What sets successful people apart from the rest of the world? What makes people like Bill Gates, Oprah, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson tick?
There are a lot of things that contribute to success, like skills and intelligence. But one of the most basic and vital foundations for a successful life is consistently practicing daily habits.
What morning routines, to-do list tasks and healthy habits move the needle for billionaires, entrepreneurs and wealthy people?
That’s what we’re looking at here with our list of 60 habits of successful people. If you’re pursuing greater success, adopting just a few of these daily habits could change your life!
Before we get into the habits of successful people, first, let’s look at the difference between good habits and bad habits.
Good vs. Bad Daily Habits
Just as good habits can make a world of difference in a positive sense, bad habits can have an equally negative effect.
For example, eating healthy fruits and veggies is a good habit that will give you the energy and nutrients you need to feel your best. On the other hand, eating a diet filled with refined sugars and sweets is going to cause things like fat gain and extreme energy highs and lows.
Bad daily habits can easily derail good intentions. But good daily habits can really move the needle toward higher achievement, greater self-confidence and an improved sense of well-being.
60 Habits of Highly Successful People
So, let’s look at 60 good daily habits that will keep you moving toward your next level. As you read through this list of success habits, consider which you can adopt as a part of your daily routine. Then, add the habit to your to-do list and make it happen!
1. Get Enough Sleep
Did you know Einstein got 10 hours of sleep each night? Most successful people are mindful about getting enough sleep because they understand the power sleep has over their potential. Now, not everyone needs 10 hours of sleep each night. It’s up to you to figure out how much is enough sleep for you to function at your best.
2. Take Mental Breaks
Just like getting enough sleep at night, resting during the workday is also vital if you want to function at your highest level. Taking short mental breaks throughout the day can increase productivity on a massive scale. And if you move your body on those breaks, the impact can grow exponentially. Whether it’s just stretching or going for a walk, movement increases blood flow and stimulates brain activity. We brainstorm better while walking than we do while sitting still!
3. Wake Up Early
Successful people wake up 3 hours before they start their workday. They take their time to reset and recharge. Recharging might include things like exercising or journaling, but regardless of what it is, they make time for it. Don’t undervalue the impact of taking time for yourself before you start the workday. If you focus on personal development in the morning, it can shift your entire day into a more positive perspective.
4. Follow a Morning Routine
Morning routines are the stuff of success. If you don’t get started on the right foot, you’ll never be able to catch up. The world’s most successful people start every single day the same way.
5. Stick to Daily Routines
Routines aren’t just for the mornings. You can make daily routines for all times of the day. Once effective people form their daily routines, they stick to them! A plan is only powerful if you implement it.
6. Get Organized
Organization fast-tracks productivity, which leads to increased success. While getting organized typically takes time, the long-term benefits are well worth the effort. Think of all the time you’ll save once your operation is efficient! The few hours you spend getting started will be nothing in the long run. Organization matters in all areas of life, from home design to office management. Where do you need to organize more?
7. Practice Meditation
Meditation is a habit that many of the world’s most successful people practice. The benefits for your physical and mental health are extensive. Because it produces a deep sense of calm, meditation is excellent for stress management.
8. Visualize Specific Successes
Visualization goes hand-in-hand with meditation. It’s a way to supercharge that meditative time and use it to move the needle towards your goals. By visualizing your dream life or dream outcome, you use the law of attraction to make your goals real.
9. Exercise Daily
The most effective people in the world understand that maintaining peak physical health is vital to success. In order to achieve more every single day, move your body and get in shape. Doing so ensures you have the energy and stamina to show up when necessary. Good physical health leads to better emotional and mental health as well.
10. Eat Healthy Food
Successful people eat healthy as well as exercise. They know that physical health plays a role in their ability to perform at the highest level. As entrepreneurs, we have so many things to do that making healthy meals may be the last thing on our minds. But food is the fuel we run on. Eating right increases your well-being and adds to your self-improvement. Consider making healthy eating a part of your daily routine.
11. Shower Every Morning
Elon Musk was once asked what habit really made a difference in his life. His answer: Showering. Showering in the morning wakes you up and renews your mind, setting you up for a more productive day.
12. Read a Lot
Successful people read a ton. Lifelong learning on any subject is important for growth and self-improvement. Reading is one of the most obvious habits of successful people. The more they know, the further they can go.
13. Focus on One Task at a Time
Multitasking is counterproductive. When you laser focus on one task, you will achieve it much faster and with better results than when you try to do several things at once. As you work on your to-do list each day, be sure to just focus on one task at a time.
14. Have a Positive Attitude
Staying optimistic is part of what drives effective people. They recognize potential in themselves and others, and they truly believe in a better future. Having a positive attitude and focusing on positivity leads to a more successful life.
15. Practice Gratitude
Successful people harness the power of gratitude for good. They think about their lives and mentally (or physically) take note of what they are thankful for every single day. This helps them stay positive and grounded.
16. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
One of the habits of successful people is that they don’t sweat the small stuff. Effective people don’t waste energy on little upsets, like getting caught in traffic or waiting in line for coffee. They conserve their brainpower for what’s really important.
17. Journal
Journaling is a keystone habit of successful people. Reflecting, planning, and reviewing goals are all important aspects of journaling. Thinking about adding journaling to your morning routine? If so, consider including a gratitude practice to your journaling practice. That way, you can take care of both in one fell swoop.
18. Encourage Others
Success means encouraging both yourself and others on the path to a fulfilling life. Putting people down is a sign of insecurity. Truly successful people know that there is room at the top for everyone.
19. Network with Successful People
Building relationships with like-minded people is a component of success. This grows your network and your tribe.
20. Set Goals
Setting goals is essential for your professional and personal life. Successful people live out the story they’ve written for themselves with their goals—they become the hero of their own life story. But it’s not just enough to set a goal, you have to actually make it happen. Successful people, like Jack Dorsey and Warren Buffet know how to set goals and actually achieve them.
21. Give Back
Giving back to the community and the world becomes not only possible but also probable when you achieve success with a healthy mindset. Successful people are generous and give back when they can.
22. Practice Positive Self-Talk
Self-help books constantly preach the power of positive thinking. And you know what? They’re right. Practicing positive self-talk means being kind to yourself in your inner dialogue. Having a positive mindset, thinking positively and practicing positive self-talk are all critical for a successful life.
23. Avoid Time Sucks
Ditch the Netflix bingeing. Successful people enjoy some forms of entertainment, but they’re unlikely to spend 10 hours watching something because, quite frankly, they’ve got better things to do. Think of the various time-wasting social media apps on your phone. Instead of endlessly scrolling, try to do one success habit that will improve your personal development.
24. Make Time for Hobbies
One thing effective people spend time on is hobbies. People who live successful lives have interests, and they actively pursue them. Maybe you like learning about marketing or you’re really into golf. Life can’t be all work! Pouring your time into hobbies you enjoy is a productive and fun way to spend free time.
25. Manage Money Well
Spending and saving wisely are important, and so is investing intelligently. Successful people have a healthy money mindset, and they manage their funds efficiently.
26. Take Massive Action
One of the habits of successful people is to act decisively and swiftly. Effective people don’t wait around for the situation to be just right to make a move. Once they have a goal in mind, they take massive action and make it happen.
27. Stay Consistent
Tom Corley has studied millionaires, and he found that people who live successful lives are consistent. Successful people stick to their daily routines, make to-do lists every day and consistently work on improving their daily habits.
28. Ignore Fear
Effective people don’t let fear get in the way of taking action. They push past doubts and fears and move forward, come what may.
29. Unplug Regularly
Unplugging from technology and social media is a common practice for the world’s one-percenters. These people know how to focus, and they realize the importance of balance. Turning off your phone is one of the most impactful habits of successful people. Not only will it improve your sanity, but it will lead to a more successful life.
30. Cultivate Multiple Sources of Income
Wealthy people understand that one income stream is not always enough. It’s good to have multiple income streams. Plus, having a backup plan or a source for supplemental funds can fund your interests and desires.
31. Stay Humble
True success comes with a healthy dose of humility. Successful people often have a rough journey on the road to success, so they appreciate meager beginnings and remain grateful for what they have.
32. Persist Always
Effective people don’t give up; they persist even when times get tough. They stay consistent, and they don’t surrender easily.
33. Practice Good Listening
Being a great listener improves every relationship you have. When a person knows how to actively listen, they build stronger bonds. Successful people understand this and incorporate active listening to their daily habits.
34. Pay Attention to Details
Being detail-oriented gets people far in life. The devil is in the details, as they say. So it’s important to know what’s up! Detail-oriented people may experience more career success, in particular.
35. Maintain Balance
Maintaining balance is one of the most important habits of successful people. Living a balanced lifestyle is difficult but striving for it daily is critical to living a successful life. If you are too focused on work, you will miss relationships. If you are too focused on socializing, you may lose your workday drive or your income.
36. Prioritize Opportunities and Tasks
Wealthy people know what’s important to do first and what can stay on the back burner. When you prioritize, you finish what’s necessary every time. When making your to-do list, be sure to prioritize your tasks!
37. Schedule Out the Day
If it’s not on the calendar, it won’t happen. As a part of their morning routine, successful people plan their time and stick to their schedule.
38. Adapt When Necessary
Planning is important for efficiency but so is being flexible when the occasion calls for it. Successful people understand that sometimes it’s necessary to adapt. As you work through your to-do list each day, don’t be afraid to adapt when necessary.
39. Focus on 5 To-Do List Items Per Day
Any more than 5 tasks per day, and you’re setting yourself up to fail. Instead, position yourself for a win by keeping your to-do list manageable.
40. Make the Bed
Surprisingly, many successful people report making the bed as a keystone daily habit. Why does it make a difference? You can start the day with a win. Try incorporating this habit into your morning routine. We guarantee you’ll feel more organized and put together the instant you straighten those sheets.
41. Use Sundays to Plan for the Week
Effective people use their time wisely and plan ahead. Using Sunday to get clarity on what your week will look like is an incredible way to set yourself up for a successful week.
42. Protect Rest Time
Successful people understand the importance of rest. Whether you like to take naps or just keep a strict bedtime, protect your rest. There is no substitute for it.
43. Walk While Talking on the Phone
Keep your body moving! Successful people walk and talk on the phone, which improves their brainstorming capacity and heightens their energy.
44. Use Music to Influence Mood
Music goes straight to a person’s feelings and emotions. If you want to feel more positive, you can listen to something upbeat. If you want to reflect, put on some classical music or moody music. Think of how you want to feel, and use music to enhance that feeling.
45. Do Things For Future You
Successful people know the power of creating long-term goals and investing in them. They think about how every action will affect their future. Do something today that will improve the life of your future self, even if that means some discomfort in the meantime. You’ll be grateful in the end!
46. Set a High Standard
Setting a high standard is one of the overlooked habits of successful people. People who excel at life do so because they live by a higher standard and won’t accept anything less than their best.
47. Maintain a Daily Task Record
Want to measure productivity? Practice this daily habit of the wildly successful and keep a record of exactly what tasks you work on and complete every single day. Adding this to your daily routine will help you evaluate how far you move the needle each day.
48. See Failure as a Learning Experience
Negative people see failure as a setback. They let it negatively affect their self-confidence and self-talk. But successful people see it as a lesson learned, and they take in wisdom from missteps. How have you been viewing failure lately?
49. Map Out an Ideal Day
Are you just taking random steps hoping that you’ll eventually reach your goals? The world’s most successful people don’t move forward on a whim. No, they map out the perfect scenario and try to follow it to the best of their ability.
50. Take Risks
People who do well in life do so because they aren’t afraid to put themselves out there. So step outside of your comfort zone, take a risk and try something new! You’ll never know your full capabilities until you truly go for something that might be out of reach.
51. Have Confidence
Having confidence is one of the obvious habits of successful people. Successful people are confident in who they are and their abilities. But they’re not cocky. They’re proud of their accomplishments, but they don’t rub it in anyone’s face.
52. Show Emotional Intelligence
People who really excel have emotional complexity. They are emotionally intelligent, which means they’re in touch with their feelings and the feelings of others. They understand the nuances of tough scenarios and know how to respond in ways that bring people together rather than push them apart. Improving your emotional intelligence will only increase your personal development.
53. Practice Excellent Communication Skills
Being a good communicator is such an important life skill, and it’s one that successful people master. It helps in both personal and professional scenarios. We don’t live life in a vacuum, so we have to be able to effectively interact with and respond to those around us.
54. Value Solitude
While relationships are incredibly important, successful people understand the importance of alone time. Have you been making some space for private time? Your best thinking might result from it.
55. Resist the Blame Game
People who do the best in life focus on the solution, not the problem. They don’t waste time and energy assigning blame, and neither should you. If you often find yourself blaming others for your misfortunes, consider incorporating this habit to your daily life.
56. Actively Pursue Lifelong Learning
People who succeed are hungry for knowledge. They understand that though they may know a lot, there’s still plenty more to learn. Do you have the drive to know more?
57. Get Outside The Comfort Zone
Successful people don’t live in their comfort zone. They strive and reach for more. You can become more successful by doing the same!
58. Apply Constructive Criticism
Applying constructive criticism is one of the most mature habits of successful people. Effective people embody that maturity because they are constantly looking to improve. Criticism doesn’t affect their ego, rather they have the presence of mind to take it objectively and apply it to their work.
59. They Practice What They Preach
People who live successful lives don’t just talk the talk. They also walk the walk. If you’re doing a lot of talking but not a lot of walking, consider what needs to change in your own life to become more successful.
60. Don’t Hesitate
Successful people are decisive. They see the next step and take massive action. In other words, they don’t hesitate to dive in!
Success Habits Matter!
What you do today is important, but so is what you do tomorrow and the next day. Having daily routines truly makes a difference on the road to a successful life. When you combine success habits with proper goal setting, you can change your life for the better.
Pick one or two of these habits, and make it happen!
