The quality of your life comes down to the quality of your habits. No success can happen overnight though it sometimes seems so. Every success is made out of little things, little habits which you do regularly every single day, every week.
Success is not that difficult if you decide to take one step at a time. Doing little things, small habits consistently with all your heart makes you efficient every single day and the compound effect of doing so will bring success in your life.
So, what are small habits which matter to success?
1. Take 10 minutes for concentration every morning
Every morning as soon as you go out of your bed and before you start thinking of all your emails you have to open take just 10 minutes to quietly sit down and focus your mind on the goals and good things you would like to achieve in your life.
Don’t let all the problems you have to solve that day to interrupt your concentration time.
This little habit won’t take much of your time but will make you start your day with a fresh mind. It will fuel your mind with success.
2. Take notes
Wherever you go take your notebook (or your smartphone) with you so you can quickly write down little ideas which can suddenly pop out of your mind during the day. In this way, you will never run out of new, bright ideas which are necessary for any success.
“…my most essential possession is standard sized notebook… …I carry those everywhere and write down all the comments that are made to me by Virgin staff and anyone I meet.” – Richard Branson, a billioner, founder of Virgin Group
3. Don’t check your email box before 10 o’clock
When you start your working day do your most important thing first. Everything else will just distract you. Forget about your emails. They can wait for 2 to 3 hours by the time you finish a great part of your most important thing of that day.
By doing so, you focus all your efforts on your most important thing which matters to your success instead of doing urgent things which can only take your time.
4. Make your ‘to-do’ list every night
Every night before you go to sleep write down 5 most important things which you need to do the next day.
But remember this: don’t make a list of 20+ things but only 5 things otherwise you will easily slip into a habit of doing too many things and your productivity will considerably drop down.
To lead a life of success, you need to do just a few things every day, efficiently.
5. Read inspirational books for 30 minutes every day
Success leaves clues. So reading books about successful people will inspire you and broaden your view.
“Work harder on yourself than you do on your job” – Jim Rohn
6. Make time limits throughout your day
This little habit can considerably shorten your way to success.
For every task you have to do, make a time limit. Putting a time limit can force you to be very effective and productive and you will be left with much more spare time at the end of the day.
Tomorrow, before you start checking your email box decide how much time you will spend on it. And follow this practice for all the other tasks, too.
7. Use your smartphone for calling, too:)
Yes, it seems funny but sometimes we get so much into using all functions of our smartphones that we forget to call people. Don’t just send messages. Call people and talk to them. Success comes with people.
Speaking in person is the most effective way to interact with people but if you can’t do it, forget SMS’s and emails, pick up the phone and talk to them. Messaging and emailing is only the third option.
“I don’t use email or a computer, I do everything in person or on the phone” – John Paul DeJoria, a billioner, co-founder of Paul Mitchell Systems and founder of Patron Spirits
8. Take 30 minutes of your day for a physical activity
Take 30 minutes of your day for doing sports because success loses all its meaning if you don’t feel well. Doing jogging, fitness, yoga or any physical activity for just 30 minutes a day can make you body fit and your mind fresh.
“Take care of your body, it’s the only place where you have to live” – Jim Rohn
9. Make positive affirmations during the day
Saying to yourself: “I am great, I love myself, I am on my way to success”, can lift your spirit high when you feel tired or when things don’t go the way you wish them to go.
A tip: Do your affirmations every day, a few times per day, constantly so when you really need them to lift your emotions up they will be already deeply rooted in your subconscious.
10. And finally, every night say “Thank you”
Before you go to bed, say a little “Thank you”. Be grateful for all the opportunities you had that day.
All successful people know that success come only to people who are grateful.
WHEN YOU FEEL you don’t progress as fast as you would like and that you are wasting time doing small ‘unnecessary’ habits remind yourself of this fact:
The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.
Featured photo credit: Victor Hanacek via picjumbo.com
