When we talk about success, a lot of us have different things that we categorize as success. It could be financial, marital, academic or even emotional. It could also be things as simple as achieving our goals, mental wellness, happiness, winning awards, etc. As we climb the ladder of success, we develop some habits that help us become more successful
A lot of things in our lives have gradually developed through a habit.
What are some of these habits? They include brushing your teeth, taking your bathe, keeping things clean and organized, waking up at a particular time, etc.
All this eventually turn into habits due to contionous repetition. They follow the same patten that most times we have this inner drive that pushes us towards getting them done.
A HABIT LOOP
To form or change habits, Charles Duhigg’s book on The Power of Habit introduced a concept called The Habit Loop. It consists of 3 components. They are;
- A trigger,
- A routine, and
- A reward
When you understand these components, it will help you build good habits and break off old ones. This will help you if you want to be successful. That way, you are able to incorporate habits that will guarantee success.
Let’s explain them further:
The trigger: In this case, you put yourself in a position where you will most likely be engaged in the said behavior.
The routine: This entails the behaviors or habits we are trying to create and doing them repeatedly.
The reward which could be something your brain loves that makes it remember these habits that might be stressful or even annoying to you.
When we build all these beautiful habits, most times, we can do them subconsciously.
Building habits depends on the person and the habits the person wants to build. So, timing for different habits differ. It could also depend on how dedicated the individual is.
If you noticed, you will realize that I took out time to extensively explain what habits really mean.
SOME HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE
1. Planning and goal setting:
Personally, I love planning. A lot of people want to be successful, but ask them about their plans or goals for that and they have none. What are your plans for achieving success. Call me obsessed but I try to plan everything down to my cooking. You can literally see me writing things down on scrap papers before I cook. If I say I will finish by 12pm, between 11:55 and 12:05 I’m done. That’s what planning does to you. For some people that feel like 24hrs is not enough, this point can help you. Plan your next day before you sleep or at least have an idea what it will look like. Be realistic, do not overwhelm yourself.
““Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” –
Pablo Picasso.
2. Start your day early: The earlier you wake up, the more you are able to accomplish. It also goes a long way to determine how your day will go.
3. Learn to manage stress:
We all get stressed but what makes you better than someone else is how you manage your stress. Things like muscle relaxations, taking a deep breath, healthy living, taking and scheduling breaks, exercising, and talking to someone can really help.
- Building healthy sleep habits: Sleep is important for success. A study done in 2018 showed that the body’s ability to function decreases if sleep isn’t in the 7 to 8 hour range.
Some healthy sleep habits are
- Set a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time.
- Exercising can help you expend energy which will help you sleep better
- Avoid caffeinated drinks especially before bed time or whenever you want to sleep.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Keep naps short
- Keep things organized: Organize your house, office, workspace, etc. Keep things arranged, throw away things that are not good or needed. Studies show that people who have cleaner and organized homes naturally feel better rested and refreshed. Imagine going out and coming back to a disorganized environment. When things are organized, you feel happy, comfortable, relaxed and at ease. Organize your daily routines and activities so you can achieve more.
- Limit the number of activities to what you can handle: Don’t overwhelm yourself.
- Have a Positive attitude towards life and try to be open minded: With a positive attitude you are able to recognize opportunities, and focus more on the bright side of life. Don’t get me wrong people are sad, depressed and unhappy about their current situations but the best thing we can do is intentionally work on changing both our mindsets and seeing things differently.
“Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think. Benjamin Disraeli
- Keep up with the trend: Listen to news, updates, and podcasts. But once they interfere with your mental health, try to limit them.
- Do some physical activities and eat healthy.
- Learn to take responsibility for your actions: Correct your mistakes, learn from them, find out what you did wrong and try to correct it. We all suffer delays or setbacks at some point in life. Don’t blame anyone for your mistake. Move on and try once again to create that future you want no matter what!
- Discipline, hard work and consistency: With these 3 attributes, you make success a lifestyle. You don’t even need to struggle so much because you will become more goal oriented and result driven.
