You see them all around you; women succeeding in every avenue of life.  They seem to have direction and know what they’re doing.  They seem busy, satisfied, and put together while you can barely coordinate an outfit.  You wonder how they manage to look so calm and collected when you know they work full-time and yet somehow concurrently enjoy a full and happy home life.  

How do these women do it?  While there is no magical secret to success, there are certainly characteristics that most successful women share, and if you can adopt them in your own life, there’s no reason you can’t attain the same level of success.

1. Determined.  Those who succeed are willing to try, fail, and try again.  You’ve heard the saying “no risk, no reward” and truly successful women embrace this idea whole-heartedly.  In order to advance in any area of your life, you have to be willing to go out on a limb.  But more than that, you must have the willpower to pick yourself up when you fall flat on your face, and continue with even more resolve.

2. Resourceful.  Let’s face it; women do not have the same advantages as men.  True, they are light years ahead of where they sat just a few generations ago (presumably in the kitchen instead of the boardroom), but they still face a lot of hurdles when it comes to professional inclusion and progression.  For that reason, women must use every tool in their arsenal in order to reach the same heights.  They must garner a strong base of education and experience, and blend them with interpersonal skills to get ahead.

3. Engaging.  Many women in office settings suffer from the same disorder; a woeful inability to speak up.  Women are much more likely to downplay their own role and attribute successes to a team, whereas men seeking to climb the ladder will almost always take credit for their achievements (and make sure everyone hears about them).  You must not only do well in your position in order to get promoted, you must be willing to market yourself as an asset and convince others of your value.

4. Ambitious.  Women without ambition rarely achieve greatness.  Queen Elizabeth I gave up the chance at a family (and had her own sister imprisoned) in order to rule England.  Susan B. Anthony and many other suffragettes risked being ostracized and thrown in jail in order to spread the message of women’s equality.  Throughout history, the most successful women have been willing to take control of their own lives and do whatever was necessary to reach their goals.

5. Confident.  Without a firm belief in yourself, you cannot hope to achieve true success.  Nobody wants to back someone who is uncertain about their own ability to follow through.  Those who lack confidence may be seen as spineless, incompetent, and even lazy, whether they are or not.  Women who are self-assured, on the other hand, inspire confidence in others.  And believing in yourself, knowing that you are capable and self-sufficient, really makes material success more like the icing on the cake.

Breana is a writer for the website Therapist Schools. You can browse the site to find information about educational therapist salaries and other therapy resources.

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