These Are The Habits Shared By Many Successful People
If you take inventory of the consistent habits of successful people from all different walks of life, you may be surprised to learn they have a lot in common. No matter how you define success, whether you’re thinking about happiness, financial wealth, familial love, or any other areas of meaning or value, there are certain actions and behaviors that can greatly increase your likelihood of achieving your dreams. So, ask yourself whether you’re exercising any of these habits currently, and if not, what can you begin to incorporate into your life?
Identifying Your Most Productive Hours of The Day
If you’re a morning person, it’s most beneficial to schedule all of your essential tasks during the first half of the day. You can set aside time to reply to all your emails, then have meetings later in the day. You’ll be more focused once you’ve gotten all of your most pressing duties taken care of. Tackling emails and other non-essential activities in the morning tends to wire you to behave in a proactive state, where you control your own destiny, as opposed to a highly sensitive, reactive one.
Meditation
Meditation has been shown to improve focus, happiness, and overall health. To begin meditating, start by focusing on what you’re grateful for, followed by several minutes of focusing on your breath. There are many apps available today that provide guidance and accountability to sustain regular practice. You may choose to meditate in the morning to set yourself up for a mindful day; however, meditating before bed and taking the opportunity to reflect on the day to determine how to make tomorrow better is a great option, as well.
Using Lists
Lists reduce anxiety by providing a structure and memory log. Lists break down your goals into manageable sub-tasks, and they’re proof of what you’ve achieved that day, week, or month. Science also shows that to-do lists eliminate the negative cognitive effects of unfinished goals, freeing up your mind to actually focus on the task that needs your present attention. You can keep a to-do list electronically on your phone with your calendar, your notes app, or a number of other project management apps. The organization is vital for any successful person, and Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank is one of the biggest proponents of using To-Do-Lists to increase productivity.
Working Out
Staying active in your daily routine is key to living a healthy life, which allows you to complete your daily tasks with more ease. When you aren’t getting your blood flowing on a regular basis, you can become lazy, sluggish, and unmotivated. Aim to work out three to five times per week for at least 30 minutes a day. A lot of successful people find this easiest to do in the morning to get their day started.
Googling People
Do a quick Google search on anyone you’re meeting with. You can check out their Facebook and LinkedIn profiles, where you can do some research about the companies they’ve worked for, see if you have any mutual connections, and learn about any other experience they have. Getting to know the person you’re meeting can help keep a conversation flowing, shows you’ve done your homework, and will allow you to prepare some talking points to break the ice.
Prioritizing Sleep
Sleep is vital for our overall health, and health is pertinent to our success. You could be exercising regularly, eating a clean diet, and meditating daily, but without adequate sleep, your efforts won’t return the results you’re after. It may feel like you can get more work done if you stay up those few extra hours, but burning the candle at both ends will cause you to work slower, accomplish less, and produce lower-quality work. You may think you naturally require less sleep, but unfortunately, you’re probably wrong. Scientists believe only 5% of people have the genetic mutation required to function properly with only six hours of sleep. Jeff Bezos shares this view, saying “Eight hours of sleep makes a big difference for me, and I try hard to make that a priority.”
Questioning the Status Quo
Are you and your team doing things the same way as your competitors, or have you been doing things the same way for as long as you can remember? It’s always good to look outside the box and see what you can change or improve. Regularly ask yourself if there’s a better way to complete a task to carry you to greater success.
Examining the Metrics
If you have a business, make sure you have systems in place to collect data. You’ll want to routinely check the metrics of your efforts, so you know where to put your energy and focus. If you ignore these or never look at them, you may never know where you can improve. You can set aside time to analyze these daily or weekly.
Surrounding Yourself With Successful People
Surrounding yourself with successful people is an excellent motivator for you to get on their level. Ask these people questions and learn from them. Model their behavior, if you too want to be successful. You want these relationships to be genuine, rather than just spending time with them to beat them at their game. Learn from your peers, friends, and family to get inspired by them.
Outsourcing
Determine what tasks can be completed by someone else, and outsource them to someone you can trust. This will leave more time for you to get the big, essential tasks done. Your time is valuable, and you should be spending it on things that deliver the best ROI. It’ll be rewarding to see your to-do list shrink, but you won’t be depleted by spending all your time completing tedious tasks.
Spending Quality Time With Family and Friends
Spending time with people you love is essential, and you can’t be working 100% of the time. You need to have some work-life balance. Spending time with friends and family can bring you back to reality, allow you to relax your mind, and remind you what’s truly important. Relationships also help to cultivate habits of patience, kindness, compassion, and understanding. And feeling connected to others is highly important for your mental and emotional health, which will affect your ability to achieve success.
Finding a Mentor
Seek out a mentor, coach, or role model who can answer your big questions and give you informed advice. There are other people who have walked down the path you’re taking and will be able to share the mistakes they’ve made, so you can learn faster and be sure to avoid them.
Thanking Your Employees
It’s important to practice gratitude in all areas of your life, and you should do this for your employees, as well. If you don’t have employees, you can also practice this with a co-worker. Letting others know that their hard work is appreciated will, in turn, increase morale, and you’ll have a better working environment.
Having Meetings
Along with thanking your employees, schedule regular meetings with them. Group meetings are a great way to get everyone on the same page and motivate them for what needs to be done that day. Ask them for their input on procedures and how you can make them better. Create a space where people can be open and share their thoughts, so there’s a constant feedback loop, creating an opportunity to reach greater heights.
Tracking Your Habits
Many successful people tend to track their habits, whether it be in a handwritten journal or with an app on their cell phones. You can track anything from your healthy eating habits to your workouts, the tasks you’ve completed, and more. It’s helpful to see what you’ve done so far, and what else needs to be done so you can get to where you want to be.
Being Present
Being present in meetings or conversations and being part of the team is essential. Try putting your devices away so you can listen to what others have to say. If you’re using your device to record anything, that’s okay. Just be aware of multitasking. Encourage others to put the gadgets away, as well.
Eating Well
It’s crucial to fuel your body with the proper nutrition to maintain energy, brain power, and overall health. If you don’t have enough energy, chances are you won’t be able to get things done effectively. Eat a balanced diet by focusing on whole foods, avoiding processed foods and excessive caffeine, and limiting alcohol and sugar. Learn to listen to your body and tune into what you need to have the best performance.
Getting Involved In Your Community
Being involved in your local community is excellent for networking, as well as feeling like you’re a part of something. You could volunteer your time with local events, join a board to share about a cause you care about, or help out with a local charity. Giving back to your community is extremely rewarding, and it’s great for your mental health.
Learning Always
No matter where you are in this journey of life, it’s key to never stop learning. Research on your own by researching on the internet, watching videos, listening to podcasts, and reading books. And keep asking questions. Knowledge is key, and it’s right at your fingertips!
Learning To Say No
Successful people are really good at hearing and saying “no”. They have less fear of criticism, failure, and rejection, and they use these circumstances as an opportunity to learn. When you become more self aware, you can reflect and make positive changes. Journal about the feedback you receive, and determine what you can do to improve. Being good at saying “no” doesn’t mean you have to do it all the time, but it shows that you’re good at setting boundaries while being mindful of others.
Answering Emails
You don’t need to answer junk mail, but any inquiries that you receive, answer them in a timely fashion and be professional. You may be able to make a connection with the person on the other end who could be a great addition to your network.
Making The Bed
Many people cite making their bed as a fundamental way to start the day, from Tim Ferriss to Navy Seal Admiral William H. McRaven. This is because it gives you a feeling of accomplishment first thing in the morning. Having already completed a task, you’ll have the momentum needed to accomplish the rest of your daily goals. Additionally, once you arrive home, no matter what happened during the day, you’ll always have a ready-made bed to climb into.
Journaling
When you have an overwhelming slew of thoughts running through your head, anxiety may ramp up, or you could start to lose control over how you feel. Putting those thoughts and emotions down on paper makes them more manageable and can be a great tool for decreasing stress. However, it can be tough to get into the habit of writing in a journal every day, and that’s where the The 5 Minute Journal could come in handy. Recommended by Tim Ferriss, the 5 Minute Journal helps you create a daily mindfulness practice that will encourage you to be more intentional and thoughtful throughout the day and your life.
Setting Goals
Set goals for yourself, and most importantly, follow through. Being a habitual goal-setter requires dedicating yourself to working from clear, written goals every single day. Highly successful people are extremely goal-oriented and know what they want. Write down your goals, create a structured plan to accomplish them, and work on them daily.
Over-Delivering on Professional Expectations
If you’re working a 9-5 job, that doesn’t mean you have to restrict yourself to those hours. This doesn’t mean working for the sake of working but owning whatever you’re working on, and leaving only when the job is done. It’s also fulfilling to own an entire process within your company and to do whatever you can to do it well. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for additional responsibilities and side projects, if you have the bandwidth. Your commitment will be recognized and appreciated, and chances are you’ll get promoted fast. Don’t necessarily expect any immediate reward for your actions, but stick it out, and it will likely put you on the fast track to success.
Recognizing The Difference Between Expansion and Growth
Don’t mistake expansion for growth. Startup founders often don’t know what growth actually looks like. Adding features to your product won’t necessarily grow it. Neither will getting a fancy office, or going to a lot of networking events. Adding customers, and building products? Now that’s growth. The effort and time you put into something does not mean you’re more successful. You may be putting more energy into something that isn’t going to dramatically impact your bottom line. If you can distinguish growth from expansion, you’ll give yourself a good chance to avoid this common trap.
Putting in The Work
This last one is obvious. Highly successful people work their butts off. If you devote time and energy toward something and have passion fueling the way, you’ll have a much higher likelihood of success.
No matter where you’re at right now, there’s no doubt that a highly positive life change could easily be on the horizon. But rather than waiting for luck to come to bite you in the rear end, it’s on you to take actionable steps toward getting yourself on the path to realizing your dreams. The above list of habits gives you an incredible starting point to work with, but the execution is entirely in your hands.