Ah, successful people. Don’t you just hate them? With their thriving businesses, their private jets and their boundless productivity.
And the advice! The un-achievable, guilt-inducing advice that’s pumped out across the interwebs. Of course, we all desperately suck it up in the hope that we, mere mortals, can match their level of success.
Yes, I’ve read a fair few “89 things successful people do before breakfast” or “7 secrets from smug, successful, know-it-alls” type posts. But being a mildly successful person myself (hey, I’m no Richard Branson, but I’m doing okay), I thought I’d share some of my own top daily habits.
If you’ve ever said to yourself, “If only I meditated on my private island everyday I could get more email opt-ins”, this post is for you.
Conventional advice tells us that early risers are the gods of the business world. But I’ve tried it and it sucks. Give me an hour-longer lie-in any day. As a parent, I’d take 60 minutes of extra zzzs over pretty much anything.
Sleep makes me happy, and a happy me gets more done than tired, irritable me.
Eating food is good. It boosts your productivity and memory, and stops your tummy rumbling during Skype calls. A hearty breakfast is a great way to start the day, followed by a healthy lunch and a wholesome supper. (And crisps. Lots of crisps.*)
Drink water and coffee regularly throughout the day to stay alive and alert. Often pains of hunger and feelings of total business desperation are just the early signs of dehydration. A hydrated brain is a clever brain.
While there are plenty of ‘to do’ apps out there, for me nothing beats pen and paper. I suggest including a few easy wins at the top of your list (“Go to toilet”, “Turn on computer”, “Find pen”, etc.) so you can quickly tick them off and feel like you’re winning.
Mark Twain apparently said:
“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
While I’m sure amphibians offer an excellent source of protein, I’m guessing this is one of those metaphor thingies. So I recommend starting each day by doing the most hideous task first. Get it out of the way and you’ll feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I walk my dog each day (to the coffee shop and back). I also work to loud music, and have perfected a rather good dance that I can do while remaining in my swivelly chair. It’s not pretty, but it keeps my bum cheeks pert – vital to a successful businessperson in my book.
Answering the phone means having to talk to other humans, and some other humans talk too much. By not answering the phone you can avoid this and get on with your work. I set aside an hour a day to ring people, return messages and deal with phone stuff. After that, I switch it to silent.
Although your ‘to do’ list may change your priorities, it shouldn’t. My priority list goes something like this:
It’s a simple and effective way of making sure I focus on my customers and don’t get sucked into random videos about cats on Facebook. (Well, most of the time.)
I once read somewhere that when you smile it tricks your brain into thinking you’re happy, even when you’re not. So, if you were to walk past my office window you’ll often find me grinning inanely at the screen. Smiling while you’re on the phone also makes you sound much nicer than you possibly are.
Yep, mantras do work.
You can go with something deep: “The sea otter never asks why the water is wet”.
Something inspiring: “Bright stars shine brighter when they love themselves.”
Or something practical: “Don’t eat the yellow snow.”
My favourite mantra is ‘”Stop whinging and get on with it.” It works every time.
Do you already follow some of these daily habits? What are your top tips to boost your succesfulness? Please share in the comments below.
* Crisps – chips to Australian and American readers.
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