Without self-discipline, getting on top of your game can be a challenge and a lifetime struggle. However, it won’t be so if you have the discipline to cultivate the positive habits that will lead to your path of success. Successful innovators, entrepreneurs and athletes have the same thing in common — and that is doing the right thing every single day.
It is the ability to control and discipline oneself to cultivate the right habits and do even the simplest things that can quickly bring about change. If you’re ready, get on the path to success by taking complete control over the main things that will shape your personality, character and future life events.
Here are our top round of habits highly successful people practise religiously to stay on top of their game:
1. THEY CONQUER THEIR FEARS
Fear limits what you can do. And that is precisely why some of us do not succeed — because we’re scared to venture out or leave our comfort zones. Fears like the fear of accountability, fear of being blamed or even the fear of failure, limit our ability to unleash our full potential.
Like when working with a new team, some of us sit in the corner, avoid cooperating, and choose to remain silent, to avoid responsibility when things go south. However, this way of thinking can be counter-productive. Instead of achieving that peace of mind that you’re not to be held accountable when things didn’t go as planned, you’ll end up being stuck to that fear. However, successful people choose to be more responsible, going beyond their fears and becoming more productive in the process.
2. THEY KEEP AND WRITE A DAILY JOURNAL
Journaling is one of the most important habits of successful people. It can help empower the person writing and turn their ideas into reality. Therefore, it’s like visualising what they want to happen, achieve (e.g., a fruitful career) and conquer (e.g., an industry).
Successful people write the things they want in their lives. They write their aspirations, dreams and goals. After all, writing in a journal is one of the best self- care habits successful people have (More about self-care later!). Regularly writing in a journal also helps them question themselves about life’s direction, career path, goals, and so on. Journals are also a great way to express gratitude. Successful people know how to look back, reflect and think about things for which they feel thankful. For example, some of them write three things for which they’re grateful each day. In the journal, they’re also able to reflect and think about what they could have done better to achieve greater results.
3. THEY LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES (AND ENGAGE IN SELF-CARE!)
Mental health is as important as physical health. Successful people know the importance of health and well-being through diet, exercise and hygiene. And they never leave behind practising self-care. For them, it involves a disciplined lifestyle, skipping bad habits like smoking and inactivity and practising good ones like getting enough sleep, exercising and pampering themselves from time to time.
4. THEY KEEP THINGS ORGANISED
Successful people know how to keep things organised. For example, they set their daily goals, make a list of things to do and stay focused throughout their day. By staying goal-oriented and results-driven, they can keep their focus and meet their goals. Keeping things organised, they can grow their business, keep track of their failures and successes as they harvest the fruits of their labour. As a part of being organised, the successful also know how to pay attention to details — And they don’t cut corners. This is because they list the things that need to be done with good organisation skills. That said, they could finish tasks or meet deadlines on time.
5. THEY STRIKE BALANCE IN THEIR LIVES
The successful never allow work to consume them. A break each day — without using devices, checking emails or making phone calls — is critical for them. It is a part of self-care and also, a mental break to let off some steam.
Small distractions like a hobby or sport, are often refreshing to them. Successful people are great at injecting some daily balance into their lives. Their rest time need not be for long hours. If 30 minutes is all they’ve got, that’s enough.
The most important of all is to learn how to live life. After all, life is not all about chasing a deadline.
6. THEY NEVER GIVE UP
While it sounds like a cliché, it proves to be true. After all, accepting a “no” would not help you move. Not giving up is one of the foremost habits of all successful people. They know how to stand up for what they want and work towards achieving it. And even if they meet failures along the way, they chase after their initial goal while adjusting their approach.
Their end goal is always the same. They know how to tweak their approaches for better results.
7. THEY SURROUND THEMSELVES WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE
Don’t let negative people drag you down — you might have heard this a thousand times. And by all means, it is true! If you want to succeed, you should not surround yourself with whiners, haters and pessimistic people. In case you don’t know yet, negativity roots from unhappy people. They may also envy you. To succeed, you should surround yourself with positive, driven and ambitious people. They’re contagious and will lift you up while inspiring you to become a better person.
8. THEY LISTEN AND LEARN
Successful people know how to listen. And they learn in the process. Even if sometimes pride is knocking at the door, they don’t let it fog their thinking. They are objective and rational all the time. They know how to listen — to their customers, employees and peers. Deep listening can also enhance relationships. Active listening lets other people know that you care and are willing to change what works and doesn’t. Listening also loosens tensions and allows people to unload negative feelings. If you want to become successful, practise listening and learning.
From all these points, you can conclude that successful people have an infectious positive attitude, which is one of the roots of their success. For example, instead of feeling down due to failure, they keep their eye on the prize, on the same goal, and find a different approach to achieve it. Bottom line — successful people cultivate a positive environment with each one contributing to their success. If you are in the company of such people, chances are some of their successful habits will rub off on you too.
