It might seem like successful people are just fortunate people – people the gods smile upon. But there’s a lot more to their achievements than sheer luck. For many of the world’s most successful individuals, a lot of discipline, focus and intentional mindset goes into their success.
So, if you want to create more success in your own life, keep reading for seven highly effective everyday habits that set successful people apart.
Reading
Sure, this may not be the most exhilarating daily habit, but don’t knock it ‘till you try it. Billionaire Warren Buffett has reported that reading every day has been one of his most important habits.
But Buffett isn’t the only one who reads on the regular. In a survey, which reviewed 233 rich people, 88 percent of them read for 30 minutes every day. Their top picks? Self-help, historical and biographical literature.
It might seem like you don’t have time to read but think again. Can you try an audiobook on your way to work, or while you’re cooking dinner tonight? What about trading social media time with 30 minutes of a good book?
Wake up early
In Tom Corley’s book, Change Your Habits, Change Your Life, he found that wealthy people take their mornings seriously. Instead of sleeping in until the last minute, most of them give themselves three hours between the time they wake up to the time they need to start their workday.
So, it’s time to reassess your morning routine. Do you give yourself enough time to start your day? Or, do you hit snooze and scroll through Instagram? If so, it might be time to get more disciplined about waking up.
Get enough sleep
Arianna Huffington, the founder of the Huffington Post, has an embroidered pillow on her bed. It says, “Sleep your way to the top.” These might seem like surprising words from a highly successful media maven.
But after falling and injuring herself due to sleep deprivation, Huffington decided something had to change. Instead of skimping on sleep, she started prioritizing sleep. She’s now a champion for sleep, saying “I want to rekindle our romance with sleep. It’s a central part of life and a gateway to our dreams.”
And she joins a lot of other successful people to value sleep, including Einstein, who said he needed a good 10 hours of sleep in order to function at his best.
Ask yourself, how much sleep do you usually get each night? Are there ways to increase sleep? Better still, how can you improve the quality of your sleep? Consider cutting back on screen time leading up to bed. You can also make sure your room is as dark as possible. This ensures that you rest well and without disruption.
Meditation
Oprah Winfrey and Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter, both make a point to meditate every day. And they’re not the only ones. Tim Ferriss, Mimi Ikonn, Jeff Weiner and Jerry Seinfeld meditate, too.
Ray Dalio, the founder of one of the largest hedge funds in the world, credits meditation as the one thing he can trace his success back to.
What makes meditation such a valuable tool for successful (and wealthy) people? It helps clear the mind, establish equanimity, and gives you greater present-moment awareness. All of these qualities come in extremely handy when it comes time to make important decisions.
Do you meditate? It might seem daunting or intimidating, or a bit whoo-whoo. But the truth is, meditation is for everyone and anyone who is willing to try it. If you’re new to this practice, apps like Head Space can guide you.
Exercise
The benefits of exercise are wide and varied. They support mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. But did you know that exercise can help increase your chances of being successful?
That’s because exercise clears the mind, increases motivation, improves memory, increases creativity and lowers stress. Billionaire Richard Branson says, “I can definitely achieve twice as much by keeping fit. It keeps the brain functioning well.”
So, if you’d like to double your creativity, consider adding some exercise into your daily routine. Even just 30 minutes a day of heart-pumping cardio can help. If that’s a stretch right now, consider parking your car far away from the building’s entrance so you can walk a few extra steps. If you have the choice between the escalator, elevator, and stairs, always take the stairs.
A self-made millionaire and co-founder of Luxy Hair, Mimi Ikonn says, “There’s no elevator to success.”
Talk to yourself
This daily habit might make you raise an eyebrow or two. But don’t worry, you don’t have to walk around looking silly. The idea is to check in on yourself, assess your performance and try to look at things objectively.
And perhaps one of the most important things to remember when it comes time to talk to yourself is to always do so with kindness. Our inner dialogue can be downright cruel and critical. But this will only hold you back in fear and insecurity.
So, the first question here is, Do you talk to yourself? And if you do, how? Can you speak kindly to yourself?
This will help you separate your actions from your self-worth. So, even if you make a mistake and mess up, you see it as an action that’s separate from you.
This is important because with this mindset, instead of beating yourself up, you build yourself up with positive self-talk. This mindset also encourages you to try again.
Create multiple sources of income
Most of us rely on one set income. But that’s not how self-made millionaires work. According to Corley, “They develop multiple streams.” And he found that of the 233 rich people he interviewed, 65 percent of them have at three sources of income – at least!
So, if you only have one stream of income, can you change that? Do you have skills you can monetize? For example, you might be able to sell your work on Etsy. Or, start a tutoring or consulting side business.
A good way to create multiple sources of income is to ask yourself what you’re good at, and how you can sell these skills, talents or knowledge.
So, there you have it. Seven habits of highly successful individuals. Which ones can integrate into your daily life to create greater success and financial freedom?
