Have you ever really thought about what makes someone successful, whether in business, athletics, relationships, or any other area? I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Success is a habit!
I’ve always been interested in how successful people get that way. It’s not by chance or luck, although those sometimes come into play. For the most part, successful people are successful because they have developed, not just one, but a series of good habits they regularly repeat. This makes overthinking about how to be successful impossible, because in a sense, when you quit plotting and stressing about the actions you should take and begin to rely on a series of well thought out habits, your success gets put on automatic pilot.
Of course, if you focus on the wrong habits, like overspending or never getting enough sleep, then success will elude you. So how do you know what habits to develop? The easiest way is to look at what other successful people have as their habits and then do what they do. I’ve rounded up ten good habits that most successful people make a part of their daily routine:
One – Successful People Read. A Lot.
Both the founder of MIcrosoft, Bill Gates and technology executive Sheryl Sandberg, share this good habit. They read. A lot. Reading exposes you to new ideas, inspires and motivates you and helps you learn from and avoid the mistakes of others.
Two – Successful People Take Care of Their Bodies.
Ramit Sethi, a very successful financial author, found that a commitment to exercise was the number one habit successful people have in common. They have established a program of regular exercise and they stick to it.
Three – Successful People Make Time for Deep Work.
Cal Newport is a Georgetown University professor who wrote a book you must read called Deep Work. He defines it this way: “professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit, [which then] create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to duplicate.” Take a look at Deep Work at it and then work to incorporate this habit into your life.
Four – Successful People Meditate.
Listen, you must do something everyday to quiet your monkey mind’s chatter and relieve stress. Meditation can improve your ability to focus, as champion bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger discovered in the 1970’s. Meditation has since become mainstream as its benefits have become more widely known.
Five – Successful People Batch Their Distractions.
When you are working, it’s so easy to get off track by checking your email or getting on Facebook ‘just for a minute’ to see what‘s going on. Before you know it, you’re responding to messages and looking at cute cat videos! Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Work Week, recommends making time to check your email only twice a day, say 11 am and 4 pm but not before you have finished at least one must-do item in your to-do list, both morning and afternoon.
Six – Successful People Just Say No.
Every time you say ‘Yes’ to something you are saying ‘No’ to something else. Here’s what billionaire investor Warren Buffett has to say about it: “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”
Seven – Successful People Think Big.
As Peter Diamandis, entrepreneur and founder of the X Prize Foundation puts it, “The reason, I believe, is even if you fail in doing something ambitious, you usually succeed in doing something important.”
Eight – Successful People Get Enough Sleep.
Contrary to the myth that successful people burn the candle at both ends, successful people get enough quality sleep. Albert Einstein was said to function best on ten hours of sleep a night. Getting enough quality sleep helps in repairing muscle tissue, strengthening immune function, and enhancing cognitive abilities like reaction time, decision-making, and memory consolidation.
Nine – Successful People Cultivate a Positive Attitude.
They see opportunities where others see problems. They see lessons when others see only failure. Positive psychology professor Barbara Frederickson, author of the book Positivity comments, “Positivity doesn’t just change the contents of your mind…it widens the span of possibilities that you see.”
Ten – Successful People Take Action.
They don’t just think up great ideas, they execute them, even imperfectly if need be. They also know that even the most successful people need a sounding board, and a coach or mentor. I’d love to help you incorporate your own set of success habits into your daily life. Contact me anytime to set up a complimentary, no obligation consultation. I’m here to help!
Comments, thoughts, questions? I love to hear from you so leave them below. I’ll be sure to answer.
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