As a journalist, I have interviewed over 500 highly successful and influential people around the world and what I found out is that all of them are ordinary folks like you and I, at least physically – the same two hands, two legs, two ears, eyes and one head.

No single one of them has anything extra.

During my one-on-one with each and every one of them, I had asked my probing questions because I was trained to always go beyond the façade of what they present to the world as the reasons behind their riches or successes.

You know the popular lines-“I became rich through hard work; my success was as a result of luck; It was God that made me what I am today!”

By nurture I am not really moved by peoples’ positions, attainments or wealth because right from my tens, I have been very close to the highest and the best in the country.

Instances-In my secondary school, that been Nsukka High School, Nsukka in the 80s,Dr Uche Azikiwe, the wife of Rt. Hon Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was my English language teacher and I was good in the subject which made her to like me and that gave me access to be spending a great deal of time at their Onuiyi Haven residence with the great Zik of Africa, who when he was alive was always willing to impact knowledge on the younger ones.

From Dr Azikiwe I got to know closely his friends, which consist of the who-was-who in the country then that were coming to see him.

Maureen Onyegaegbu (nee Okogwu), the junior sister to Mariam Babangida, who was my biology teacher in the same school, that been when Ibrahim Babangida was the Chief of Army Staff and later Military Head of State. Through her, I got to know and met people of influence who wanted things from government through the back door – “Please help me tell your elder sister to talk to the Head of State on my behalf” or “help me tell your elder sister to remind the head of state of my proposal on his table.”

Even where we were living in Nsukka then the Minister of Health to Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Daniel Ugwu, who was fondly called D.C, was a neighbor and we and his children played together as kids.

On the other side of the divide, I was Kris Okotie’s influential errand boy when he was Nigeria’s king of pop music, polishing his shoes and washing his car any time he came from Enugu Campus of the University of Nigeria, where he was reading law to Nsukka to see his girlfriend, Justina Olupitan, an Economics Education Student at the Nsukka campus of the University. Kris Okotie’s first and second albums, I Need Someone and Just For You, were dedicated to her. Chris and I were so close to the extent that he had to instruct his girlfriend to go and do her teaching practice in my school and in my class. I was in Class Three then. It is like a boy in junior secondary school three now having Davido as a close friend and is able to influence him to bring Chioma to come to teach in his school.

So all that was happening around me before the age of 16 shaped me in such a way that I would not be seeing anybody as being too important or being more important than others, which some people who know me from a distance have unfortunately misconstrued to be stubbornness or even arrogance.

Back to our topic of discussion. Those who are making differences in the world today are not doing that because they are different from others.

The only place where they are different from others is in the mind. They have a different mindset.

So, that is what has set them apart from the ordinary folks, the more reason they are extra ordinary.

So, the things which have made the highly and successful people, which if you inculcate in you would also make you different is that they have growth mindset.

Let me now discuss the habits of highly successful and influential People that have made them unstoppable.

Many people wonder how they can become highly successful, not realizing that they hold within them everything they need to achieve all of the success they desire.

Successful people are where they are today because of their habits.

Habits no doubt determine 95% of a person’s behavior.

Everything that you are today, and everything that you will ever accomplish, is determined by the quality of the habits that you form.

By creating good habits and adopting a positive behavior, you too can make a difference.

These 7 Success steps are good predictors of greatness.

For thousands of years, success in human life has been studied by great thinkers and philosophers. I have personally studied the subject for more than 30 years. What I have found out is that the very best people have developed good habits, the reason why they are becoming outstanding.

I have identified seven valuable habits that you need to make a difference. They are

(1) Goal-Oriented

The first step that would help you to make a difference is to be goal oriented.

The world we are in is all about getting results and not telling stories so, you need to be a habitual goal setter. You have to dedicate yourself to working from clear, written goals every day of your life. All highly successful people are intensely goal oriented. They know exactly what they want, they have it written down, they have written plans to accomplish it, and they are constantly reviewing and working on their plans.

I suggest you learn how to use the 80 20 rule to efficiently work toward achieving your goals.

(2) Results Driven

The second step to make a difference is to be results driven.

This is made up of two practices.

The first is the practice of continuously learning so that you become better at what you do.

The second practice is that of time management. This means setting very clear priorities on what you do and then concentrating single-mindedly on the most valuable use of your time.

All really successful people are intensely result-oriented.

(3) Action Oriented

The third step is to develop the habit of continually taking action.

This is really the most important habit for material success. It is the ability to get on with the job and get it done fast.It is your ability to develop and maintain a sense of urgency, and a bias for action. Fast tempo in whatever you do is essential to your success.

You need to overcome procrastination, push aside your fears and launch 100% toward the achievement of your most important goals. The combination of goal orientation, result orientation, and action orientation, in themselves, will virtually assure great success.

(4) People Oriented

The fourth step is to become people orientation.

This is where you put relationships in the center of your life. This is your decision to cultivate within yourself the habits of patience, kindness, compassion, and understanding. Virtually all of your happiness in life will come from your ability to get along well with other people.

The good news is that you can become a wonderful human being in your relationships with others when you decide to.

As Aristotle said, the only way that you can learn any habit is by practicing it on a regular basis. The more you practice being a truly excellent person in your relationships with others, the more you will internalize those qualities and actually become that person.

Focusing on being more pleasant with the people in your life is a great technique to promote a positive thinking lifestyle.

(5) Health Consciousness

The fifth step is to develop is health consciousness.

This means that you must fastidiously watch your diet, and always eat the right foods in the right portions. You must exercise on a regular basis, continually using every muscle and joint of your body to keep it limber and fit. And finally, you must have good habits of rest and recreation that will enable you, in combination with diet and exercise, to live out your years in a healthy state.

Remember, your health is the most important single thing you have, and it is completely subject to the habits that you develop with regard to the way you live.

(6) Honesty

The sixth step is honesty and integrity.

In the final analysis, the character you develop as you go through life is more important than virtually anything else.

Honesty means that you practice the “reality principle” in everything you do. You are completely objective with yourself and with the world around you. You set very clear values for yourself and you organize yourself around your values.You develop a vision for yourself and then you live your life consistent with your highest ideals. You never compromise your integrity or peace of mind for anyone or anything.

This attitude of honesty is critical to your enjoying all of the other good habits that you are developing.

(7) Self-Disciplined

The seventh step and the one that guarantees all the others, is that of self-discipline.

Your ability to discipline yourself, to master yourself, to control yourself, is the most important single quality that you can develop as a person. The habit of self-discipline goes hand in hand with success in every area of life.

If you would like some help staying motivated during your journey to the life of your dreams then check out these inspirational success quotes.

Every one of these steps, being goal oriented, results driven, action orientated, people-orientated, health conscious, honest and self-disciplined can be developed. You are where you are and what you are today because of your habits.

•Peter Anosike has a doctorate degree in Consulting and profit management. He is the founder of Ultimate Entrepreneurs Academy, an organization that trains people on how to become successful entrepreneurs. Contact number: 08035779230 (SMS)