By Katie Scheer

The start of a new year brings a higher drive to succeed as goals are made and strategies are set, so it's fitting to revisit what it takes to be a winner. Let's win this year by achieving our visions for 2018.

I am competitive and hate to lose – personally, professionally, and athletically. "Losing" doesn't necessarily mean I lost; instead, it might mean I defeated myself because I didn't try hard enough, dwelled too much on mistakes, and more. When I don't "win," I learn from my mistakes, pick up the pieces, and create the game plan for how to do things different next time. I have found this is the only way to be successful. I literally stumbled upon a terrific article that lists 33 characteristics that separate winners from losers, and understanding these differences is paramount as we all attempt to achieve success in life. We all want to be WINNERS. Where do you truly fall?

Vincent with HealthMoneySuccess and author of Unleash Your Maximum Potential created the below list.

33 Striking Differences Between Winners and Losers

  1. Winners focus on solutions. Losers focus on problems.
  2. Winners take responsibility. Losers blame others.
  3. Winners find opportunities in crisis. Losers complain about crisis.
  4. Winners enjoy being in the present and learn from the past. Losers live in the past.
  5. Winners make commitments and keep them no matter what. Losers make promises that they always break.
  6. Winners think about how they can achieve. Losers give excuses.
  7. Winners make personal development a priority. Losers neglect personal development.
  8. Winners face their fear, accept it and take the leap. Losers dwell in their fear.
  9. Winners constantly expand their comfort zone. Losers stay in their comfort zone.
  10. Winners take action consistently. Losers refrain from taking action and lack consistency.
  11. Winners take failure in their stride and learn from them. Losers fear failure and avoid them at all cost.
  12. Winners try different strategies when they are not getting the results they want. Losers do the same thing over and over again expecting different results.
  13. Winners set goals. Losers lack goals.
  14. Winners plan. Losers hate having a plan.
  15. Winners believe there are always things to be learned. Losers consider themselves as an expert even though they know little.
  16. Winners are humble. Losers are egoistic.
  17. Winners continue to hone their skill every day without fail. Losers make little effort in honing their skill.
  18. Winners work hard. Losers avoid work.
  19. Winners give their best for the things they decide to do. Losers work half-heartedly in everything they do.
  20. Winners are persistent and will do whatever it takes (ethical means) to achieve their goal. Losers give up when obstacles pop up.
  21. Winners manage their time well and indulge in high value activities that will bring them closer to their goals. Losers lack time management skills and indulge in time-wasting activities like playing games and watching re-runs for the umpteenth time.
  22. Winners dream in the day. Losers dream in bed.
  23. Winners think about possibilities. Losers focus on obstacles that stop them from achieving.
  24. Winners are certain. Losers doubt.
  25. Winners control their own destiny. Losers leave everything to fate.
  26. Winners give more than they take. Losers take more than they give.
  27. Winners think about whether the crowd is going in the right direction. If not, he will walk the other direction. Losers follow the crowd.
  28. Winners think and lead. Losers refuse to think so they follow.
  29. Winners listen. Losers fight for every chance to talk.
  30. Winners always find a better way to do things. Losers stick to one way of doing things.
  31. Winners spend money in seminars and classes to improve themselves. Losers think that spending money on seminars and classes is wasteful and they prefer to buy toys that give them instant gratification.
  32. Winners help others win. Losers refuse to help and think only about their own benefit.
  33. Winners find like-minded people that can bring them to greater height. Losers find like-minded people that will drag them to failure.