Can habits REALLY make you more successful? In a word, Yes!
In this blog post, I’ll be sharing 7 proven success habits used by some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world and explaining how they can work for you too. Remember to join in with my 30 day challenge and download your success habits bundle!
What is success anyway?
The reason that people have problems becoming successful is that they haven’t figured out exactly what it means to be it. That’s why defining success is the first step in achieving it. It’s important to have an idea of what success looks like for YOU.
The problem is, success isn’t really a destination. Success is a journey with stops along the way. Those stops are definitely the destinations that you want to arrive at, but there is no ‘final destination’ that you will get to where you will finally be happy. When it comes to being successful and happy, the only way to achieve it is to be constantly moving towards your goals.
The bottom line is that your definition of success should never be a specific destination, even though you should always be working towards that end, but it should instead be defined as being on the path to get the things that you want, one at a time, and continuing to improve yourself and inspiring yourself to reach more and more goals.
That’s why habits are so important to keep you on track and ensure you’re always trying to be the best version of yourself.
Habits and rituals = success
The one big thing ALL successful people have in common? They have daily habits and rituals. Habits are fundamental to business success.
If you feel unproductive, disorganised and stressed out a lot of the time, one reason could be that you aren’t structuring your day to include success habits. Give them a go! Increase your productivity and decrease your stress levels.
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What are the 7 proven habits used by successful people?
There has been a lot of research and interviews about daily habits used by successful entrepreneurs and unsurprisingly, they all have very similar habits…
1. They’re voracious readers
If you’re stuck on a book you’ve been reading for the past 6 months because you’ve been too ‘busy’ to pick it up again or have struggled to get into it, then take your bookmark out and move on.
If you want to be successful, you need to get your reading mojo back…and fast! Discover new books – any book! It doesn’t have to be business or self-development (I tend to alternate mine between fiction and non-fiction, biographies or self-development, so I don’t get bored).
ALL the top successful people put reading as one of their top priorities and this one should definitely be on your habits list. You’ll be in good company among Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandburg, Richard Branson and Elon Musk, all of whom are bibliophiles.
How does this help success?
Reading every day will improve your knowledge base, spark your creativity, give you new ideas and inspire you to take action.
Habit ideas:
Read for at least 15 minutes a day Read 2 chapters of a book per day Listen to your favourite books using Audible whilst you’re doing other activities such as travelling, exercising or cooking.
2. They prioritise sleep
The benefits of a good nights sleep are well documented and successful people ensure they put quality sleep at the top of their agenda. Lack of sleep affects your concentration, motivation, mindset, energy levels, focus….need I go on?
Quality sleep should be high on the list for helping you along your way to success, so make some changes to your bedtime routine and reap the rewards a good nights sleep will bring. In fact, Tom Corley surveyed 233 wealthy individuals, mostly self-made millionaires, for his popular book – ‘Change your Habits, Change your Life‘ and found that 89 percent of self-made millionaires sleep seven or eight hours a night, or even more.
How does this help success?
A good nights sleep will keep your brain sharp, your energy levels high and reduce your stress levels.
Habit ideas: 
No screen time for at least an hour before bed Get 7-8 hours sleep per night
3. They work out
This doesn’t mean they’re all down the gym for 2 hours every day trying to get buff 
but they ARE spending time ensuring they get enough exercise.
Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality (that ties in nicely with #2 above) and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression and a whole host of other health problems. So, whatever form of exercise you choose, the important thing is to just start moving!
If exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most cost-effective drugs ever invented – Dr Nick Cavill
How does this help success?
Healthy body = healthy mind and a healthy mind means you’ll be able to goal dig more effectively. Exercise also gives you that competitive mindset you need to keep challenging yourself and outsmarting your competitors.
Habit ideas:
Walk for 10,000 steps a day Complete a HIIT workout for 20 minutes each day
4. They meditate and practice mindfulness
This might seem a bit ‘woo woo’ but meditation or thinking time is another of the things that successful entrepreneurs make time for each day.
They give themselves this gift of quiet, uninterrupted time to settle, calm their mind and just ‘be’.
Mediation also has many other benefits including, improved sleep (noticing a theme here!), an enhanced sense of self awareness, better concentration, increased happiness and an improvement to overall physical health.
How does this help success?
Think of meditation and mindfulness as a gift to yourself.
Only if you’re kind to yourself, can you be kind to others – Ruby Wax
If you’re psychologically well and looked after, you’ll make a cool headed, calm, mindful and giving entrepreneur – the best kind to do business with.
Habit ideas:
Complete a HeadSpace 15 minute meditation each day Have 20 minutes ‘thinking’ time in the evening before bed Set aside 5 minutes to be in the moment, focusing on breathing and the space around you
5. They wake up early
In addition to getting at least 7 hours sleep a night, successful entrepreneurs also get up early.
If you haven’t already read the book ‘The Miracle Morning -The Six Habits That Will Transform Your Life Before 8am’ by Hal Elrod then I strongly recommend you do. Most successful entrepreneurs rise very early…we’re talking 5.30am here! The results of completing miracle mornings can be astonishing – you only have to search ‘miracle morning results’ on Google to see the positive feedback. Many people say it’s life changing. So set your alarm earlier, ditch the snooze button and make your mornings count.
How does this help success?
Using the SAVERS (silence, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading and scribe) method described in The Miracle Morning book, you’ll spend at least 1 hour completing various activities first thing in the morning. Making this time for yourself will make your day, literally. You will gain so much motivation, insight, personal awareness and peace that you’ll feel eager to start your day for success.
Habit ideas
Set alarm for an hour earlier (if you struggle to do this, try incremental time increases until you reach a full hour) Complete SAVERS each day
6. They think
Doh! Yes we all think..but do we really think?
Referring back to Corley’s book ‘Change your Habits, Change your Life‘, successful people make time to process what’s going on for them each day. Whether that be from solitary, peaceful thinking time, meditating or journaling, they spend at least 15 minutes every day just thinking.
This ties in nicely with your SAVERS routine each morning and is definitely one to add to your daily habits – anyone can do this!
How does this help success?
Reflection is a great tool for self-awareness, gratitude and problem solving. By giving yourself this free ‘space’, you’ll be surprised at what answers are within yourself.
Habit ideas
Spend 15 minutes thinking Write thoughts, gratitude and ideas in a journal
7. They plan and set goals
Successful people don’t get BDAS (business drift along syndrome 
). They plan, they set goals, and they execute them. By setting and reviewing your short-term and long-term goals each day, you’ll stay on the right track for success.
Without goals, you’ll more than likely become unfocused, unenthusiastic, stale and prone to Shiny Object Syndrome… and eventually, you’ll fall out of love with your business.
Ask yourself, when was the last time you set and reviewed goals? Now is the time to make some new goals and plan your strategy for achieving them.
How does this help success?
By checking in on your goals each day, you’ll remain focused AF, motivated and keen to achieve.
Habit ideas
Review short-term and long-term goals Set MIT’s (most important tasks)
Some people dream of #success, while other people get up every morning and #makeithappen. Wayne Huizenga Click To Tweet
Ready To START Your Own SUCCESS Habits?
Join in with my free challenge – improve your mindset, be more productive and get better business results!
Love,
Suzannah
