Ben Franklin once said, “Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.”
Whether you want to be a better person, get healthier, or find fulfillment in your work, there are a number of habits you need to develop that are common to all of these goals. In this article, we’ll explore 10 of the most important ones.
1. Socialize with people with similar interests.
There’s one thing all successful people are good at: networking. It’s a simple premise: find people with similar interests and spend time with them. Use social media to form connections and network with these people as much as possible. Spend more time with your friends who share your interests too. They can be a great source of inspiration.
2. Stop multitasking.
When you multitask, you’re not putting 100 percent of your mental effort into whatever you’re working on. If you want to be a better person, you need to develop a more singular focus so you can put in your best effort. This is what leads to improvement. So close those 10 browser windows you have open. Put your phone on silent. And just focus on one thing at a time.
3. Copy the habits of successful people.
One of the most important habits to develop if you want to improve is to spend more time with successful people. Want to lose weight? Then hang out with people who have done it. Want to start a new business? Surround yourself with entrepreneurs and folks who have been there, done that.
4. Make a to-do list every day.
An infographic published by Entrepreneur Magazine showed the habits of the world’s wealthiest people. One of the more interesting habits was this: 81 percent of wealthy people keep to-do lists. You should do the same. Write down the tasks you want to complete before you start each day, and then evaluate at the end of the day to see what you accomplished. Prioritize the big-ticket items that are going to get you closer to your end goals.
5. Don’t leave things unfinished.
One habit you need to develop to experience more successful outcomes is finishing what you started. We’ve all been guilty of starting something important to us and then giving up before it’s done. Try a different approach: see things through no matter what the outcome. If you fail, the valuable lessons you will have learned will be worth the effort. A lot of times we don’t realize how close we actually are to accomplishing something great.
6. Spend some alone time every day.
Humans are social creatures by nature, but making a habit of spending time alone is important too. Spend time every day reflecting, pondering, and visualizing what you want to happen in your life.
7. Set one or two big goals.
Your desire to work hard usually matches the size of your goals. Set small goals, and you can expect small results. Set big goals, however, and the sky is the limit. You may not (and probably won’t) accomplish them right away. But it will help you form a mindset of aspiring for bigger and better things for your life.
8. Focus on the process of achieving your goals.
Big goals are important. But what’s even more important is developing habits and routines. These are what will ultimately determine your success or failure. Those seemingly insignificant, day-to-day tasks compound into great achievements over time. Once you set your goals, forget about them and focus on the process. Plant a seed, water it every day, then sit back and watch it grow.
9. Eat real food.
What does eating healthy have to do with becoming a better person? A lot, actually. Following a healthy diet can help your brain function at a higher level, is good for your heart and can help you live longer. So get into the habit of eating better by making a commitment.
10. Be productive with your downtime.
There’s a big difference between being productive and being busy. Busywork is meaningless if it doesn’t make you a better person or get you closer to your goals. Take a long, hard look at what you consider “productive” work. Hint: checking emails every 5 minutes won’t make you more productive—it will just distract you from getting work done.
