Success is not a goal; it is a process reinforced by desirable behaviours, hard work, and perseverance. Whether one is interested in enhancing one’s professional life, entering the business world, or enhancing one’s personal life, the right habits will propel one to the right path towards the achievement of the laid-down goals.
Business tycoons, sports personalities, scholars, writers – all these people have some habits that can ensure productivity, passion and concentration. Below are the nine habits that you can begin to emulate from successful persons in your life today.
1. Waking Up Early
One of the most typical habits of successful people is waking up early in the morning. Early morning is a good time because there are few interruptions, and the work is efficient and effective because it targets the most important matters first.
For example, Apple CEO Tim Cook starts his day at 4:30 AM, while Oprah Winfrey is up by 6:00 AM. Morning people can wake up early and plan their day, exercise or just do something for themselves before the day gets going.
Benefits of Waking Up Early:
Increased productivity
Better time management
To be already ahead in the performance of significant activities
If you have a problem with waking up early, it is better to gently change your nightly routine and try to sleep 7-8 hours a night.
2. Setting Clear Goals
Ambitious people are purposeful – they have goals and do everything to meet those goals. SMART goals, that is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals provide a way of translating grand plans into something that is achievable.
For example:
Don’t say, “I want to lose weight”, but rather say “I will lose ten pounds in two months through exercising four days a week and eating better meals”.
Put your goals on paper, come back to them from time to time, and keep yourself responsible. Visualization can also help to keep you motivated because you are picturing your success.
3. Continuous learning has to be prioritized
Education is everything and people that are successful never stop learning. As readers, as attendees of workshops or listeners of podcasts, they make learning a part of their daily routine.
For instance, Warren Buffet, one of the world’s richest people, reportedly devotes 80 per cent of his time to reading while Bill Gates, another Software tycoon is said to read about 50 books annually.
How to Adopt a Learning Habit:
To be more precise, choose books that would meet your professional or hobby needs.
Read educational podcasts or audiobooks in your car, bus, or train.
Expand your new knowledge by enrolling in online courses.
Also, do not forget the more knowledge you gain the better you are placed to deal with adversity or capitalize on opportunities.
4. Practicing Time Management
The best and the most precious thing is time and those who are successful know how to work with it. They plan their working activities with efficiency by working on what is important and avoiding waste of time.
Key Time Management Techniques:
The Eisenhower Matrix: Organize tasks by those that are urgent and important, those that are non-urgent but important, those that are both non-urgent and unimportant and those that are urgent but unimportant.
Time Blocking: Have a certain time for a certain activity and ensure that you adhere to this time.
Eliminate Distractions: Reduce the time spent on social media, phone or in ineffective meetings.
There are certain applications to support people, for instance, calendars, planners, to-do lists, etc.
5. A Healthy Lifestyle
Work is important, but taking care of your physical and mental well-being is even more important if you want to be successful. People who are successful do this because they know that there can be no productivity if a person’s health is not good.
Healthy Habits to Follow:
Exercise to gain energy and to overcome stress.
Take healthy and balanced diets.
Enjoy your night and make sure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep to help your body rest.
Celebrities such as Elon Musk and Barack Obama are on record having spare time to work out for their bodies, meaning that fitness time is sacrosanct no matter how busy one is.
6. Staying Organized
Another aspect is that highly successful people remain organized, including their schedule, working space, and even their minds. Clutter is stressful and distracting; it is much easier to concentrate on what is important when the area around is clean.
Ways to Stay Organized:
Keep a clean workspace.
For the tasks, one can use Google Calendar or Trello.
Organise your day ahead to work in the morning to avoid cramming.
Orderliness makes it easier for you to focus and also makes you make better decisions.
7. Taking Calculated Risks
Achievement is one of the ways that one has to go out of their comfort zone and risk it. But that does not mean highly successful people are reckless – they are willing to take calculated risks having done their homework.
For instance, Jeff Bezos resigned from a good-paying corporate position to build Amazon while Steve Jobs risked billions in the new tech age.
How to Take Calculated Risks:
Weigh the pros and cons.
Research and plan thoroughly.
Expect the worst to happen.
Vigorous calculated risks, in other words, smart risks, create new avenues and foster growth.
8. Practicing Self-Discipline
Punctuality is what sets dreamers apart from the achievers. Highly successful people also learn to work and get things done even when they do not have the desire to do so.
Self-discipline allows you to:
Keep your eye on what is important in the long run.
Do not be distracted by the things you see and hear around you.
Create the kind of habits that are likely to create success.
A way to change self-discipline is to set small goals and stick to them and not skip them. Said differently, the more you train your willpower, the better it will be in the future.
9. Selecting Their Circle of Influence
Lastly, Success is greatly determined by the environment that an individual finds him or herself in and the company he or she keeps. Successful people cultivate friendships with people who can motivate or push as well as encourage them.
Jim Rohn once stated, “You will become the average of the five people with whom you spend most of your time.”
How to Build a Positive Network:
Look for people with similar thinking.
Find people who can help you to direct you.
Avoid negativity as much as possible.
