There are countless articles out there about the habits of highly successful people and how, just maybe, it’s these routines and focuses that set them apart from us mere lowly folk. Most commonly, these outlines involve pretty outlandish things like getting up before 6 AM (Richard Branson, Jeff Weiner, Tim Cook, etc.), eating only one type of food (Steve Jobs), or even wearing the same clothes every day (Michael Kors, Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerburg). The trouble is that those of us who attempt to mimic these challenging and often unfounded focuses can expend so much energy on them that success slips further out of reach than ever.
This is obviously not what you’re aiming for, and it’s something that we hope to help you offset by considering more realistic success-based habits that, as well as being easier to put into action, have some actual grounding in fact. After all, if you’re going to take your eye off the career ball for something, at least let it be something that experts already know has the power to help your progression. Luckily, along with all the wild stuff, many successful entrepreneurs also adopt some more sensible, and often mutual, daily focuses. Keep on reading to find out what they are, and how you can use them as a springboard for your own success moving forward.
# 1 – Get your morning routine right
If there’s one thing that every successful person does, it’s getting their morning routines right, even if that does mean waking up at 4.45 (though trust us, there’s no need to do that!). You certainly wouldn’t see Jeff Bezos rolling out of bed at ten to 9 and barely having time to do up his buttons before running to catch the bus! Instead, successful individuals almost always wake with time to spare for things like morning meditation (recommended by Domio CEO Jay Roberts,) wholesome breakfasts (Justin Timberlake eats two!) and even commutes that leave time for planning (Lisa Shields). Perhaps the main thing to note when integrating this into your day is that, fundamentally, a good morning routine will look different for everyone. Your main focus, outside of success specifics, should really be about waking when you’re rested but still have time to spare, and taking time to get properly ready for your day, showers, breakfast, and downtime included.
# 2 – Prioritize your body
While some have strange ways of going about it (Steve Jobs was a fruitarian, for instance,) the vast majority of successful people also appreciate the need to prioritize their bodies regardless of how busy their days get. Specifically, this most often takes the form of making time for exercise (also used as a stress-buster for pros like Valeriano Antonioli). Eating healthier foods also plays a big part, and is frustratingly easier to achieve when you can pay someone to make that food for you. Still, this isn’t an impossible goal when you consider that healthy foods needn’t take all that much time, while adding options like these top supplements for men’s health between meals can see you easily getting everything that high-flying professionals enjoy. And, when you’ve managed these basics, you should find that your energy levels, and mental health, are far better poised for the hard work and focus that, ultimately, differentiates success from failure.
# 3 – Eliminate small decisions
Decision fatigue is a big deal and can impact everything from your ability to make the right decisions, to your faith in your capabilities, and even your all-important energy reserves. Yet, while those of us working office jobs too often feel its sting by the end of the week, entrepreneurs who make fifty life-changing decisions an hour manage to keep their heads above the water. How? By eliminating small decisions wherever possible, of course. After all, most of us waste our brain power on everything from what we’re going to wear, to what we should eat, which train to catch, and even when to have our morning coffees. Add all this together, and you’re likely exhausted before you’ve even hit your mid-morning stride.
By comparison, successful people are typically far better able to tailor their decision prowess to only the important stuff by pre-planning every other aspect of their days. This is why so many entrepreneurs stick to the same outfits or follow restrictive diets with little room for manoeuvre. Obviously, you don’t need to go to those lengths, but simple things like writing a to-do list that breaks down timings/plans each day, or even simply planning your highest stake meetings for when you’re fresh first thing in the morning (as recommended by Jeremy Kauffman), should certainly help you to keep your judgement intact, and bring success within easier reach as a result.
# 4 – Read for pleasure
Reading can seem like an obvious step towards success thanks to the knowledge it imparts, hence why most of us will read industry-specific updates or news on our commutes. But, according to entrepreneurs like Karla Friede, reading for pleasure is also a significant success indicator. This is predominantly because, when we read something entirely unrelated to what we do in our work lives, we’re far better able to de-stress and even become vultures of culture, be that from a quick ten-minute flick through a book on our commutes, or an hour of solid reading in the morning. Further to this, with many experts claiming that reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body, there’s also strong evidence that picking up a book instead of reaching for your phone can help to boost concentration, communication skills, and even creative thinking. All of these are go-tos for overall workplace success, and they only require as little as half an hour of personal reading to come easily within your reach.
# 5 – Talk to strangers
For many of us, the constant work-life hustle means communicating with the same limited group of people day in and day out and never has that been more the case than in the last eighteen months. The trouble is that this limited social scope can soon stagnate, preventing us from feeling inspired, enthused, or ever stepping outside of our own experiences. And, it’s only by stepping outside and considering things from a new angle that real success can be sustained. As such, pros like Hayley Daiber also recommend simply making an effort to chat to strangers, be that the person next to you on the bus, the guy who serves you your coffee, or your uber driver. Sure, you might not have the time or energy to create lasting relationships with all of these people, but just a polite spout of small talk is guaranteed to see you feeling fresher, more open, and ready to approach things with an outward gaze once more.
A final word
Honestly, it would be untrue to claim that implementing these habits will automatically make you successful. After all, it certainly wasn’t his all-fruit diet that gave Steve Jobs his great ideas, and if anyone other than Mark Zuckerburg wore the same clothes everyday, they’d probably be considered grim rather than great. Regardless, the mental shift that each of these habits can incite can certainly put you in a better position to energize your ideas and your general career outlook. And, when put to the right use, it’s this boost that truly stands to transform your life. The question is, are you ready to make the most of these highly successful habits?