What is the secret to success?

That’s the $64,000 question, isn’t it (BTW, adjusted for inflation it’s equivalent to the purchasing power of about $642,853.73). From the dawn of time, people have been trying to figure out how to succeed, usually via the quickest and most painless route possible.

For example, depending on the source cited, Americans spend between $18 and $40 billion (that’s with a B) on diet and weight loss aids each year. “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” was a film and Broadway sensation, and every day, new digital charlatans pop up on the internet to explain how people can make money over the web while they sleep.

However, shortcuts seldom work and usually backfire.

Real success is systemic, painstaking work that requires diligence, focus and effort. That being said, according to Knowledge Is Power Program founder Dave Kipp, there are eight characteristics commonly shared by successful people.

Perhaps there’s a secret after all.

“At the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities.” —Jean Houston

1. Humor: A sense of humor helps in a number of ways, chief among them is the ability to ease tension. Laughter literally breaks down stress hormones in the body and enables people to relax and see things from a new perspective. Humor helps individuals to not only realize the absurd in any given situation but to also not take themselves too seriously.

“Everything in the world we want to do or get done, we must do with and through people.” —Earl Nightingale

2. Social intelligence: Sometimes generally referred to as people skills, Emotional Quotient (EQ), or soft skills, people who possess social intelligence are able to incorporate many complex and subtle interaction skills while making it appear easy. Being able to interact with, inspire and motivate others is essential to achieving success. No one ever succeeds alone.

“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.” —Anne Lamott

3. Hope: Hope is the ballast, the base and the tether rooted in an unknown source of grace that keeps us hanging in there when reality tells us to give up. Without hope, goals are empty. Hope is linked to promise—the promise of what can be, the promise of our dreams. Without the underpinnings of a reason (the seed of hope), none of us have the driver for improving our behavior.

“Love is work made visible.” —Kahlil Gibran

4. Love: Love is the highest vibration of excellence that exists. It is so pure, so elemental, that no one can define it; we can only sense when it is present. Have you ever teared up at the sound of someone’s voice while singing? Experienced a lump in your throat when witnessing a kindness? That’s love made manifest, and it’s the most galvanizing force in our universe. P.S. This quote is part of my email signature.

“Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.” —Edwin Arlington Robinson

5. Gratitude: Possessing and expressing gratitude is a means for keeping your giving and receiving channel open and unobstructed. Awareness of our blessings magnifies them. I included the second half of the gratitude quote because when we give from our abundance and recognize that we give from strength, isn’t that success?

“Life is slowly passing us by. Without a genuine sense of enthusiasm, a zest for life, and a lighthearted spirit, we take our problems and obstacles too seriously. People are seen as burdens instead of gifts. Challenges are dreaded instead of seen as opportunities.” —Richard Carlson

6. Zest: The spice of life, zest is more than happiness. It is a winsome enthusiasm for the experiences of life, both good and bad, that provides energy for the journey. Zest may also be identified or recognized via contrast to whatever is being experienced. Using a food analogy, if oatmeal can be classified as bland, then a dash of cinnamon serves as the spicy-sweet zest. Take heart if you are experiencing a particularly oatmeal-y time in your life, look for the cinnamon. It’s there.

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.” —Amelia Earhart

7. Grit: For me, grit exists as both a noun and a verb, with one begetting the other. I own a pair of silver leather ballet flats that I wore to Lake Michigan one summer during a film festival. We had visited the beaches while touring lighthouses. While that trip was years ago, I STILL have sand in the crevices of those slippers. The grains have persevered and clung to the inside of my shoes; never to be fully eradicated. The tenacity to endure and persist in the pursuit of a goal that speaks to you is elemental to reaching success.

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically—to say no to other things. And the way to do that is by having a bigger yes burning inside. The enemy of the best is often the ‘good.” —Stephen Covey

8. Self control: Of the eight, this is probably the most difficult to attain, but it’s not impossible. What’s interesting is that when we strive to appear successful, we’ll keep our word to the external world and people in our networks, because we don’t want to be thought a liar or unreliable. However, we oftentimes will break our word to ourselves because (we rationalize), we’re the only ones who can tell that we’re not holding ourselves accountable. When we fail to discipline ourselves, we haven’t build a firm center from which to grow outward. Our facade is simply that: a veneer that won’t hold, ultimately. Through self-control, the seeds of true success are sown, regardless of your field or endeavor.

Which one of these secrets have you figured out? When and how did you realize it? Which ones would you like to focus on in the future?

P.S. Every Sunday, I publish a free weekly newsletter called the 3 Minute Reset, which includes life lessons, life hacks and treats. To subscribe, click here.