Being productive and working towards success is something that comes more easily for some than others.
What is it that successful people do differently? Their plan for success starts the moment they wake up and they keep the ball rolling by practicing a few essential habits throughout the day.
Do you want to boost your own success? Then try working these habits into your own daily routine!
Stop hitting the snooze button
A successful day begins the moment you wake up… so wake up already! Instead of hitting the snooze button multiple times, train yourself to sit up after the first alarm and get your butt out of bed.
If you have trouble with this, perhaps adjusting your bed time will help. A great app that I’ve used is Sleep Cycle, which monitors your sleep and wakes you gently during your lightest sleep phase so you can stop feeling tired in the morning.
Create your own mantra
Think about what you want to achieve and create your own mantra that you can recite to yourself each morning before you begin your daily tasks.
It can be as simple as “today will be a good day!” to outlining specific goals you hope to accomplish. Write it down and stick it somewhere visible for when you wake up.
This might seem a little bit silly, but waking up and putting your mind in a good place straight from the get-go can really go a long way.
Stay focused
With so many daily distractions coming from the phones in our pockets to Facebook urges, it’s so easy to lose focus.
When you’re ready to get down to business, eliminate all distractions and dive in. This might mean turning your phone off for an hour or two (you won’t die, I promise!!!) or closing all other browser tabs besides the one you might be using.
Practicing discipline and working little things into your daily routine can help you stay on top of things.
Write down your tasks
A to-do list just seems appropriate when you have goals that you want to accomplish. Nothing feels better than crossing off tasks!
Go over your to-do list each day and make it a point to cross at least a few jobs off of it.
Complete your least favourite tasks first
With a long to-do list, it can seem overwhelming at times and you might not know where to even begin.
Start with the tasks that you are dreading first. This way, you can get through them quickly without them looming over your head for the rest of the day. Get them done and forget about them!
Take breaks to clear your brain
Silence is golden. I don’t believe in working non-stop and trying to get as much done as possible without taking breaks every so often.
Taking a break is your body’s way of refueling. Allow yourself to tune out and clear your mind while attempting to not think about what you have yet to do.
This is your time, so use it to meditate or draw attention to things that make you happy. When you get back to your daily grind, you’ll feel a lot more refreshed.
Read more books to get inspired
Reading is one of my favourite sources for inspiration, although I can’t actually say I “read” often. The act of reading tends to make me tired and I don’t always have the urge to curl up with a good book.
Instead, I listen to audio books… and I listen to them a LOT. I enjoy them because I can get on with my day, complete some chores or get myself ready in the morning without stopping.
Books as well as audio books offer so much inspiration, especially if you grab some that relate to your business or the type of success you’d like to have.
Learn to work smarter
Improving your decision making skills can help you work smarter and faster. Before you jump into your daily tasks, have a clear plan of action and know what you need to do that day.
This might mean taking 10 minutes before opening your inbox to review your to-do list and come up with a quick plan of action based on priority.
When you have a mental map of what needs to get done, it is a whole lot easier to navigate through your day as no time is wasted pondering what to do next.
Over to you: What are some things you do each day to improve your success?
Keep reading:
How To Be Successful at Whatever You Do
How To Become a Decision Maker and Get Ahead
How To Successfully Set and Achieve Goals
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This is a good read!! Great tips!!
http://theunequivocalmind.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/msskay_
Glad you liked them! 🙂
Great tips! I need to read more inspirational books to help motivate me!
Polly
http://gemsandjoy.com
They help SO much!
I use the pomodoro technique to stay concentrated on a long day. This way I don’t forget to take breaks and stay focused. It saved my life during exams!
I haven’t heard of that!
I work 25 minutes then 5 minutes break, 25 minutes work then 5 minutes break again and so on. After four work sessions there is a bigger break. I could stay at the library for over ten hours being really productive and not getting a headache! There are free apps to download for your phone, just search for pomodoro. I don’t know why but it really helps 🙂
I defintely need to buy some inspirational books, and put my mantra on a canvas opposite my bed, so it’s the first thing I see in the morning! 🙂 Great tips, thank you!
Sarah xx
whimsicalmumblings.blogspot.co.uk
do it!! I should definitely make some art with my daily mantras too.. hmmm..
I always do the tasks I dislike first just to get them out of the way haha also, to do lists are always so helpful
http://www.thelisasworld.com
it really does work the best!
Great tips, especially doing your least liked tasks first, sometimes it’s hard to do but you will always feel so much better once it’s done!
Thanks for sharing!
Riley
rileyannenowlan.com
Yes, so good to get them out of the way!
xo
I love these tips! My biggest problem is definitely getting distracted all the time, not only by my phone, but also by various websites. It’s so easy to lose focus and find yourself watching funny cats instead of working. That’s why a few weeks ago I blocked some of those sites, especially gossip ones (because I found they didn’t benefit me at all) and I mainly check social media when I’m on the commute, because that isn’t productive time anyway.
http://stylestandpoint.com
I love a good to-do list – there’s nothing more satisfying that ticking things off!!
I have a snooze button addiction, though, and I get distracted so easily… These are definitely things I need to work on!!
Jess xo | The Indigo Hours
Perfect post to read on a Monday! These are simple but those simple things tend to be the hardest.
xo Adri | http://www.adrilately.blogspot.com
I like to set a limit for my social media. If I get on Facebook… forget that to-do list. 🙁
Hi Dana…great suggestions. Thanks. Can you recommend some blog podcasts that you find useful? Thanks, LYnn
The Smart Passive Income podcast is my ultimate fave!
Great post! I truly love the list 🙂 And I agree with them all, yet it is always good to get a little reminder. And the snooze button?! Yes, most important bad habit to toss. Ever since I managed that, I’ve become a much happier and more successful person 🙂
xx Ronja
http://www.sothisiswhat.com
{ CREATE THE LIFE YOU LOVE }
Great tips, I pretty much do all the tips above except I still find it hard not to hit the snooze button. It’s a work in progress
http://www.lucywachowe.co.uk