Yesterday I shared my 90 Day Habit Tracker with you. While I got tons of great feedback, I had quite a few people who reached out to say that they want to change their life, but they're not sure where to start. I thought I'd share a list of habits successful people do daily! While I don't expect you to adopt them all overnight, I highly recommend that you pick 1 and stick to it for the next 90 days…or better yet, the rest of your life.
Habits Successful People Cultivate Daily
Wake Up Early.
I know this is probably the habit that I'll get the most flack for suggesting. I know there are lots of you out there who are night owls. And like you, I know plenty of successful people who don't wake up early. I also know that if you give this habit a chance and stick to it for 90 days, you might be shocked at how much it changes your life. I tend to wake up every morning between 4:30 am and 5:15 am. I am a former night owl and while I sometimes fall out of this habit, when I'm consistent with it, I am way more productive and life is much smoother. If you're not sure how waking up early can change your life, I highly recommend this book.
Practice Gratitude
It's easy to see all the negative in the world. It's harder to find lots of things to be thankful for. When you spend the extra time focusing on how much you have to be thankful for, your life and your perspective change completely. I thought this was a dumb habit, but after someone gave me this gratitude journal, I realized it really did have the power to change my perspective. I've gifted this same gratitude journal to multiple people because I truly believe you can choose your perspective and choose to be grateful.
Exercise Daily
A few years ago, someone I admire committed to running 1 mile a day for an entire day. This man was 60 years old at the time. He hadn't always been in shape and had radically changed his life a few years earlier with healthy eating and exercise. He has now completed over 650 days of running at least 1 mile a day. He's run when he was under the weather. He's run when he was on a road trip. He's run on vacation. He made a commitment and he stuck with it. The 90-day habit that I am currently working to complete is 90 days in a row of hiking Telegraph Pass on South Mountain. This is one of my favorite trails. It's roughly 2.2 miles round trip and can be completed in just under an hour (although the first time I actually made it to the top of the trail, it took me over an hour just to make it up). I'm currently 12 days into my habit! If you don't run or hike, that's OK. Make a commitment to walk 1 mile a day. Or make a commitment to do a plank for 1 minute a day. It's OK to start small, but make a point to move your body every single day. If you're a beginner looking for a low impact workout program that won't take all day, here's a great walking workout and here's a great low-impact workout.
Daily To-Do List
Have you ever had something you needed to do and it literally kept you up at night thinking about it? I'm pretty sure we've all been there. It's been proven that when people write things down, their mind has the time and energy to focus on other things. I spent years looking for the perfect planner that allowed me to keep track of what was important and to prioritize with my to-do list. It's made a huge difference in my daily productivity. Whether you use a plain notebook or a planner, get in the habit of writing down the things you need to do daily.
Drink Water
Drinking water sounds like an easy habit, but for many people, it's more challenging than they'd think. Starting your day with a cup of lemon water and continually drinking water throughout the rest of the day can seriously improve cognitive function and cellular health. When your body is optimally hydrated, you think better, you move better, and you feel better. Plus, many people mistake thirst for hunger. Drinking water can help keep your cravings at bay. For best results, choose a filtered water without fluoride. If you don't want to buy bottled water, consider using a filtering pitcher.
Read Daily
The average CEO reads 52 books a year, yet the average person reads only 2-3. While I struggle to find time to sit down and actually “read”, I am able to consume 1-2 books a week thanks to audiobooks. I love Audible and thanks to my monthly membership and their daily deals and sales, I've accumulated a library of over 500 audiobooks. Many of these are books that I listen to again and again. Books like The Power of Habit, The 12 Week Year and The Miracle Morning are great motivators.
Get Enough Sleep
Everybody has a different amount of sleep they need. I tend to need a good 8 hours of sleep, so I try to be in bed by 9. While some people only need 6 hours of sleep, most people tend to need between 7 and 8 hours. If you struggle with consistent sleep, check out these simple sleep tips.
Set Goals and Write Them Down Daily
Did you know that if you asked most people what their New Year's Resolutions were, they can't tell you? Most people don't reach their goals because they don't remember what goals they set. How said is that? When you set goals and write them down daily as if you have already achieved them, you are way more likely to accomplish them. Is your goal to run a marathon? Write down “I have completed a marathon and am healthy and fit.” Want to save $100,000? Write down “I have $100,000 in my savings account and am working to have a financially secure future.” Want to lose 50 pounds? Write down “I am at a healthy weight and eat to fuel my body.”
Here are some other habits that have also been cited as habits of successful people.
- They make their bed.
- They keep a journal.
- They meditate.
- They listen to others.
- The create an Ideal Daily Routine and stick to it.
- They value solitude.
- They embrace failure.
- They ask good questions.
- They face their fears…and do it anyway.
- They visualize their success.
- They minimize distractions by batching tasks.
- They say no to things that don't further their mission.
What habits would you add to this list?
