Top achievers usually share key traits, says an expert who interviewed 1,000 of America's most successful people. Here are some of the characteristics they tend to have in common according to Doris Lee McCoy, Ph.D., author of MegaTraits: 12 Traits of Successful People.

1. Successful people enjoy their work. "These people are having the time of their lives. They work with a total involvement that seems to shut out everything else," said McCoy.
   
   
2. They have a positive attitude and plenty of confidence. "The successful never seem to doubt that they will achieve," she said. "And when they do, it contributes even more strongly to their self-esteem."
   
   
3. They use negative experiences to discover their strengths. For example, TV producer Norman Lear grew up with parents who were always screaming at each other, but he learned to find humor in the situation—and then used it to develop All in the Family.
   
   
4. They're decisive, disciplined goal setters. Most achievers have a clear idea what they want out of life, and they take the shortest route to go after it.
   
   
5. They have integrity and help others succeed. Karl Eller, chairman of Circle K Store told McCoy, "With any deal, I've been careful that I was fair to the other side, so both parties were happy. " That fairness is an integral part of success.
   

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