It's graduation season. I have a few family members graduating from various levels of education. In addition, my speaking partner, Chris, is celebrating his eldest son's high school graduation. From time to time, I like to share some general principles of mindset and success. This post isn't only for people who are graduating—no matter how old you are or where you are on life's journey, these are foundational principles for success.

Here we go.

Create a Vision

Clarity is key, and so often, people are just stumbling through life without any direction. Create a vision of what you want your life to look and feel like. What experiences do you want to have? What causes do you care about? What kind of people do you want to meet? The clearer you are about these aspects, the better you'll know which direction to head in. Life is filled with unexpected turns and twists. It's important for you to always keep in the forefront what your life should look like.

You Are Responsible for Your Life

You are responsible for your life and its outcomes. You are responsible for your mindset, your attitudes, your habits, the way you set goals, and the way you address challenges. When life doesn't go your way, it's up to you to react to whatever holds you back. Accept reality and work within the confines of reality. I often say there's reality and your reaction to reality.

Throughout your journey, you are going to wish that life was different, that life was easier, that you didn't have to deal with the ups and downs of the economy. You are also going to deal with your own internal challenges, whether that's fear, anxiety, procrastination, health issues, or any challenge that feels unique to you. But there are no truly unique challenges. Every single challenge that you face, someone else has successfully navigated. You are responsible for addressing anything that gets in your way. You are also responsible for developing the mindset and the skillset that will make you more valuable to other people and to the market at large.

Stay Curious

Many people are aware of a couple of ways to achieve success, but there are more ways to achieve success than there are successful people. Curiosity is the ability to see beyond what you already know. Curious people understand that there is always someone new to meet, new places to go, fresh experiences to gain, and opportunities that exist beyond their current circumstances. I always thought of life beyond my current disability and beyond my current small ecosystem. Read books. Attend industry events. Meet people. Be a lifetime learner. Travel somewhere new—not as an escape but as a sabbatical to learn and grow.

Serve Others and Be Kind

A big determinant of your success will be the way you serve others. Every single job and every single relationship involves you serving other people. Others need your help achieving their goals, managing their challenges, and reaching their version of success. The better you can serve, the more success you will have. Part of serving is simply being a good person to others. You will attract people who are ethical if you are ethical. Be kind. Beyond professional life, you want to be kind and serve the people that you love and who love you. You attract people by putting out a certain energy and having strong character. If your energy is negative, you are going to attract people who have the same traits. Become the person who others want to collaborate with and rely on.

Moving Forward

No matter how old you are and where you are in your journey, it's never too late (or early) to step back and examine these four powerful principles for success.