No matter what your walk of life, there are certain key habits that can make you a winner. And by “winner” I don’t just mean the most successful business, or the biggest bank account, or the greatest recognition in your field; rather I mean that you’re happy with the life that you live. Here are five ways to become a winning woman. Check back next week for another five:

Five Ways to Become a Winning Woman

1. Discover what you do best and devote your life to it.

I refer to this as “crafting” your life, and you really CAN do it. The formula is simple: Figure out what you do best and build your life around it.

2. Spend time with  A+ people.

Think of life as a ladder. One of the quickest ways to climb that ladder is to hang out at the places where they congregate. You’ve got a limited amount of discretionary time, so be sure you’re spending it with the right people.

3. Be an Insane Optimist.

When it seems that the whole world is stacked against you, optimism is the one thing that can keep you from crumbling. If you’ve got a mindset that things will go right, they somehow usually do!

4. Tap into your creativity.

Niche said, “Creativity and love of life are the crucial ingredients of greatness.”  And I believe it’s true. This week follow through on just one of those “crazy ideas” that have popped into your mind and see what happens.

5. Bring value to others.

The more value you bring to key groups and individuals, the more fulfilling your relationship with them becomes. And, from a business perspective, the value you provide returns to you in the form of loyal customers and greater revenue.