Most of us look at people at the top of their game—the captains of industry, the wielders of political power, the movers and shakers in the arts, film, and music—and explain their successes using words like “genius,” “ability,” and “talent.” Which would be fine if most of us understood how genius, ability, and talent work. Being successful is not about winning the DNA lottery; it’s about reaching goals. It’s about making smart choices, using the right strategies, and taking action. Study after study shows that so-called “innate” ability measures, like IQ, do a remarkably poor job predicting who succeeds and who doesn’t. Measures of effective strategy use and persistence, on the other hand, tell us a lot about who is likely to rise to the top.

Successful people set very specific goals and seize opportunities to act on them (using strategies like if-then planning). They always know how far they have to go and stay focused on what still needs to be done. They believe they will succeed, but embrace the fact that success will not come easily. They remember that it’s about making progress, rather than doing everything perfectly right out of the gate. They believe that they can develop their abilities through effort, which makes them gritty in the face of setbacks and challenges. They build their willpower through frequent exercise, make plans for how to cope when willpower is low, and try not to put themselves in situations where temptations abound. They focus on what they will do, rather than what they won’t do.

There is nothing they do that you can’t do, too.

For more scientifically proven strategies you can use to achieve personal and professional success, check out my new book Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals.