Whether you’ve got your sights set on running a global empire or you just want to make a little more cash each month, there are plenty of ways to emulate the rich and famous so that you can attract the same kind of success. After all, success is not always based on being in the right place at the right time—although sometimes that helps! Success is built on hard work, dedication, and a determined mindset. There is no place for distraction on the way to reaching your goals!
So, what is it that sets successful people apart from the rest? Well, their daily habits are vital steps in creating the foundation for their achievements.
The first of these habits is developing a daily reading routine. Regularly reading helps to improve focus, memory, and cognitive function, while also providing education and perspective. Warren Buffet credits his successes to his voracious reading habit, recently telling an investment class at Columbia University, “Read 500 pages…every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it”. Long before he founded PayPal, Elon Musk was reportedly reading for up to 10 hours every day. He read everything from science fiction to astrophysics textbooks and credits his love of books for his vast knowledge about energy and rockets.
While reading is great for working the mind, successful people also spend time working on the body. Regular exercise features prominently in the daily schedules of high achievers, as it not only improves self-discipline, but it also reduces stress levels and increases energy—the perfect recipe for success! Exercising regularly creates a habit of discipline, which leads to a great opportunity to become a true master of the self (which is exactly what you need if you want to become successful). An avid cyclist and runner, Richard Branson sets his alarm for 5:00am every morning to make sure that he starts his day off on the right foot. He claims that his regular exercise boosts productivity and helps him to achieve far more during his work day.
This takes us nicely into the next habit: getting up early. Ok, you might not want to hear it, but rising with the dawn is great for establishing a solid sleep routine, which is vital for achieving goals. Start the day right by getting out of bed and dealing with emails, having breakfast, ironing some clothes, or doing some exercise. By achieving so much before your work day, it will set you up for hours of productivity. Plus, you get to see the sunrise and enjoy some quiet time before the mad rush of the day begins! Ben Franklin was an avid early riser and stated that, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”.
When it comes to focusing on your goals, introducing a daily meditation habit is a great way to improve your ability to direct yourself and aim towards success. Not only does meditation help you to eliminate and ignore distractions, but it also improves productivity, enhances cognitive function, and helps you to handle stress better. Uber-successful entrepreneurs and CEOs, from Arianna Huffington to Joe Rogan, all swear by spending a few minutes each day meditating.
The final step in creating a successful mindset is to keep learning. Spending time each day learning a new skill is a great way to keep the mind focused and create new neural pathways in the brain. Engaging in brain challenges like Sudoku and crosswords, or practicing the art of strategy through games like poker, chess, or Battleship, will help you to develop better decision-making processes and boost cognitive function. James Altucher credits his hedge fund success to the ten hours a day he used to spend studying chess, while Guy Laliberte, owner of Cirque de Soleil, is also known for his excellent poker-playing skills, which may have helped him to become as successful as he is today.
