This post discusses 20 daily habits to set yourself up for success.
Do you wish you could accomplish more in the day but just aren’t sure how?
Well, research suggests starting earlier.
One study found that morning people tend to have a higher productivity rate than their counterparts (sorry night owls).
In fact, many successful individuals attribute their achievements to having an effective morning ritual.
So, if you’ve been searching for ways to improve your efficiency, concentration, and time management, try crafting your own routine with these daily habits to set yourself up for success.
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How Good Daily Habits Lead to Success
A habit is any action taken often enough to the point where it becomes automatic.
We all have habits.
Some of them good and…some of them not so good.
Habits are important because they help shape our identity. After all, as Aristotle once said, “we are what we repeatedly do.”
Maintaining good daily habits can lead to success by helping you achieve your goals and reducing your reliance on motivation which may sometimes wane.
Even small acts such as waking up early and eating healthy can contribute to your progress and overall vision for your life.
How to Break a Bad Habit & Form a Good One
Anyone who has ever tried to break a bad habit knows it’s not an easy thing to do.
This is especially true if you don’t have a strong enough reason to make that change.
Still, if you want to put an end to a bad habit, the first thing you must do is identify it. Next, you have to form a plan.
For instance, if you have a bad habit of going to bed late, set an earlier bedtime and schedule your day accordingly.
This may require moving up your meal times and other tasks.
Of course, you could always go cold turkey but it’s easier to change your bad habit in stages.
Sticking with the bedtime example, instead of going from 12 AM to 9 PM, try going to sleep at 11:30 PM and then 11 PM, etc…
Research suggests that it takes around 66 days on average for a behavior to become a new habit. So, stay consistent and avoid coming down on yourself if you mess up.
Daily Habits for Success
Below you’ll find 20 daily habits to set yourself up for success. These are more or less suggestions and there is no need to adopt them all as you may get overwhelmed.
Instead, simply add the ones that resonate with your lifestyle and future goals.
Start the Night Before
“Don’t start the day until you have it finished. Don’t start the week until you have it finished. Don’t start the month until you have it finished. Plan your day.”
This quote from American entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn reminds us just how essential planning is to success.
It not only minimizes stress but maximizes time while providing you with some sense of control over your life.
This planning period should begin at least the night before so you can set goals and prioritize tasks.
It is the time to prepare food, choose outfits, or anything else on your to-do list. The point is to give yourself less to worry about once you awake.
You don’t have to get too specific with this as it can heighten anxiety and inspire procrastination.
Rather, it’s best to create a general idea or guideline of the tasks you’d like to accomplish for the day ahead.
Get Better Sleep
Getting better sleep may seem like obvious advice but surprisingly, many people don’t get the recommended amount of sleep at night.
Adults, in particular, need at least 7 hours of rest. However, The Centers for Disease Control reports that up to 35% of American adults do not get enough sleep.
In a study, researchers discovered that 30% of school-age children who need around 8 to 11 hours of sleep weren’t meeting the recommended requirements.
An important factor since sleep deprivation may cause many health and safety issues including, heart disease, hypertension, and weight gain.
The lack of sleep can also severely impact your brain function and decision-making capacity. So, if the goal is to get more sleep, the best way to accomplish this is to create a schedule.
Set a time for when you’d like to go to bed and begin winding down toward that time.
So, if you set your bedtime at 10 PM, you can start preparing around 9 PM each night.
Doing things like dimming the lights and turning off technology can make falling and staying asleep much easier.
Wake Up Early
Awaking earlier will definitely set you up for a more productive morning.
One of the most valuable things we have in this world is time.
Getting out of bed even 15 minutes before your alarm rings can help you accomplish more.
Wake Up at the Same Time
When first-time dog owners take their pets to the veterinarian, they are often told to get their dog on a schedule.
Dogs love stability.
They like to wake up, be fed, and even go on walks every day at the same time. Humans operate in a similar way.
We thrive off of routine and thus can avoid unnecessary stress because the body doesn’t have to guess when it will undergo an activity like eating or sleeping.
Living without some structure can also wreak havoc on your internal clock which is influenced not only by your exposure to light and darkness but to your eating habits.
Use a Natural Light
Since our internal clock is deeply impacted by light, it may be a good idea to ditch the traditional alarm clocks and use the natural light from the coming day to wake.
Natural light makes your body feel more alert.
So, try sleeping beside a window and allow the sun’s rays to pour in.
Or, if you’re more comfortable with an alarm clock, try one that uses natural light to wake you.
Move your phone
Many of us have our morning alarms on mobile devices. If you are a person who has trouble hitting the snooze button (see tip below) then try placing your phone far away from the bed.
Once you hear the alarm sound (unless you’re a heavy sleeper or just that determined not to get up) you’ll have to climb out of bed and walk to wherever you’ve placed the phone to switch it off.
This helps get you from under the covers and out of any lingering sleep fog.
Avoid the snooze button
For the love of all that is holy DO NOT hit the snooze button!
It does not help you at all.
The best way to avoid the desire to stay in bed is to understand your sleep cycle.
On average a single sleep cycle is about 90 minutes long. We will go through 4 to 6 of them a night.
The typical adult needs somewhere between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. This is where routines come in.
If you set a time to go to bed that provides you with the right amount of sleep and commit to it every night, your body will get used to the routine.
You will naturally begin to wake up at the same time or even earlier in the morning without your alarm clock.
If you happen to wake up before or just as the alarm sounds you are likely at the end of your sleep cycle and it will do you no favors to hit snooze.
You won’t be able to get through another sleep cycle by the time it rings again leaving you very tired.
Avoid Phone Messages & Emails
It’s not a good idea to read/respond to any type of message before going to bed or upon waking.
When you’re nearing bedtime, this is the period when you should be winding down.
Exposing yourself to blue light from a screen, working, or watching/reading the news could affect your sleep cycle and or place you in a stressful state.
Set Your Own Pace
Setting your own pace, particularly in the morning is a good habit to adopt.
Some people benefit greatly by getting a slow, relaxing start to the morning, in no rush at all.
While others thrive off of accomplishing their tasks quickly to add momentum to their day.
Either way can be beneficial but it depends on what kind of person you are.
If the former sounds good to you, then it may be better to wake up earlier so you can take your time and ease into the day.
If the latter sounds more like your style, regardless of the time you get up, it may be best to have a list of tasks you’d be eager to complete and start as soon as possible.
You could even mix the two and wake up earlier to enjoy a bit of solitude before leaping into your to-do list.
Start with Gratitude
Showing gratitude even for the little things can have enormous benefits for your health.
It could help you sleep, regulate your emotions, and provide a better outlook on life.
There are plenty of ways to include more gratitude into your day.
A very popular method to create a daily practice is by starting a gratitude journal.
According to research, writing down moments of reflection to mark when you feel grateful can boost your well-being and sense of satisfaction.
Gratitude has also been linked to higher self-esteem and improved job performance.
Meditate
Another tip good habit is to start your day with a little meditation.
As soon as we wake up the stressors in our lives can come roaring to the forefront of our thoughts.
Meditation helps tame those worries and allows us to maintain a peaceful disposition.
It may additionally enhance productivity by helping to declutter thoughts and increase concentration.
As a result, we stay with tasks longer.
Clean
Cleaning, especially ahead of a to-do list, can greatly impact your goals.
Much like meditation, cleaning can also reduce clutter.
If your surrounding area is clean, the brain may be able to better focus on the tasks in front of you which boosts productivity and success.
Make Up the Bed
Making your bed after waking up could also set you on a path to success.
In a small survey conducted, many people admitted to feeling a sense of accomplishment after performing such a small and seemingly mundane action.
More than 80% of those questioned reported feeling more productive throughout the day.
So, don’t forget to make your bed!
Drink Water First Thing
Every time we breathe we lose water.
In just one day, we can lose up to a cup of water and as much as a liter while sleeping.
So, naturally, when we awake, our bodies are dehydrated.
Therefore, replenishing our water intake upon waking is vital.
Drinking water also increases our red blood cell count and the amount of oxygen to the brain.
The extra oxygen will provide you with excess energy and the alertness you’ll need to get more done.
Lastly, this is more of a pro tip but remember to drink water before brushing your teeth.
Having water before will wash away much of the germs and bacteria that settled in your mouth overnight.
Exercise
Not everyone enjoys traditional exercise.
There may even be people who twitch at the very word.
Well, there’s good news. Working out doesn’t have to be strenuous. Any form of movement will do.
Going for a walk, practicing yoga, running, and even cleaning are acceptable.
The point is to get your body moving in the morning.
Exercising can positively impact the quality of your work including productivity and creativity.
Take a Cold Shower
It’s been said that cold showers are not for the faint at heart.
However, taking one in the early hours of the morning can increase your productivity enormously.
Cold showers provide energy and improve blood circulation. As a bonus, it boosts immunity, keeping you from getting sick.
Eat a Protein-rich Breakfast
The food that we eat gets converted by our body into a type of sugar called glucose.
This simple sugar gives the brain the energy we need to stay focused and alert.
When our glucose levels are low, it is harder for us to stay focused.
Eating a protein-rich breakfast can promote satiety, replenish energy levels, support weight loss, increase muscle growth, and so much more.
Eat before caffeine
When you don’t feel good physically, it may be very hard to have a successful day.
According to experts and researchers, drinking caffeine before having breakfast could negatively impact your health.
You may suffer issues such as triggering a spike in your blood sugar or acid reflux.
It may even put some people at risk for developing heart disease and or diabetes later on in life.
Read More
One of the best habits you can add to your routine is reading.
This is a trait many successful people have in common whether it’s in the form of books, articles, or studies.
A habit like reading can expose you to new ideas, information, and perspectives. It also stimulates the brain improving your decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Stay flexible
One final habit to adopt would be to just stay flexible with your time.
Anything could throw off your routine.
The rain could ruin your jogging plans, you could spill coffee on your outfit the moment you step outside, or get caught in a traffic jam on your way to work.
It’s crucial to your overall success to just roll with the punches and leave a little leeway to deal with the sped bumps in life.
This will help keep you calm and focused on what kind of day you want to have.
Building Daily Habits for Success
Each of the daily habit on this list were chosen because they contribute to success in one way or another so feel free to mix them into your routine. Just remember to always go at your own pace and stay consistent.
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