “walang sinuman ang nabubuhay para sa sarili lamang.” For me, walang sinuman ang nagtatagumpay na nag-isa, dahil lahat sila may tao na tumulong sa kanila for them to succeed. Ang mga taong successful, they always think win-win, meaning they win while others win as well. Hindi nanlalamang para lang maka take advantage. People who succeed are by-product of unselfish effort of a person or someone to plant that seed, that seed of greatness.

“Don’t try to take the last penny off the table; make sure that the people who buy from you also make money. If not, they won’t buy from you again.” –Michael Shvo, Founder of the Shvo Group

When you help others to succeed, God will help you to succeed too. When you give to others, God will give you too.

For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; Matthew 25:35

Tama ang sabi ng Panginoong Hesus: “Whatever we do to others, it shall be done unto us.” Tratuhin mo ng tama ang iba para itrato ka din nila ng tama.

“For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”  -Luke 6:38

Bakit maraming mga multinational companies ang may mga scholarships and foundations? Kase pag nakatapos ang mga scholars nila, ang companies din naman makikinabang sa kanila.

Successful people understand the power of mutual benefit: walang lamangan. Hating kapatid, ‘kumita ka, kikita din ako.’

5. Good listener. Successful people are good communicators but they also understand when to shut up and listen, with no intention to talk as soon as the opportunity comes. Dito mo makikita ang mga taong nakikinig without interruption. By listening effectively, successful understands what others are saying. Nagkakaintindihan kaya walang misunderstanding.

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. Proverbs 18:2

May mga tao na very opinionated, sila palagi bida sa lahat ng usapan…but successful people know when to open his mouth, and when he does, everybody listens. Bakit? Kase may wisdom, may sense ang sinasabi nila.

When you learn to listen to understand others, people will learn to trust you and like you. When people trust and like you, the possibilities are endless.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people. Luke 2:52  

6. The Power of Two. Successful understand the power of synergy – which means that the whole is greater than the sum of each part.

Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

May isang grupo ng mga bubuyog ang na-trap sa isang kawayan. Sa kanilang kagustuhan makalabas kaagad, kanya-kanya sila ng kagat sa kahoy, but later on naubos na ang lakas nila, lahat sila namatay. Many experts believe that if each one cooperated to chew off a piece of wood on the same spot, makakagawa sila ng enough na butas para lahat sila makalabas. Pero the problem is they are divided and their efforts are not concentrated. Yan din ang problema ng maraming unsuccessful people, kanya-kanya sila.

“Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” Matthew 12:25

7. Sharpen-up. Successful people never give up to hone their skills and sharpen their knowledge because they understand that principle: what they know yesterday may no longer be up-to-date in today’s environment. They renew themselves. They innovate and develop.

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15

Successful people educate themselves to gain better understanding, in order to be more efficient. They read books, they exercise, they observe, they study, they never stop learning. They never stop growing to be more effective.

If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge, then one must exert more strength; however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success. Ecclesiastes 10:10

…the sword is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer.- Ezekiel 21:11