At this point, we all know that successful people wake up early, eat breakfast and have an organized schedule.
While these are all true tips and helpful insight into the lives of the elite, there is so much more to gaining success than meets the eye. It’s often what isn’t seen, or easily listed, that can be the hardest to attain, yet the most powerful to use.
This got me thinking about what the deeper success habits of powerful people are, and how can we embody them in our daily life.
Like you, I am working towards growth, striving to be the best version of myself and to experience life to the fullest. As a result, I want to know every drop of information on how to get there.
So, I started to do some research about what the deeper success habits of powerful people are, and how we can embody them in our daily lives. Without further ado, here are eight habits of successful women worth tapping into.
1. Start off with success.
Starting off simply, but with profound impact. Successful women from Cameron Diaz to Gretchen Rubin swear by making the bed every single morning, no matter how busy they become.
Why does this small action make this big list? Well, it’s often the small actions that add up to make the biggest impact. Starting the day off with one good habit creates a domino effect of feel-good vibes. This action instills a sense of inspiration to want more of these small moments throughout the day. Every moment becomes an opportunity to be great.
When you wake up and immediately accomplish something, your day is already on the right pathway forward. There is also something to be said about the power of making your bed, it is a symbol that the day is beginning, and climbing beneath the folded sheets at night makes the end of the day feel so much better.
2. Make the first move.
Successful women don’t wait for opportunity, they create it. This isn’t specific to dating, however, an app like Bumble, where women initiate the first move may be a great way to start building this habits muscle.
As women, we are so often conditioned to be polite, wait to be spoken to, and always put others first. Well, I’ve tried that and found it gets you really quickly to a place called…no where.
In the world of business marketing and PR I have found that media doesn’t come to you, you go to it. Now there are exceptions to the rule, and obviously, once you become Sherly Sandberg or Jennifer Aniston you don’t need to seek media out, but, ask yourself, how many TED speakers were asked to talk versus how many pitched their ideas to be heard? You must be willing to take action and make your future, instead of waiting around for it to arrive.
3. FOMO isn’t in your vocabulary.
Successful women aren’t afraid to step away and don’t feel as though they are ever “missing out on anything”. When you begin to approach your life as though you are the leading star of it…you miss nothing.
Successful people understand that in order to show up as their best selves and be able to contribute fully to their mission and community they need time to recharge, process information, and connect with themselves.
4. Personalize your environment.
Rather than filling your life with junk, fill it with everything that brings you joy. This isn’t just centered around what designer bag you buy, this also applies to your mind.
Take the approach to view your life through the KonMari method, a style of organization where you keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. While this method is commonly referenced for organizing your closet and clothing, the same thought process can be applied to anything in your life: experiences, relationships, projects, thoughts, or words. Get rid of what doesn’t bring you joy, and fill your environment with what does.
5. Connect to your body.
The more you can tap into your intuition, your gut instinctive, the better you become at making decisions and following the right path forward. Your gut has over 200 million neurons firing at will and is actually referred to as your second brain. Learn how to pay attention to the feeling you have in your gut as it can become a filtering system for what is a “yes” or a “no” in your life.
Become deeply rooted in your body…whether it is a morning walk, dancing at night, or taking a fitness class. Switch off your mind and move.
Not only does exercise offer endless benefits to your physical well being, it also aids in the product of dopamine, improves immunity, and actually reduces fatigue. Yes, you read that right…on the days when you want to sit down on the couch and veg out hit the gym instead and see how energized you feel after. It’s a habit that does take time to form, but once you do, it becomes a part of you.
6. Speak up.
Successful women aren’t afraid to speak up for what they want, they see their goals and approach any area of life and practice asking for what they want.
As a fellow redhead, I have a deep admiration for actress Jessica Chastain, for her inspiration artistic performances and for her stance in speaking up for equal rights, especially among women of color. So much so, that she spoke up for fellow actor Octavia Spencer to receive equal pay on a project they were working on together. Resulted in Spencer earning 5x her initial offer.
This is a hard lesson I have been learning, but the reality is…when you ask for what you want you actually help people. We walk around all day trying to guess or assume what others want and need, so when you come out and speak truthfully, it gives them the chance to breathe and have a moment of clarity. Guessing is hard work, and after a while, can become very tiring.
When you speak up for what you stand for people will hold deeper respect for you. Don’t feel bad for asking what you want, chances are, you will get it.
7. Uplevel yourself.
Success comes from striving for more. Be on the hunt at all times. Seek a border education, a higher quality community of people, more vibrancy in your love life, and deeper connections with others. This comes down to the reality of not settling, of not wanting less.
Take a few minutes and create an up-list, this is, a list of all things you want in your life. Write down the things you want to learn, what you want to buy, experiences you want have and anything else that would uplevel your life.
I have this list as a note on my phone, and each time I reach something new I cross it off and move on to the next. This shows you what you want, what you are attaining and gives you ideas and actions to look forward to.
You may have heard the quote by Jim Rohn, “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you will fall into someone else’s. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”
Take the time to not only design your life, but create an exciting one with uplifting wants, needs, and desires.
8. Don’t feel guilty.
Don’t feel guilty for outshining other people. Don’t feel guilty about going for the job you want. Don’t feel guilty about making money online.
The truth is, the better you get, the more money you make and the more successful you become…the more you can help other people. It is actually guilty to NOT become successful. If you struggle with feeling selfish about wanting more for yourself, start to view your perspective on success from that aspect and see how things change. Use your success to help others, and the success will no longer be something to feel guilty for.
Success looks different to everyone and how we attain it will always be varied. No two people are the same and no two paths are identical. But it would be foolish not to study and understand how the successful operate.
History has a way of repeating itself, and I choose to be on the winning side of success. How about you?
This article first published on Medium.
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