What Do Successful People Do Every Day That You Don’t?
How can you tell if someone is already successful or if they’re going to be more successful than you in the future? What do successful people do every day that you don’t? What changes can you make to your daily routine that will help you become successful?
Do Successful People Wake Up Early?
We’ve all heard the quote by Benjamin Franklin that says, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. If you aren’t getting started by 6:00 AM, does that mean you’ll be unable to achieve success?
Jeff Haden – Contributing editor at Inc. magazine says,
“Waking up at an arbitrary time won’t help you succeed. Making a thoughtful decision to wake up at the time that’s most productive for YOU is all that matters.”
Organizational psychologist, Adam Grant says,
“The world’s most successful people aren’t worried about what time others wake up. They wake and work on the schedule that works for them.”
Success has nothing to do with what time you wake up or what time you go to bed. Success is all about what you accomplish in the hours you’re awake.
Follow A Routine
Eric Thomas, author of The Secret To Success says,
“I can tell you all about your life if you just write down your 24-hour schedule for me and you let me look at it. I can tell you where you gonna be in 5 years. I can tell you where you gonna be in 10 years. I can tell you where you gonna be in 20 years if you keep that schedule.”
Wake Up At The Same Time Each Morning
Studies show the most successful people wake up at the same time each morning. Even if that’s not before 6:00 AM, they stick to a schedule.
Follow An Exercise Routine
Not only does exercise burn extra calories and help keep you in shape, but it also allows you to combat stress as well.
Make time for exercise. If an hour-long routine seems too daunting, try running, biking, stretching, dancing or even walking around the neighborhood for at least ten minutes.
Intentionally Motivate Yourself
Highly successful people know motivation doesn’t last forever. They dedicate ample time to become inspired. You’re more likely to continue accomplishing a task once you’re emotionally invested in it, right? Spend at least 15-minutes listening to inspirational messages, videos, audiobooks, or podcasts each day.
Be Grateful
Gratitude is simply “the quality of being thankful.”
A 2013 article on Forbes quotes author, Geoffrey James as saying,
“People who approach life with a sense of gratitude are constantly aware of what’s wonderful in their life. Because they enjoy the fruits of their successes, they seek out more success. And when things don’t go as planned, people who are grateful can put failure into perspective.”
Successful People Focus On Self-Improvement
A recent survey by Fast Company found the average number of books read by a CEO is 60 books per year, or five books each month.
Warren Buffett reportedly reads an astounding average of 500 pages each day! Buffett attributes his success partly to his voracious reading habit and encourages others to incorporate reading into their daily routine as well.
Are you taking time each day to read and learn something new?
Successful People Set Big Goals
Dan Sullivan (Author of The Gap And The Gain) says,
“Some adults try not to engage in make-believe anymore because they think it’s childish, but I don’t think we ever really outgrow it. In fact, I think that make-believe is the basis for all our motivations in life.”
Do you have a goal board or a list of goals you plan to accomplish by the end of this year? Have you set goals you plan to accomplish this month?
Successful People Don’t Complain
The most successful people choose to see things in the best light. They’re positive and upbeat. Successful people don’t complain but instead, find solutions. The most successful people find opportunities in difficulty. Do you complain when there’s a problem or do you find a solution?
Successful People Inspire Others
Kathy Caprino, Senior Contributor at Forbes says,
“Those who inspire others believe in collective power.”
Many studies have found that successful people make it a point to inspire and encourage others. They are genuinely happy to see others succeed and they make it a point to recognize others for their achievements.
When someone surpasses you, do you celebrate their success and decide to work harder, or do you talk poorly of them behind closed doors? Make a decision to inspire others!
Successful People Avoid Wasting Their Time
In his best-selling book “Change Your Habits, Change Your Life” Tom Corley writes,
“When you see time as the greatest risk of all, it will force you to become more aware of exactly how to invest your time”.
As you can probably imagine, successful people don’t waste their time binge-watching Netflix or scrolling through social media posts for hours.
How much time do you waste each day on things that will not have a positive impact on your future? If you gave up cable TV in exchange for reading a book each night, how much more would you know by this time next year?
What Do Successful People Do Every Day That You Don’t?
One of the most important things successful people have going for them is their consistency.
Do Me A Favor
Later today, take a few minutes and write out your daily schedule in complete detail, from the time you wake up each morning until you fall asleep each night. What areas can you improve?
If you continue this same schedule for the next 10 years, where can you expect to be in life?
If you don’t have a set schedule yet, make an effort today to plan out your day tomorrow with goals for how you’ll use each half hour. I guarantee it will make you more productive!