We all know that habits can either help or hurt your success in life. Bad habits can fester and potentially create a lifestyle that takes you away from the things you want to do. On the other hand, good habits can help you create a life full of accomplishment. If you were to look people you respect, people who are successful, you would see that they spend each day engaging in habits that help them accomplish their goals and improve their performance. But of course, while we can all study successful habits, it’s meaningless if we don’t implement that knowledge.
So here are five daily habits of highly successful people—habits you can adopt to create the life you truly want to live:
Habit 1: They plan out their day the night before.
Without planning how your day will look, you may wake up not knowing what you want to do or accomplish. Successful people spend a little time each evening giving themselves clear goals for the next day. Then they wake up and go down their list.
Habit 2: Successful people read books to get inspired.
Reading is a contributing factor to success—both because books contain so much knowledge and because of the benefits reading provides. There isn’t necessarily a defined length of time you should be reading, but forming a reading habit may prove useful in the expansion of your knowledge and on your journey to success.
Habit 3: Successful people make their health a priority.
What you eat and how much you exercise affects every area of your life. Successful people use their exercise as a time to reset and plan. They make smart food choices that will give them the energy they need to accomplish everything on their to-do list.
So, what’s for dinner? Is the gym on your to-do list? Choose wisely.
Habit 4: They don’t get distracted by what others are doing.
Other people’s journeys to success can be inspiring; from them, you can learn so much—about their mistakes, their victories, what to do, what not to do. But if you start comparing your progress to theirs, instead of using their stories as inspiration, you may feel envious, stressed and unworthy.
Successful people realize their journey is unique and can’t be compared. So don’t get stuck in the comparison trap—stay focused on your why.
Habit 5: Successful people live each day as if it were the last.
Life is busy and chaotic, and so you may feel a desire to focus on the future—after all, many of us worry about what’s next. But while planning is important, so is living and being fully present.
Life is short, and there’s no guarantee as to when it will end. Successful people live each day as if it were their last and make the most out of each moment. You should, too.
When you look at a big goal, you may find yourself frustrated at the enormity of what you’re trying to accomplish. If you wake up each day and engage in good habits, you give yourself a better chance at success. So use these five habits as a starting place to build whatever a successful life means to you.
This article was updated June 2023. Photo by Inside Creative House/Shutterstock
