Over the past few years, I have had the privilege to get to know several people who are what you might describe as achievers. They are successful entrepreneurs, speakers and leaders in their fields. They are people I admire, and look up to.

These are people who consistently grow and develop new successes in their lives, no matter what circumstances greet them.

As I have watched these people, and aimed to become more like them, I have noticed an interesting trait they all share in common.

They all lean forward.

What I mean by this, is that they have a habit of calmly focusing their energy, their time and their activities towards future results. It’s a hard thing to describe, but it seems as if they are leaning the weight of their existence towards progress. And because of this, they eventually achieve incredible results.

By contrast, most other people I see in the world seem to live in the present. They have a focus on whatever needs are most current, and work to meet them each day.

However the achievers who move forward almost ignore the needs of their day-to-day life and instead transfer their energy towards a future that doesn’t yet exist.

The  reason I use the term ‘lean’ is because of the way they do it.

The leaning is calm, it is consistent and it is almost subconscious. Rarely is there a grand display of ambition or aggressive action that shows off to the world. Instead, their life has a deliberate bent towards the future, almost in a gentle way.

The more I see this habit, the more I realize this is a counter-intuitive secret to success.

It is very difficult to keep trying to push for results in the present. It is incredibly frustrating to want everything to work out each time you attempt it. Even though it seems like this is the path to what you want, all it often does is leave you tired and bitter.

Yet those who achieve greater success seem to simply lean forward. Their actions, their focus and their belief in themselves all align, and they take each day in stride. It seems like the future they envision starts to take shape as a matter of course.

Their courage is displayed in their calm. Their belief is that what they are doing is leading somewhere important, and that they will achieve it, when the time is right.