15 Small Things You Can Do Every Day To
Become Highly Successful
Have you
ever wondered what the secret to success is? For most people, it’s not one
specific thing. Rather, it’s the result of many daily habits that are repeated
over and over. Here are 15 small things you can do every day to ensure that
you’re being intentional with your time and spending it on your
priorities. Incorporate these tips into your daily routine and watch your
success soar!
1. Define your priorities.
What are your
main three priorities in your life? What three things do you do with the
majority of your time? Do your priorities match up with where you’re spending
your time? If so, awesome. If not, you’ll need to work extra hard to be
intentional about spending more time on your priorities, and getting rid of the
junk that prevents you from doing what’s important to you. Really think about
how you want to spend your life – you will likely only feel successful if you
spend your time on what matters most to you.
2. Set a schedule for the following day.
Time is our most precious resource, and it’s
irreplaceable. If you really want to be successful, you’ll need to plan how
you’re spending your time.
One way to do this is to take time each
evening to write out a schedule for the next day. Writing out your schedule
helps for three main reasons: It helps you maximize every hour you are awake;
it helps you set aside time to focus on your priorities every day; and it helps
you discover if you waste a lot of time. I recently read that the average
American spends 5 hours a day watching TV. Setting a schedule will help you
avoid the trap of time-suckers like TV.
3. Eat the frog.
“Eat a live frog first thing every morning, and nothing worse will
happen to you the rest of the day.” – Mark Twain
If you’re like most people, there is a task
every day you procrastinate because it scares or overwhelms you. This task
is your frog, and according to Mark Twain, you should eat it right away in
the morning.The problem with procrastinating eating your frog is that
it’s hard to concentrate on getting other things done; you’re too busy thinking
about the frog you need to eat later. Also, putting it off makes it seem even
more overwhelming because you have time to imagine every possible thing that
could go wrong with the task.
Eating the frog early in the day gives you a
sense of accomplishment, and it’s great to start the day feeling successful.
Finishing your dreaded task immediately can give you the momentum you need
to get other tasks done throughout your day. Plus, they’ll all seem easy
compared to the frog you started with.
4. Be honest with the person in the mirror.
Now that we’ve talked about eating the frog,
I want to encourage you to be honest with yourself. Just because there’s a frog
to eat at the beginning of your day doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to get up way
earlier than you normally do to start eating it.
Some people do their best work before
sunrise, and others are incredibly productive late in the evening. If you
love starting your day at 5 a.m., wonderful – go ahead and eat your
frog in the early hours of the morning. If you prefer to sleep in, that’s fine
too – go ahead and eat your frog early in YOUR day.
Successful people are honest with themselves.
They know that setting a goal of working out every morning at 4:30 a.m. isn’t
the best idea if they’ve never been a morning person. They set their goals
based on their most productive times.
5. Give yourself deadlines.
Take advantage of a major productivity hack:
Parkinson’s Law. Parkinson’s Law states that work will expand to fill the time
available for its completion. If you have less time to complete a task, you’ll
likely increase your effort. Think about how clean you can make your house when
someone calls and says they’ll stop by in 20 minutes, and how intensely you can
focus when you have a an assignment due the next morning. Your effort
significantly increases when time is limited.
Giving yourself deadlines to accomplish tasks
can help you achieve your goals. As you set your daily schedule, it can help to
use Parkinson’s Law to your advantage. One way to do this is by using time
blocks. Give yourself 55 minutes to accomplish a goal, and then take a planned
5 minute break. Knowing you have limited time will help maximize your productivity
during the 55 minute work session. Also, the mini mental breaks from your hard
work every hour can re-energize you.
6. Minimize distractions.
Get rid of as many distractions as possible
while you work. If the internet distracts you, set your computer so it’s locked
from certain sites during set times of the day. Shut off your phone.
Your messages will be there when you’re done with your to-do list.
7. Pause.
Plan time every day to take care of yourself.
Set aside time in your schedule for you to give yourself the gift of
exercise, quiet time, or ideally both.
8. Plan backward.
One way to move forward toward your big goals
is to plan backward when setting goals.
For example, say you want to lose 26 pounds.
After you set an initial long-term goal of losing 26 pounds by one year
from now, start planning backward and breaking the goal down into doable
chunks. If you want to lose 26 pounds in one year, you’ll need to lose 0.5
pounds (1750 calories) each week. This is 250 calories per day. Many people have
3 meals and 2 snacks per day, which means you can decrease your intake by 50
calories every time you eat. That’s a totally doable goal! You’ve now
taken a large, overwhelming aspiration and you broke it into very small,
achievable daily goals.
Planning backward to move forward works for
all kinds of big goals. I have a financial goal I want to meet this year, and I
know exactly how many dollars and cents I need to earn each day to hit my mark.
9. Write it down.
Research shows that just by writing your goals
down, your chance of achieving them increases significantly! Write down your
goals, post them somewhere easily visible, refer to them frequently, and you
have a much higher chance of success.
10. Find an accountability partner.
Accountability partners are great; they
encourage and support us as we work toward achieving our goals. Maybe you’ve
always wanted to write a book, exercise regularly, or start a home-based
business. Tell someone who will help keep you accountable and check in with you
weekly to review your progress. It works great to have an accountability
partner who has some similar goals.
11. Compare yourself to others only to fuel your determination.
You really want to feel good about your life?
Quit comparing yourself to everyone else if it makes you feel bad. Being
envious of others can quickly decrease your happiness and make you feel
unsuccessful.
That being said, comparing can be helpful if
you’re doing it out of admiration instead of jealousy. If your friend is
constantly getting promoted at work, study his habits at the office.
Does he always arrive early and stay late, and offer to take on extra
projects? Emulating his work ethic may help you get the raise you desire.
Is your coworker the picture of perfect health? Comparing your habits to hers
may make you realize she takes a walk every day over the lunch hour while you
munch on snacks at your desk. Join her for a walk if you aspire to improve your
fitness.
‘When we compare in a healthy way (they have
that, I’d like it, how can I learn from them to get it?), it can fuel our
determination to become more successful.
12. Seek out a mentor.
If there’s a specific area in your life you
are passionate about, choose a successful mentor to help you grow in
that area. You may find that you have different mentors for different areas in
your life – I know I do. Consider hiring a coach; the right coach can make
a world of difference in your life by giving you the inspiration and
tools needed to reach high levels of success.
13. Delegate.
“If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you
want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.” – John
C. Maxwell
As difficult as it can be, it’s important to
give up some control and delegate certain tasks. After all, there are only 24
hours in the day, and if you really want to focus on your priorities and become
wildly successful, you’ll need to trust others to take care of the things that
are less important to you.
A few years ago, I wrote out my weekly tasks,
and realized there were 56 tasks that I completed each week. No wonder I felt
overwhelmed at times! I began evaluating the importance of each of those tasks
and decided to delegate the tasks that weren’t imperative for me to perform,
yet still needed to get done. Now I have more time to focus on my priorities.
When we delegate some tasks to others, we are able to focus on what’s important
to us – a key to becoming successful.
14. Choose your company wisely.
Aside from having one specific accountability
partner, choose your entire tribe with care.
According to businessman Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the
five people you spend the most time with.”
Are you hanging out with people who are
encouraging, positive, and supportive? Or, do you spend most of your time with
people who are toxic? Choose to spend your time with people who inspire you to
be your best.
15. Read.
Want to be highly successful? Read. Read
frequently. Reading invigorates us and opens our minds. Read material that
inspires you and lights your fire. Delve into self-development. Absorb as much
information as you possibly can. There’s always more to learn.
KERRY PETSINGER
http://www.lifehack.org/293676/15-small-things-you-can-every-day-become-highly-successful?ref=mail&mtype=goal_reminder&mid=20161113_with_thumbnail&uid=687414&hash=707e797f7e757e6d794c856d747b7b3a6f7b79&action=read_more&goal_id=9&token=d0e3e4b03809d240b52d71f8a6770fa9
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