Many people have the desire to become successful. The desire to have freedom, fully support your families, have a nice home, etc. The journey to becoming successful can be challenging. If you want to be successful, you must develop good habits.
Habits ultimately determine 95% of a person’s behavior. In other words, who you are today, and what you will accomplish is determined by the habits that you follow. The 21/90 rule states that it takes 21 days to create a habit and 9 days to make it a part of your lifestyle. Forming habits and sticking to them requires self-discipline and commitment. If you are ready to take on this journey of instilling healthy habits and becoming successful, you need to read the advice I share below.
Habits That Will Make You More Successful
1. Wake Up Early
Waking up early can make all the difference in becoming successful. Despite how tired you may feel when you open your eyes, you have the most energy when you first wake up. Successful people admit they tend to wake up earlier as they have hours of undisturbed time where they can get more done.
Tips for waking up early:
- Gradually start waking up early. If you currently wake up around 8 am, try waking up at 7 am, then the following week try waking up at 6 am.
- Put your alarm clock on the opposite side of the bedroom. This will force you to get out of bed and not have the ability to just snooze your alarm
- As soon as your alarm clock goes off, turn on the lights. The light will convey to your body that it is time to wake up.
2. Read For At Least 30 Minutes Per Day
There are a variety of benefits of reading for at least 30 minutes per day. Reading builds vocabulary, strengthens your brain, reduces stress, prevents cognitive decline, and more, studies show. Also, reading introduces you to new ideas and allows you to learn about a new subject. I highly encourage you to read before you go to sleep as it relaxes your body and mind and will help you sleep better.
3. Make Sacrifices
When you are on the path to success, you will have to make numerous sacrifices. You may have to make sacrifices to your sleep, health, financial stability, family, etc. With success, you have to be strategic in what you choose to spend your time on. It is simply impossible to be doing 100 things at once. That is why it is important for you to prioritize what matters most.
4. Exercise Consistently
Regular exercise is crucial to success. Exercising encourages you to achieve your weekly or monthly goals. When you exercise consistently you tend to have more energy and think better which will reflect in the work that you do. This will also lead to having higher self-esteem, which will allow you to become more confident.
5. Make A To-Do List
Making a to-do list is one of the most essential parts of the process. Even though you may not know how long each task will take you, try your best to time out your day. Focus on the most important task first as you have the most energy, and then create an order into which you will complete each task.
When you create a to-do list, it is best to have as few items as possible. If you add a bunch of tasks to your list, you will feel overwhelmed and will likely get discouraged.
6. Daily Meditation
Meditation has many emotional and mental benefits. Studies show the associated benefits include:
- Provides a new perspective on stressful situations
- Builds skills to manage your stress
- Increases self-awareness
- Helps you focus on the present
- Reduces negative emotions
- Increases imagination and creativity
- Increases patience and tolerance
Mediation challenges your mind and is a great time to reflect on past emotions or challenges. Personally, mediation is the 20 minutes of my day where I can close my eyes and visualize my dreams. It encourages you to develop a new understanding of what you want your life to be.
7. Practice Gratitude
Life is full of challenges. On this path to success, there will be tough times. However, it is so important to practice gratitude. Regardless of what we are going through, we must remind ourselves that we are grateful for this life. Show gratitude for these opportunities that are in front of us. Expressing gratitude has many health and emotional benefits that you can read here.
8. Surround Yourself With Supportive People
Everyone has heard the phrase, “you are who you surround yourself with.” Regardless of how you perceive yourself as an individual, you will be influenced by those around you. This is why it is so important to surround yourself with people you trust, care about you, support you, and will give you honest feedback. I truly believe that everyone needs at least one person they can rely on at any time.
9. Don’t Run Away From Failure
Failure is inevitable. Everyone will experience failure at some point in their lives, as things will not always go the way we planned. Successful people even believe that failure is necessary and leads to greater productivity. When you fail at something, it is a perfect opportunity to reflect, and rethink your strategy, making it better than before.
Read here: 10 Lessons You Can Learn From Failure
10. Procrastinate
Have you ever been working on a project and it seems like your brain has just stopped? You are unable to think clearly and you start to lose focus on the project and worry about other things that you have to get done? This happens to successful people all of the time. In fact, successful people admit to procrastinating all of the time as it oftentimes increases their performance. This does not include doing something that will not help you in the long run, such as watching Netflix. Instead, shift your focus to something that is easier and less time-consuming that yo still need to complete.
11. Work On Networking Skills
It is all about who you know. Growing up, you may have found that people get into certain universities, or obtain certain jobs based on who they know. While it may seem unfair, it is all the more reason to build your networking skills. While this may be a challenge and not a skill that you are necessarily born with, you definitely can learn. Get out of your comfort zone. Maybe volunteer at a local organization, join a club, practice with people you pass by on the streets, etc. You should strive to build long-lasting relationships that will help you in the future.
12. Give Yourself Time To Unwind
It is so important to take some time at the end of your day to unwind. This is especially true if you are a workaholic and have trouble taking breaks and letting yourself breathe. This time allows you to evaluate what happened during the day as well as acknowledge the next steps you can take to have a better, more productive day tomorrow.
13. Have A Routine
Some people thrive on routines, while others dislike routines. Those who dislike routines often think of them as receptive and boring. The truth is, they are not all that boring. We can choose and create routines that benefit us. Once you develop a routine that is specific to your needs and what you want to accomplish, you will begin to feel more focused and organized.
Conclusion
Many people look at success as something unattainable. Truthfully, anyone and everyone can be successful if you put in the time and effort. You have everything within yourself to achieve the success that you desire. Listed above are the habits that will make you successful and encourage you to become the best version of yourself!
