Six Habits Of Super Successful People (and how to make them your own)

Webster’s Dictionary describes the word SUCCESS as follows…

“ The accomplishment of an aim or purpose. The attainment of popularity or profit.”

I have been pursuing success (as described above) especially fervently for the last couple of months! Whether you are looking for a new job, launching a new business, or just trying to up your game in your current situation, comparing yourself to others and wondering what you could do to better your state of affairs is inevitable. As my own quest for success continues, I have become curious about the habits of already successful people. Of course, people that I see as successful may not meet the same criteria as people that you see as successful – but I bet they all have some things in common.

I want to incorporate some common routines and best practices of successful people into my life. That is not to say that if you do all of these things on a regular basis, you will automatically be successful, but I have come to believe that you might have more balance, less stress, and, yes, be a little more successful.

There are tons and tons of articles and books out there with lists of things that you should do to be more successful. I have spent some time checking out articles, books, and blog posts about how to be more productive, more creative, and happier in career/work. I have come up with 6 habits that I want to incorporate into my daily life:

Ask yourself this, “How would you behave if you were the best in the world at what you do?”

That is an excellent question, and I think if you are honest with yourself, there are some pretty straightforward answers! This idea has been kicked around in different words in many books and articles, but it hit home for me when I watched a webcast of Marie Forleo talking about best practices in business. I really think I could end the list after this one because if you hold yourself to the standard of being the best in the world at what you do, you are good to go! For example…every time you want to get sucked into social media instead of concentrating on your business – just ask yourself if you were the best in the world at your job, would you be wasting time on the internet when you could be creating? If you are behaving like you are the best in the world at what you do, would you be eating junk food in your sweatpants in front of the TV? Would you be late to the office or calling in sick? I think successful people get there by behaving like they are the best at what they do.

Successful people read…a lot! They do not waste time watching TV or getting sucked into the internet abyss. They read and learn every single day. They read to further their career goals by keeping up with the latest news in their industries, they read about what is going on in the world, and they read for pleasure (or maybe just to look smarter – but if they read, they are smarter – so it works).

A specific and non-negotiable morning routine seems to be part of many successful people’s day.

Maybe you get up in the morning and spend time with your family while you enjoy your coffee – leaving the computer and smartphone in your work bag until your morning routine is complete. Many successful people get their daily exercise or meditation going first thing in the morning. Oh, yes, successful people eat healthy food and exercise!

Some successful people like to check email first thing, then exercise and have coffee so that they are prepped for the day. Whatever your preference, a morning routine seems to be a very consistent part of a successful person’s day.

While we are talking about routines, I will add that scheduling your time in chunks throughout the day seems to be an effective way to work. Successful people block out time in their day to actually do their work – things come up, and they have to be flexible – but they schedule time as much as possible so that they can stay organized and on top of their work.

They have also learned to say NO to things that do not align with their personal or professional objectives or will not realistically fit into their day.

Another common thread in the lives of successful people is that they almost never just wing it. You practice often if you want to be good at what you do. People who are superstars in their fields are hands-on. They like what they do, and they practice every day. People who are good writers write every day. People who give speeches practice their presentations over and over before they get up on the stage – even if they have been doing it for years. Successful people continue to hone their skills every day. If you are a chef, you cook every day and try new recipes to keep current!

This one might seem obvious, but successful people are very aware of where their money is at all times. They balance their checkbooks, they stay on top of their bills, they have wallets that are cleaned out (not jammed with receipts and lottery tickets)- Suze Orman says that if you want to have money in your wallet, you have to make room for it – OK, I will buy that! They know where their money goes, i.e.: what they spend each day in cash, by check and on credit cards. They keep good records, and if they are really successful, they hire someone else to keep track of it for them so that they can continue to be awesome and successful at whatever it is that they do best!

Finally, this is one that I would say 99% of successful people are passionate about: giving back. They support charities, volunteer, and donate their products and services. I read many, many accounts of people who reported that giving back to their communities was one of the greatest joys of their success!

I will keep you posted on how the search for success goes. These six habits should keep me on the right path. Do you have any tips that have helped you on your road to success? Share in the comments…Onward—success, here we come!