[jbsmith]

With over 20-years experience in executive ranks in business, an upscale neighborhood where I saw lots of happiness, but also a great deal of unhappiness and an entrepreneur who now regularly partners with millionaires on projects (I'm not trying to blow my own horn here - only to say that I've been exposed to lots of high achievers with about an equal mix of what I call successful people - happy, balanced, etc...)

Your list holds very true in large part, but there is one other MAJOR factor that distinguishes these achievers apart from all others...the X factor if you will.

It's also the factor that often attracts just as much jelousy and negative attention to high achievers - even though they do not threaten anyone.

The trait is best described as..."They do NOT accept the standard definition of what is possible"

Think about how damned irritating that is for the rest of society when you get this maverick in that simply ignores (not defies) limitations, previous notions of what is possible and all of the politics and things that get in the way for most of the rest of us.

At work, this person is often looked at as a "dreamer", a "kiss ass" because they don't worry about who they need to make friends with to achieve their goals, and can make you look very petty as you focus on the obstacles to achieving while they operate as if there are no obstacles in their way.

At first, I used to think - are they really that naive or stupid to notice there are major obstacles?

On the contrary - they are well aware of them - but simply choose to ignore them completely setting their own definition of what is achievable.

This is an extremely consistent and important factor in anyone I have known who has achieved breakthrough success. Not only do they over-achieve, but they are much happier people because they don't always focus on the negatives that stand in their way.

Do any of you relate to this??

Jeff