It’s always interesting to read and learn from people who are extremely successful in their own field but what is even more fascinating is that regardless of their field there are so many common factors to which they believe they owe their success!
In this post, we are presenting fifteen of their most important successful habits so make sure you pay full attention in order to make the right moves in your life. As you know, I am a firm believer that success leaves clues so why not just learn from the best of the best?!!
15 common habits of the Highly Successful
1. Earners are learners!
It makes perfect sense to me, if you want to be successful and make money, you have to stay on top of what is happening in your world as well as the world around you. No one will be successful unless they are continuously learning. Things are constantly changing these days and you have to read a lot, study and/or just have the right people around you (maybe in your mastermind group)!
Personally I would say I spend 1-2 hours on average per day to learn more and new things. How else am I going to be able to add value consistently here? Learning is also part of my morning rituals, as I want to make sure I learn new things every day. Check out my full post on this topic Learners are Earners and Earners are Learners!
2. They have clear goals!
No surprise there I guess. I want you to be as successful as you possibly can. To make sure that happens, you need to know what you really want, not just kind of want! Most of them are obsessed about their goals and the average person would say “he/she is crazy”. When you hear that, listen carefully as then you know they are talking about someone who has set themselves a high goal and won’t let anything get in their way!
Personally I have both written and spoken about the importance of having clear goals extensively. You will never get anywhere if you don’t even know where you are going! We all have to set goals and follow up on them continuously to make sure we are on track. That is also why I have created a whole section on goal setting!
3. They are early risers!
There have been numerous studies on this topic and many of the most successful people seem to be early risers. They know that by having the habit of getting up early, they will start ahead of most of their competitors. What they also know is that in the morning, their minds are fresh and clear so they can get going immediately and focus on what really needs their attention. There are of course exceptions to this rule and maybe more so in the digital space. Many of those leaders, like Mark Zuckerberg for example, seem to like sleeping a bit longer in the morning but instead work later in the evening.
Personally I love starting early as it really feels like I am getting ahead of the game. Having my set morning routine and getting two hours more than most people is amazing. To make use of the mornings when my mind is clear is a great and successful habit which gives me a head start of the day! I love having breakfast knowing that I have already accomplished a ton of things and it sets me off for another great day! Seeing tired morning faces around me makes me feel even better, though I would of course love for them to learn the advantages of early mornings from sites like this one:)!
4. They have outstanding morning habits!
By knowing exactly how to prime themselves in the morning, they lay the ground for success. Knowing that they will have dedicated time means that they can always get those important things done before most people even get up! By having their successful habits set, they are guaranteed to always get themselves into a perfect state of mind (warrior/achiever/success) directly in the morning. Their routines include focusing on the main task of the day, exercising, journaling and meditation (but more on that later).
Personally I am learning from my role models and other successful people and have created my own morning routine. I figured that if it helps them become who they are and achieve what they do, then for sure that is something I also want to do! I have found a structure which works really well for me where I am incorporating the most important things I need to get me started on a GREAT note! Yes, there is a link further down to my morning routine and I urge you to create your own!
5. They are dedicated!
By having clear goals and a clear structure for how to achieve those goals, they are half way there, but what separates them from most is the dedication or even obsession to reach their goals. They will sacrifice most things to get what they truly want; sleep, family, friends and even their health. They know competition is fierce and they are willing to go for it even if it will cost them dearly. Some of them have later on said that they would not have done it had they known the sacrifices they needed to make. Be aware that many of the most “successful” people later on spend a fortune trying to get their health back because of how dedicated they were to reach their goals.
Personally I only (read mainly) want to spend time on projects where I feel I am committed and dedicated to the cause. What I don’t want to do (again) is to trade my health for my success because success without health to me is not success. The most successful people are the ones who can take care of themselves whilst still being successful and you need dedication to master that!
6. They surround themselves with other winners!
They all know that you are the average of the five people you spend your time with so they are very cautious of who they surround themselves with. There are really no comments needed here, just look at your own life and I am sure you are the average of your five closest friends. If they can, they strive to reach even higher because they also want to be inspired and learn from others who are even better than they are!
Personally I have become much more cautious about this as it was very obvious to me that this is actually the case. I was looking around amongst my friends or even friends of friends and it all made sense. This is something I will always have with me and when living abroad it is such a great thing to have the privilege of the internet as any of my role models are always just an instant away (podcast, YouTube etc). Definitely a successful habit to make full advantage of!
7. They are highly organized!
They would never have been able to become truly successful had they not known how to organize both themselves and/or others. If they are running large corporations, they need to be organized and if not, they know and hire someone who can take care of that part for them! This is also linked to their goals and their morning routines as they know at all times what is most important to them and what they should be spending their time on. The question is, DO YOU?!
Personally I have always been a doer and probably more so than an organizer (depends on how we scale this of course). This is an area I am extremely aware of and constantly trying to improve. I continuously try to implement new strategies and habits to become more efficient but also to be able to leverage more (Always use Leverage but wisely!).
By setting more routines and implementing successful habits, I won’t have to think about it as they will just happen automatically and that is one way of being organized. My key focus area for the moment is to build this platform professionally, using the least effort and time where I later on will have systems in place to scale it effortlessly. That is why it’s so important to see the bigger picture and what is around the corner and how that should be dealt with. So being well-organized is going to be extremely important to be able to run this smoothly from any place in the world in case we decide to continue travel the world as we are currently doing.
8. They have a clear agenda!
This point is linked to the previous but there are so many different ways of doing this, although most of them seem to either: The night before, write down their most important goals for the following day in their journal. Or they do it during their morning rituals where they have dedicated time to think and focus on their most important questions of the day/week/year. How else do you think they get so much done? They know the 80/20 rule and focus on the 20% which will have the most impact and then use the 80/20 rule again!!
Personally I have a couple of different systems I use to make sure I know what my priorities are. Every evening, about an hour before I go to bed, I write down my top priorities for the following day. Any other things that need to get done will also be written down but on a different list. It is crucial for me to know what I need to get done vs what I want to do as they can differ drastically. Checking social media (or even my phone) in the morning or the email is a big NO and not a habit of the successful. By making sure I am the king of my agenda I won’t have to start my day by being responsive to others. The difference between being responsive and in full control of setting the agenda is like night and day!
9. They constantly challenge their fears!
Because they know that it is the only way to grow! The more they challenge themselves, regardless of situation, the more they will grow. They will learn more about different things but also about themselves and how they react in different uncomfortable situations which makes them even wiser next time! When we learn, we grow and growth and progress are what truly make us happy.
Personally I am trying to constantly challenge myself but honestly, I have not been as good as I should have. I have the idea that every time I feel I don’t want to do something, I must to do it! The problem is that my little friend (or devil…) in my head then helps me justify why I don’t have to do it now or here etc… Many times I let myself be persuaded by myself and I justify it all by saying that I know I could have done it had I just wanted to (basically had a big enough why). Still, this is something I want to work on consistently so that I automatically do things I fear without thinking or analyzing it too much because that will for sure give me an advantage (basically by not having to spend brainpower on arguing with myself whilst missing out on new learning opportunities!).
10. They all fail a lot!
Of course they do! No one (or at least extremely few) will become successful without having failed! There might be the odd ones but most of them have failed numerous times but the difference between them and most others is that they get the fuck up again! They have imprinted into their minds that there is no such things as failure, just hurdles or experiences and that is a great way of looking at it. This is how we grow! We make mistakes, learn from them and go on to do even greater things! Think about Thomas Edison and his “ten thousand failures”. He didn’t fail, he just found 9,999 ways that didn’t work! It’s all about perception and the way we decide to interpret what happens!
Personally I have also had multiple failures but I have also learned the hard way how to move forward when the going gets though. Since I have trained my mind to the extent I have, I do believe I can see failure, confront it, learn from it and then move on. I have to and we all have to! One of my successful habits is to look back at some of my failures and see what I can learn from them and by doing that, I change from thinking about it as a failure but rather as an experience.
11. They all exercise!
If you want to make things happen you need to have lots of energy and most successful people have tons of energy. They also know that energy creates energy and that working hard and long hours is taking a toll on them. To be able to continue, they know the importance of exercising as it not only keeps you fit, healthy and prevents disease. It also energizes you and clear your brain as well as improve your thinking and learning capabilities (check out this article from Harvard Health Blog). At the same time, it works like a reset button and we all need that at times, especially when you have a very busy agenda!
Personally I love to exercise and it doesn’t really matter what kind I do, although I prefer being outdoors. I know there are so many benefits of movement and exercise (combined with good and nutritious food) as I have been experiencing this my whole life. The most important benefit for me (besides from being fit and healthy) has been the strengthening of my mindset. By exercising and pushing yourself you are constantly strengthening your mindset and that mindset will be with you in all situations in life and business, which has proven to be a great tool to have handy at all times! To make sure it happens daily, it is part of my morning habits but if I know I will be having a longer session later I might just do a very short one in the morning (just a few minutes to get me energized).
12. They meditate or practice mindfulness
A few years back most people didn’t talk about this form of exercise and the benefits of it. Times have clearly changed as more and more people now tell us about their “down time” habits when they are either mindful or meditate. It is no longer about working harder as all successful people either work hard or have worked hard (when they were building their businesses). Many have now realized the benefit of meditation and that they need it. In order to stay focused and be able to work as hard as they do and “need” to do continuously, they have to make sure they are on top of their game. That would not be possible if they felt tired, brain drained or low on energy. They need to be able to be in peak state for long periods of time but they also realize that they need to do something to make sure they can continue in the same pace and that is where mindfulness and meditation have come in to play a crucial role.
Personally I started meditate quite recently even though I knew about the benefits. I actually have Tim Ferriss and his book Tools of Titans to thank for getting me started. I used to have a mind that would work non stop, never a quiet or silent moment to just be and reflect and it was extremely hard on me and my body and I did not know what to do to make it stop. After changing my lifestyle radically and making sure I am in charge of my life and maybe more importantly of my time, it has almost vanished. I have still added meditation to my life and that time with just “me, myself and I” is a great way to focus on absolutely nothing and it didn’t take very long until I noticed the difference and the impact it had on me. Now it is of course part of my routines, just like all my other great and successful habits I have decided to have. For more inspiration and information I would recommend you to read this post on why successful people meditate.
13. They keep a journal
Journaling has proven to be a great way to get your thoughts down on paper and out of your brain so you don’t have to spend time thinking about the same thing over and over again. Many of the successful people also use it to make sure they know what is a priority vs what is not. Basically they write down what needs to get done. Many have journaling as part of their morning routine and just let it flow (basically writing down whatever comes to their minds). Some use it to write down what they should prioritize during the day. Some also use it to write down their learning experiences (failures and what they learned), either as they happen or they have set aside dedicated time, normally a Sunday evening to write down the key things from that week.
Personally I really enjoy my journaling and I have a couple of journals which I use for different purposes. One of them I use in the morning to write down what I expect of the day and what I am grateful for. I also use it to ask myself questions I need answers to. I just write down the question and then whatever answer that spontaneously comes to me and my pen and it is amazing how well this works as it is your intuition speaking and not the analytical mind!
My other journal I use throughout the day and it has two purposes:
- Write down things occurring during the day that I am grateful for, small things as well as big ones.
- Any ideas or solutions that just pop up, I try to write them down as soon as they occur.
This last point is a great habit! I am using my subconscious mind to work on solutions to my problems and when it finds them, they just pop up and then I write them down! This is so much better than sitting down and trying to force out an answer so just start listening more to your inner voice (no, not the constant mind chatter)!
Check out my post on how to get started with journaling and try it for yourself. Hopefully it will become one of your favorite habits as well and it should definitely be part of the successful habits to keep in your toolbox.
14. They have created multiple sources of income!
Well, of course they have! Why would they put all eggs in the same basket and risk it all in case something very destructive happens in their industry or in their business? At first and when they started out this was probably not the case as they were solely committed to creating a successful business but as soon as the business starts to operate at a certain level, they diversify. Basically they don’t want to go bankrupt in case their business would, so as soon as they feel that their business has grown to the size, form and shape they want, they start to diversify in order to protect themselves and their families. They might have concentrated risk but they start to branch out and soon they have multiple sources of income.
Personally this is something I feel very strongly about as I do think many of us just play one card and often it is all in on that one. We might have one job and are then completely dependent on that job and our income from that job. I want you to be in charge, just like I am and that is why I think my courses on money and wealth are so important. There I go through the importance of having multiple incomes and in particular I love to focus on passive income (where money comes to you without you having to do anything!). We all start out small but we can all get big, no doubt about it. If you have not yet started to create your personal money machine, start by checking out our Wealth section of this platform!
15. They NEVER give up!
Did you actually think I was going to miss out on this one? I don’t care what area of life we are talking about but if you want to be successful you just don’t give up! Have you ever heard about someone who became a success by giving up?! I didn’t think so because they don’t exist! They all know that by keeping on going when everybody else has given up, they will succeed because there is no one else around to compete with!
Personally I know, with 100% certainty that if I don’t give up, I will succeed. I am dedicated to train myself daily to never quit (unless it’s an actual risk to my health). Because if I practice this in small situations again and again, I will have even more strength to draw upon when I really need it. This is also an area in which the habit of exercise plays a huge role in helping you being mentally prepared for hardship as it will inevitably come if you are striving for success. To help me even further (and with a bit less effort) I love listening to interviews with people who accomplish things and pull through against “all odds” (David Goggins is a favorite here if you are into extreme mindset and enduring physical pain far beyond what most of us can even start to comprehend).
I guarantee that if you never give up and you have a clear goal, great plan and the right strategy to execute on it, you will be successful!
So just start by implementing some of these successful habits into your life and please share your progress with me!
Actions to take:
- Join a Mastermind group
- Write down your goals – make sure you have done that, if not, go here
- Morning habits – set them and get an early start! Check out my morning rituals here
- Surround yourself with winners – they are just a click away! Read this post on inspirational and motivational tools
- Face one of your fears right now and show who is the boss!
- Start an exercise routine TODAY even if just walking around the block every day!
- Meditation – download this app and get started (and read my post for more inspiration)!
- Get a notebook and start journaling – read this post on why you must have a journal
- Start creating your own money machine today – get started on our Wealth section
- Mental strength – train your mind every day and start by reading this post on mindset
Winners never quit and quitters never win BUT a clear goal and a structure to execute is key!
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