12 Shocking Habits of Successful People

Success does not happen overnight, it is a result of the discipline of forming good habits. The habits are not necessarily fun put the results are worthwhile. Successful people push themselves out of their comfort zone and do the things they do not enjoy to get the change and results they would like to see in their lives.

Successful people have trained their minds to overcome every challenge and see the best out of every situation.

In this article, we are going to explore the 12 shocking habits of successful people. By applying these habits in your life you can be sure to achieve success in all aspects of your life.

Also read: 3 Shocking Habits of BILLIONAIRES

1. Waking up early

The most successful people know that a simple change in routine can make all the difference. By starting each morning by 5:00 am or 6:00 am, they are adding hours of productive time to their day.

You might be thinking, but don’t you have to go to bed early in order to wake up early? Wouldn’t that mean your day is the same length? You’re right, but not all time is created equal.

Studies have proven that productivity peaks first thing in the morning when our bodies and minds are fresh and full of energy. Too many people try to achieve their goals after work only to end up too tired or distracted.

If you want to be successful, trade in a night wasted watching Netflix or browsing social media for a morning of goal setting and accelerated productivity. Get a head start and make your dreams a reality while everyone else is sleeping.

2. Treating failure like gold

Any successful person will tell you that failure isn’t just necessary it’s golden but only if you know how to learn from it. The first lesson that any successful person learns is that failure is inevitable. I wish I could tell you that all of your dreams will come to life seamlessly, but you are bound to run to a few roadblocks along the way.

Successful people aren’t scared of hitting them. They do not internalize their failures or get discouraged because they know how to profit from their own mistakes.

According to leading psychologists, simply reviewing your failures can have remarkable effects on your productivity and attitude. It may seem tedious or foolish but success depends on your ability to learn why and how you failed.

Just ask Bill Gates whose first business venture completely flopped or Walt Disney who bankrupted an animation studio before building his empire.

3. Ignoring conformity

Whether you realize it or not, conformity is a powerful social force that affects nearly every decision you make, but only if you let it. Am here to tell you that the most successful people don’t just think outside the box, they live outside of the box too.

If you are spending every day trying to copy what is popular or what you see on TV, you are missing one of the most important parts of success- Innovation.

Successful people take advantage of the modern world by putting their own spin on it. They recognize a problem and create a unique solution rather than just following in someone else’s footsteps.

By going against the grain, people who don’t conform make a niche for themselves offering a service or opportunity that no one else can provide.

Successful people also avoid the pressures of comparison by ignoring social norms which can be detrimental to motivation and productivity. In this day and age, it is far too easy to judge your own work against thousands of others, don’t fall into this trap.

Successful people think for themselves and produce projects that reflect them as unique individuals not whatever that happens to be popular that week.

4. Reading everyday

It’s no coincidence that some of the world’s most successful people are also avid readers; executives like Elon Musk and Mark Cuban read for hours every single day. Why? Because reading and success go together like milk and honey.

Countless studies have shown the advantages of reading regularly. Reading puts your brain on a mental treadmill; stimulating growth and fending off diseases like dementia. It’s a lot like going to the gym; it significantly lowers stress levels and can unravel whatever anxieties may be holding you back.

Reading can even help you sleep better by relaxing your body and your mind. While all that is well and good the biggest advantage of reading is knowledge.

Reading everyday:

• improves your memory,
• upgrades your vocabulary, and
• Allows you to learn just about any subject in detail.

You don’t need a special degree, a job or seminar to accomplish your goals. If you read every day and choose the right books, you’ll start making progress in no time.

5. Spending money

Some of the best advice in business is that you have to spend money to make money. This could mean buying a better website or hiring a public relations firm, but real success requires more than a few extrinsic changes.

The most successful people actively shift their focus from current expenses to potential profit. Instead of cutting costs and finding shortcuts they invest in their own success by taking calculated risks up-front.

Think about it like this, if you could lower expenses by 20% or invest in something that increases revenue by 20% which option is more profitable? The former is immediately more productive but the latter ultimately promotes the growth of your business supplying more money to reinvest in yourself.

This change in attitude cultivates one of the most essential tools for anyone searching for success – delayed gratification.

According to leading psychologists, the ability to postpone gratification predicts success better than almost anything. By regularly deferring rewards we are nurturing productivity and self-discipline. Think about expenses and profits in the same way.

6. Making sacrifices

Whether you are opening your own business or starting a brand, you’ll have to make sacrifices. Successful people know how to make them better than anyone else.

Between work, friends, family, and relationships, it may feel like they aren’t enough hours in the day to realize your dreams! I am here to tell you that you are wrong! Each and every successful person faced the same problem but they learned to make sacrifices without losing their sanity. If they can do it so can you!

One of the first things to go is almost always free time. Every successful person had to start somewhere. And, for most people that somewhere wasn’t exactly convenient. They squeezed their dream in wherever they could, even if that meant little to no time for anything fun.

Yes, this can be an exhausting way to live but that just makes lifestyle choices like a healthy diet and exercise even more crucial.

Your goals might mean a few years of grueling work, time away from your family or financial instability but by making those sacrifices you are building a better work ethic and investing in your future success.

7. Creative writing

Have you ever wondered why so many of the world’s wealthiest entrepreneurs are also published authors? Most of them aren’t exactly the most eloquent wordsmiths, so what gives?

Well, it turns out that creative writing is a fantastic way to get inspired, gain clarity and develop the confidence you need to succeed. By putting your life and your perspective on the paper you can explore your own story while rediscovering how you got where you are today.

Creative writing can reaffirm that you’ve embarked on the right path or help you find an entirely new calling. That’s the beauty of creative freedom. You never know where exactly it might take you.

But what if you are not really a creative person? The truth is that creativity plays as big as a role in success as motivation or discipline.

Even if you don’t think you are very creative try your hand at some journaling or write a short story. Set aside your expectations for an hour or two just to see what you are capable of.

Your work may not be published any time soon but you’d be surprised at how many doors a little imagination can unlock.

8. Mild procrastination

Everyone knows that procrastination destroys productivity so how is it that successful people procrastinate all the time?

There are actually two types of procrastination

• Passive procrastination. You may recognize it as the lazy stalling that can delay any project for days on end.
• Active or strategic procrastination. It’s actually used to increase performance.

For many creative thinkers being early can be just as dangerous as being late. By jumping the gun they leave to much room for self-doubt and apprehension to ruin the spontaneity of their work.

So, instead of getting a head-start successful people tend to prioritize urgent projects while procrastinating important ones leaving exactly the amount of time they need to get it right the first time.

Take this situation, as an executive at a flourishing company; your days are always flowing with urgent responsibilities, however, you have a huge presentation in 3 weeks. Should you get an early start on the presentation or tackle what is in front of you first?

As a strategic procrastinator, you might put off doing the presentation to prioritize your immediate responsibilities. You might notice that I never said anything about leisure, that’s because strategic procrastination only works when you are putting off work to do other work.

So, next time you can’t bring yourself to start working, try shifting your focus on something a little easier or less time-consuming.

If you are going to procrastinate anyway you might as well give this more efficient alternative a try.

9. Self-improvement

The most successful people are constantly looking for ways to improve themselves. Believe me when I say that no one is perfect. Even the rich and famous people we love to idolize just like us they have plenty of weaknesses.

But unlike us, they make a habit of bettering themselves. How do they make this happen? Instead of telling you how I will tell you how they don’t.

• Successful people don’t find success by being the best all the time. It’s easy to believe that the top has always been the top but they were beginners at one point too. They made the same mistakes as you are now and failed all the way to the top of their field.

  Even now, they are constantly learning new techniques, trying to get new strategies and working to stay ahead of the curve. No matter how wealthy, old, or experienced you are successful people know that learning never stops.

10. Networking

It’s all about who you know. Am sure that everyone has heard this phrase a thousand times but that doesn’t make it any less true. The most successful people aren’t just good at their jobs; they are also fantastic networkers.

Now, this word gets thrown around a lot. So, what does networking really mean? Networking is more than just talking to people or making friends.

They are always on the look-out for useful contacts, potential employers and future partners. After all, these contacts could be the difference between your dream job and unemployment. So, why not do everything you can to cut luck out of the equation.

It’s no secret that successful people do a better job at creating these networks than most. It feels like they can make 100 lasting relationships without batting an eye. But they did not start out that way; they’ve gotten this good after years of experience.

Networking skills aren’t something that you are born with, so go out there and practice. Join a group of like-minded people, volunteer for a new project; take a few extra minutes to get to know your neighbours. You never know who might take your career to the next level.

11. Exercising consistently

Successful people know that every accomplishment is built on a steady foundation. While reading and creative writing cultivate your mind, a consistent exercise routine supplies the physical energy you need to achieve.

By working out, you are letting your body operate at 100%. When chasing after your prize you can feel sharp, positive and invincible, instead of wasting your time with illness or fatigue. Not only do you feel good but you also look good.

When it comes to appearances and everything, your self-esteem can make you or break you. Finding success requires confidence, decisiveness and ambition.

Self-loathing will stop any project in its tracks, so don’t let it weigh you down.

Exercising conditions you to create schedules, and achieve weekly or monthly goals. This healthy habits can be directly transferred to work or hobbies and help you learn how to set attainable expectations. Over time you will learn to take more pleasure in the small victories on your road to success.

12. Daily meditation

Meditation gets its fair share of eye rolls. You might brush it off as spiritual nonsense but the facts don’t lie. A number of scientific studies have shown that 20 minutes of daily contemplation can:

• mitigate stress,
• increase memory retention and
• Strengthen problem-solving skills.

How to meditate the right way

But how can sitting in silence be so good for you? The key is learning to meditate the right way. What is the right way? Well, it’s actually pretty simple.

First, decide what form of meditation you want to try. Do you want to challenge your mind or do you want to reflect on past emotions?

For now let’s say that you want to concentrate on your future goals, begin by assuming a comfortable pose. Sit on the floor, lay in your bed or even stand in an empty room.

Once you are comfortable, fixate on each individual breathe; feeling the air flow in and out of your body.

Slowly shift your attention to your goals, repeating them over and over. Remain mindful of every time your thoughts begin to wander, and if they do – gently refocus your mind.

You may not be able to meditate for more than a few minutes at first but it’s worth practising. Some of the wealthiest executives in the world make time to meditate like this every single day. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Winner, billionaire Marc Benioff and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey all use meditation to make clear head decisions and navigate their stressful careers.

Mediation does not work for everybody but it can be a healthy and relaxing way to achieve success.

Summary of 12 Shocking Habits of Successful People

1. Wake up early
2. Learn from failure
3. Be yourself, don’t conform
4. Read, read, and read some more
5. Spend money to make money
6. Make necessary sacrifices
7. Try out creative writing
8. Procrastinate with purpose
9. Always improve
10. Hone your networking skills
11. Create a daily exercise routine
12. Mediate everyday