While it seems that success comes easily to those who have it, high achievers are usually highly motivated behind the scenes and are diligent about setting goals and following them. This is heartening as it means that we too can walk on the road to success by integrating some of their behaviours into our own lives. Here are some of the things that successful people practice, so take a look and see which ones resonate with you.
Ensure you are clear about what success looks like at the beginning of each day. Once your goals have been set, you can communicate these to your team, prioritise tasks and track progress. It also allows you to champion achievement on a daily basis.
A good time management technique is to take 30 minutes or so early in the morning and break your day into chunks, with the tasks you will do during this time. This can include business-as-usual duties as well as bigger pieces of work that need to be achieved. Be smart about the timing of these: if you are a morning person, schedule the more challenging tasks in the morning; if you come to life after 3pm, then get smaller and easier tasks done earlier in the day. It’s also useful to write down your biggest wins, so that you can look back and be proud of your achievements.
Once you have decided what success looks like and the tasks required to achieve it, look at which elements can be outsourced to a team member. This allows you to focus on what is the best use of your talent and frees up your mental energy for the more strategic goals and problem solving.
Planning for the day ahead is good practice, but being able to cope with unexpected issues or problems that arise is equally as important. This means you may frequently need to evaluate what you and the team are currently working on and adjust tasks if something urgent arises or too many small things are distracting you from larger priorities. Don’t be afraid to change your plan if needed. Successful people are often masters at embracing flexibility. An easy way to do this is to leave space in your daily plan for unanticipated things that may arise. This means that if something urgent does need your attention, you know that you have some time to address this, without feeling anxious or panicked.
Successful people are creative thinkers and planners – and they make sure that they find the time to do this. Build an hour into your day or a couple of hours a week in a space without distractions for time to plan and to be creative. You may want to do this at home as soon as you wake up, or take some time out and come into work a bit later once a week. Some people even wake up as early at 4.30am to get a few hours of uninterrupted work done before the distractions of the day kick in.
Writing things down is a good habit for many reasons – it keeps us honest and on track, and it also allows us to look back on our achievements. There is another great reason for putting things in writing – especially ideas that crop up during the day. They may not be useful in the present, but they could be the perfect solution or inspiration at a later date. And by writing things down, you won’t forget them when you need them.
Having the right team around you can make or break a business. But what happens if the perfect personality applies for a job but doesn’t have the skills? Many successful people say that hiring for personality is the key. You can train someone to do the job, but you can’t change a person or make them fit into your company culture. Find people with solid foundations that you can build on and trust your intuition.
Water and the right diet are absolutely essential tools to help you perform at your best. Start the day by drinking a few glasses of water; some swear by water with a slice of lemon. Don’t skip breakfast and if possible do a short workout, whether it’s yoga, a run or a gym session. This sets you up with the reserves needed to face the day and increases your mental capacity, mood and resilience.
You may have all the qualifications you need or have reached your career peak, but as humans we can never stop learning. This doesn’t need to be time consuming or onerous; it could be as simple as reading about developments in your industry on a daily basis or keeping an eye on current trends. As a leader, this allows you to keep ahead of what is happening in the future and be able to look at how these could lead to opportunities for your company.
Anxiety and worry are unwelcome emotions but they are part of daily life. Successful people don’t let fear define them and they work at success despite their fears – in fact conquering their fears often spurs them on to greater heights. The more we confront our fears, the more we realise that most are unfounded and that we can deal with problems when they arise.
There are many articles about mindfulness, but the best thing to understand is that it is very simple. It’s about being aware, being present and giving every task and person your full attention. This means that you are open to hearing and observing the truth and therefore you can understand it, interpret it and learn from it. Practising mindfulness also helps you to be more open to embracing change, with the realisation that every situation is only in the present and will soon pass.
Successful people don’t let mistakes get them down and use them as learning opportunities. Errors are all part of growth and can often provide the solution that spurs future success. When a mistake happens, evaluate what happened, how you can solve it, what you will do differently next time – and then move on. Don’t dwell on things, except to plan what you are going to do in the future.
It doesn’t matter what kind of day you’ve had, if you search deep, there are always positive things that you can find. It’s important to acknowledge and share these. You can do this with your partner or family in the evenings or you can start the morning meeting with your team by sharing good things that happened. That way, you keep sight of the good things that life and work brings.
Your business may be an extended part of you, but success isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. So you don’t need to burn yourself out by working all hours and neglecting your family and friends. Train yourself to have a balanced life and when you are at home with loved ones, focus on them. This means turning off your phone and allowing yourself a mental break from work. This lets you completely unplug and allows you to revitalise and rejuvenate ready for the next day.
If you are stressed, overworked or tired, this doesn’t benefit anyone: your business, your people, your family and of course you. Take the time to learn what works for you to get into a more tranquil zone. It might be a long bath, cooking a gourmet meal or listening to music. This is often referred to as the ‘joy zone’. It’s important to know what sparks your entry into this zone and build it into your life, as and when needed. Learn to recognise the signs that you are stressed and when you may need to retreat into this zone, and don’t let any distractions claim your attention.
Success comes in many forms to many people – ultimately you create your own success, but following some of these tips can help you to achieve your goals.
Author: Peter Robinson Team Leadership Services
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