You were born to win, but to be a winner
you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win. -Zig Ziglar

Some people enjoy success after success while others wallow in repeated failure and losses. It is easy to say that maybe it is all just a matter of luck. Some days, good fortune is on your side while adversity seems to be a constant companion on unlucky days. However if you take a moment to ponder, you may begin to realize that people who always win possess habits and traits that are different from people who are always on the losing side. So if you want favorable circumstances to pour your way, the first thing you may need to do is examine your own actions and attitudes. Try and compare how your behavior differs from that of the successful folks. Your reflection may just let you see that to keep winning in life, you need to develop the following traits:

Expect positive outcomes.

Your thoughts and views have a great impact on the things you want to accomplish in your life. This is the principle behind the popular concept of the law of attraction. This theory implies that like begets like or simply put, you receive what you give.  It means that expecting and visualizing positive results increases your chance of turning it to reality. The Roman poet, Virgil perfectly summarized this concept with the quote, “They can because they think they can.” So in every endeavor, choose to look at the bright side and stay positive.  Theories and studies suggest that it boost your chance of succeeding. Moreover, positive emotions also helps you stay healthy and happy..

Mind your words.

Along with your thoughts that run in your mind, you should also guard the words that come out of your mouth. Try to observe how you communicate with yourself and assess if the words demean rather than uplift you. If you are given a task, do you describe it as easy and doable or do you tend to whine and complain? Words are powerful so make sure that it will work to your advantage. This is the reasons why meditations and prayers often contains phrases that are uttered repeatedly. To adapt this technique, you can start by making daily positive affirmations that will strengthen your resolve to win and excel.

Make necessary preparations.

Positive attitude is not nearly as effective without concrete steps and actions. So even with high hopes and affirmations, open your eyes to the reality that you also have loads of preparation to do. Take opportunities to train and equip yourself with skills that will ensure your success. Preparation also means identifying the weaknesses that can hinder your success. If you prepared ahead of time, you will have time to figure out ways on how to cope or avoid possible roadblocks. Having the will to win without preparing any strategy to accomplish the goal is like heading to a battle without anything to combat the enemy.

Welcome change.

It would be nice to stay in your comfort zone where everything is easy and predictable. However since nothing is permanent in this word, this ideal situation is not that realistic. To breeze through life, you should develop your adaptability skills. True winners do not fear change. They anticipate and embrace it because they know that it will bring new experiences and lessons. Winners do not let any changes overwhelm or topple them. Instead, they learn how to adapt to various situations without losing control or feeling stressed.

Hang out with the right crowd.

People you regularly hang out with influence you more than you know. So pay close attention the people you are always with. Do they always put you down? Or do they inspire you to be successful? As yourself if the people around you push you to do your best or heighten your anxiety to tackle tasks? Your reflection should lead you to a decision to keep your friends or find a new crowd to hang out with.

Be passionate about what you do.

A popular phrase states that people should find a job they love to do so it will barely feel like work. This saying is also true if you want to succeed in life. Being passionate about your job makes you devote much time and effort into it. It would be unlikely for you to feel burned out from too much work too because you enjoy it. Just being happy and satisfied with the work you do already makes you a winner, but you will likely get lots of recognition and accolades from it too.

Everybody wants to win but winning also means you are willing to work hard for it. Changing your mindsets and developing good traits are a good start to greatly increase your likelihood to win in everything you do.