Why is this the last list you will ever have to read? Because I read them all for you. OK, maybe not all of them. If you Google “Habits of Successful People” you’ll get over 5 Million results. I have opened the top 200 in those results and read from top to bottom 100 of those top 200. Within the 200 there were plenty of really annoying sites that are so full of advertisements and pop ups that I had to close them. Hence the 100 that were actually read from top to bottom.
100 out of 5 Million doesn’t sound like a very valid sample size does it? I would agree if this were a political poll or medical trial but I am pretty confident that if you were able to read the remaining results you would only find the same tips and tricks in a different order or potentially different verbiage. Stop looking for the silver bullet. The following are the best habits for success.
Top 10 Habits of Successful People – Curated from 100 Articles
#1 Exercise (89/100)
I am pretty sure the other 11 results that didn’t list exercise just assumed everyone knew that already. 50% of the 89 also emphasized working out to start the day as a factor for success. Exercise is a great outlet for relieving stress, to distract you from daily pressures—and to get fit at the same time. Regular exercise wards off depression and a host of other mental blocks that make success hard to achieve.
Of course, wanting to make exercise a habit and actually doing it are two different things. Changing your behavior is difficult. But there are some strategies that can make it easier to stick with an exercise habit.
- Develop a ritual to make starting easier. i.e. “During the next week I will exercise every morning to start the day before I do anything else.”
- Start with an exercise plan that is ridiculously small. Remove all the possible excuses of time or energy. I am currently using the Official 7 Minute Workout from Johnson & Johnson as the absolute minimum to stick with my goal of working out every day unless physically unable. No one can claim that they cannot find 7 minutes in the day to exercise.
- Focus on the habit first and results later. Set your goal to exercise x minutes y days/week for six months to build the habit then start thinking about your weight loss or fitness goals. You may be surprised how far you have gone just by focusing on the habit.
#2 Read (50/100)
Feed your mind, improve your memory, and possibly even prevent Alzheimer’s Disease or Dimentia. Read every day! Keep a running list of what you are going to read next when you finish your current book.
#3 Get Up Early (32/100)
I couldn’t agree more with this one but it’s sort of interesting in that the main benefit is the solitude and quiet to focus and reflect. So if everyone in your household takes on this habit to be successful will it kill the main benefit or will you have to get up even earlier? 🙂
#4 Keep A Journal (32/100)
#5 Meditate (32/100)
#6 Plan the next day the night before (32/100)
#7 Know when to say NO (23/100)
#8 Set Goals (23/100)
#9 Express Gratitude (18/100)
#10 Build Relationships (18/100)
The list continues… (in no specific order)
- Listen To Others
- Donate Time and/or Money
- At Least 7 Hours of Sleep
- Stick to Morning Routines
- Are Self Reliant
- Prioritize The Day
- Manage Their Emotions
- Communicate Clearly
- Practice Self Control
- Value Solitude
- Conscientious
- Persistent
- Batch Check Emails
- Don’t Multi Task
- Maintain a Morning Ritual
- Eat Healthy
- Really surprised this wasn’t in more of the results. Really needs to be hand in hand at the top with Exercise.
- Balanced Life
- Self Aware / Not Overconfident
- Allocate Time for “Deep Work”
- Work Remotely (20% outside of the office)
- Have Definite Purpose
- Know Their Motives
- Surround Themselves With People Smarter Than Them
- Tackle Big Task First
- Make Time For Hobbies
- Disconnect
- Multiple Streams of Income
- Be Frugal
- Take Risks
- Don’t Retire
- Let Go of What You Cannot Control
- Let Go of the Past
- Dress Simply
- Compliment Others
- Embrace Change
- Forgive Others (and yourself)
- Accept Responsibility For Failures
There you have it. Anything you would add? Anything you would change in the order of the top 10? How are you going to start adding them to your life?
