6 Daily Practices Commonly Utilized by Highly Successful People

Success shouldn’t be defined by one’s overall accomplishments or amount of money. Instead, success should be determined by the actions, thoughts, and decisions that we make on a day-to-day basis.

It’s easy to look at another’s overall accomplishments and think of their successes. Still, I’d like to challenge this way of thinking and instead encourage you to look at the actions we make each day rather than our overall achievements. For instance,

Would you consider yourself successful if you had one million dollars? What if we threw in a massive drinking problem, relationship issues, and health complications due to bodily neglect? Would you consider yourself successful then?

Imagine you’ve got three degrees, a fantastic job, and you‘re incredibly healthy. Would you consider that successful? Okay. Well, what if you spent your entire life studying to earn those degrees, all while neglecting friends, family, and the things in life that bring absolute joy? Would you consider yourself successful then?

I’m trying to prove a point here; even though somebody might have a wide variety of accomplishments under their belt or a large quantity of money, they still risk slipping into mediocrity unless they focus on maintaining positive habits.

But what sort of habits have the best possible chance at producing positive results? Below I’ve listed some practices that I believe to be the most common among genuinely successful people. Try incorporating at least one of these actions into your daily routine.

Focus On Your Why

Above all else, be determined, be intentional. It takes a daily mental check to be successful. You have to focus on your why. Success comes from intention. Nobody accidentally becomes successful in life. Success is not an overall amount of accomplishments but how you choose to live each day. So ask yourself,

Why do you get out of bed in the morning?

What’s the first thing you think about when waking up in the morning and the last thing you think about before going to bed?

Did you do something today to make tomorrow better?

Did you give it you’re all? And are you better today than you were yesterday?

If the answer to any of those questions is a big fat ‘NO,’ then really evaluate where you are right now and what you can do to make a change — start by adopting the habits below.

Meditate.

I’ve had numerous people tell me that they can’t meditate because it’s “impossible to control their thoughts.” Yet, meditation isn’t about controlling our thoughts, but rather, it teaches us to separate our Self from our thoughts so we can observe them without having to identify with them.

Learning to disassociate yourself from your thoughts makes it easier to decide whether a belief is true, false, or worthy of justifying, and if it doesn’t serve you, it becomes that much easier to let go.

Meditation is usually spent in a seated position, following the breath and allowing our thoughts to pass (without judgment). When you find yourself drifting off into thought, bring the attention back to your breath.

There’s no need to dig deep into the spiritual aspects of this; it’s been used as a form of stress reduction therapy in clinics for over 50 years, yet we’ve only begun investing millions into research as of recently. So come to find out — the benefits are numerous.

Benefits of mindfulness meditation

• Reduces stress
• Reduces anxiety
• Enhances self-awareness
• Regulates mental health
• Helps fight addictions
• Improves memory functions

Prioritize Your Health

I want you to understand that your health should be your number one priority because poor health will only be an obstacle to achieving your dreams.

Having gone through heart surgery, an ablation, and various other medical emergencies, I’ll be the first to admit that not everything health-related is under our control. However, you can learn to become more conscious of the foods you eat and how you treat your body.

Imagine that your body is like a temple, large and golden, brimmed with clear waters, luscious greens, and healthy residents. Would you purposely trash a temple so gorgeous as this one? Well, this temple is your body, so it’s your responsibility to upkeep it.

Don’t dirty your waters with unhealthy liquids, and don’t poison your residents with fumes. Specifically, maintain your temple by being conscious of who you let in.

Try To…

• Take some daily multivitamins.
• Incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet
• Eat three nutritionally packed meals per day.
• Exercise at least three times a week

Try Reading Some Self-Help Books

Knowledge is power, and as humans, we possess an inherent ability to learn whatever we desire. Yet, surprisingly, not too many people read books. I know, right? Crazy. Over 42% of college graduates stop reading after college. However, some of the most brilliant and successful people on this planet read every single day.

Bill Gates reads an average of 50 books per year. Warren Buffet spends 6 hours a day reading newspapers and corporate reports. Elon Musk’s brother claims that Musk read an average of 2 books per day growing up. Tony Robbins claims to have read 10,000 books in his lifetime.

I’m trying to prove a point here; successful people read — a lot.

So let me ask you when the last time you read a good book was? Specifically, something geared towards self-improvement? If it’s been a while, try picking up one of these easy reads for a start.

• The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
• The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

• The Magic of Thinking Big

Adopt a Morning Routine

Morning rituals are highly praised in the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. He discusses how everyone has twenty-four hours in a day, so the key to finding more time is utilizing the time we already have.

I’m a heavy advocate for morning routines because they won't get done if it’s not planned into my day.

My morning routine starts with brushing my teeth, drinking some water, followed by ten minutes of sitting meditation. Then I’ll write in my journal before sitting down to crunch out a few thousand words.

Whenever I have an upcoming deadline or immediate task to complete, I’ll schedule it into my morning routine. That way, I’ll have the rest of my day focused on the things that matter most.

Developing and sticking to a morning routine takes effort at first, then it becomes a habit.

Habits are conscious actions that, once done enough, become subconscious actions with minimal effort.

Get Some Rest and Plenty Of It.

There’s a new show out on Netflix called “Awake.” It’s a game show that allows players to win one million dollars. The catch? They have to stay awake for 24 hours and then participate in activities that test their cognitive capabilities. It’s hilarious. In short, your body is not supposed to function from a lack of sleep.

It’s recommended to get an average of 7 to 8 hours per day. I struggle with this — recently having a newborn — pulling in around 4 1/2 hours of sleep per day, and I can feel it. Sleep is the only time our body gets to rest, allowing us to prepare for a productive day. Fortunately, I get chances to nap throughout the day.

Staying up late to finish that last-minute essay might harm any work that needs to get done tomorrow. So to be successful, be sure to get plenty of rest to prepare for the day ahead and include any necessary priorities into your morning ritual.

Remember to

• Meditate often
• Read Self-Help Books
• Try Picking Up A Morning Routine
• Prioritize Your Health
• Get Plenty Of Rest
• Focus On Your Why