7 habits of highly successful people
Ever wondered how the pursuit of prosperity could redefine your life? Money isn't just a means to an end; it's a game-changer for stress, control, and ultimate life satisfaction, according to a recent study.
Beyond the lavishness of money showcased on screens, wealth's impact resonates in the everyday—like being able to call an Uber when your car breaks down when you need to attend to a medical emergency.
While money may not direct ticket to happiness, it has the unique power to alleviate long-term stress and, in turn, foster better health. So, if you believe this is your sign to get one step closer to your financial prosperity, the key is to build effective habits and really get on top of your daily routine.
In this blog, we’re sharing 7 habits of highly successful people you can incorporate into your life starting today. And guess what? The Muse headbands can help you adopt and succeed with a couple of these transformative habits. Let’s get started!
Follow these 7 habits of successful people
1. Get a jumpstart on your morning
Highly successful people tend to be early risers. By getting up before the work day begins, you give yourself the gift of time dedicated just for you. This can provide you with a sense of control, inner peace, and self-connection before you launch into all your responsibilities.
For example, the CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, reports that he wakes up at 6:45 am every morning.
The founder of Virgin Airways, Richard Branson, wakes up at 5 am so he has time to get in a morning sweat and eat breakfast with his family, which he says sets him up for success the rest of the day.
Co-founder of The Huffington Post and Founder of Thrive Global, Arianna Huffington, wakes up around 7 am and prioritizes self-care by meditating and avoiding technology.
Others wake up even earlier, with Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly waking up around 3:45 am, while Indra Nooyi (former CEO of Pepsi) and Sallie Krawcheck (CEO of Ellevest) are up by 4 am.
Of course, it’s important to balance getting a jump start on your mornings with getting enough sleep, which brings us to the next tip…
2. Don’t shortchange your sleep
Sleep plays an essential role in every aspect of our lives, on focus, productivity, and overall health. If you’re not hitting your sleep goals, odds are you’re short-changing your success!
Most experts agree that adults require between 7-9 hours of sleep each night. However, the ideal amount of sleep varies from person to person.
For instance, Albert Einstein reportedly liked getting a solid 10 hours of sleep every night.
On the opposite end of the scale, Richard Branson and Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk feel they perform their best with closer to six hours of sleep a night.
It’s important to keep in mind how your sleep goals align with your desired morning routine. If you want to begin getting up at 5 am, you’ll have to be disciplined in going to sleep at the same time each night.
Think you have good sleep habits but always feel sleepy? Here are 3 sleep myths you need to know.
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If you struggle with falling asleep at night, you’re not alone.
Arianna Huffington, also an author of The Sleep Revolution, recommends creating your own evening relaxation practices to help prepare your body and mind to easily fall asleep once you hit the sheets. For her, this includes putting away all devices, taking a soothing hot bath, wearing clothes specifically for bed, and reading a good book.
If you’ve tried all kinds of routines and are now ready for an advanced solution, the Muse S Headband might be what you’re looking for. Users who have used our soft and user-friendly sleep wearable have reported a 20% improvement in sleep quality.
With the headband, you have access to our Digital Sleeping Pills (DSP) program that will guide you to a better night's rest. It's designed to help you fall or fall back asleep and provides insights into your sleep quality.
In the morning, you'll wake up to details about your sleep posture, stillness, deep sleep, and more, making it easy to understand how well-rested you were throughout the night.
3. Squeeze in time for daily movement
Movement isn’t just good for the body, it’s good for the mind and soul as well. Research has found that regular physical activity can support innovation and creativity. It can also reduce stress, boosting our capacity to handle whatever the day throws our way.
Whenever she’s home, Arianna Huffington follows her meditation practice with 30 minutes of stationary cycling and an additional 10 minutes of yoga after she checks her emails.
Richard Branson prefers to workout first thing in the AM, enjoying tennis, a relaxing walk, an energizing run, or kitesurfing when the wind is right.
If you’re worried you don’t have enough time to workout, try multitasking!
Karen Lynch, CEO of CVS Health, shares that whenever she doesn’t need to be at her computer, she takes her meetings and calls on the go so she can soak up some fresh air and move her body while getting everything done. In her words, “Sometimes these meetings feel even more productive than the ones when I’m sitting at my desk.”
4. Read
Tom Corley, a researcher and financial planner, compared the daily habits of 233 mostly self-made millionaires with those of 128 individuals making under $35,000 a year.
He found an astonishing 88% of wealthy respondents devote at least 30 minutes a day to reading. The most common genres are biographies, histories, and self-help books.
For instance, Warren Buffet begins his morning with reading, usually sticking to the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, or USA Today. He estimates he spends 80% of his day reading and recommends that people aim for 500 pages a day!
Oprah Winfrey has famously called reading “her personal path to freedom,” giving her “the power to see possibilities beyond what was allowed at the time."
5. Carry a notebook with you wherever you go
Microsoft Founder and philanthropist Bill Gates advises keeping a notebook with you wherever you go. After all, you never know when lightning will strike!
Ex-COO of Facebook and founder of LeanIn.Org, Sheryl Sandberg, also carries a notebook with her at all times, although she uses hers a bit differently. Rather than using it to capture ideas and inspiration like Branson and Gates, Sheryl writes down all her to-dos and tears out the pages one by one as she finishes them for an extra boost of motivation.
6. Be intentional, committed, and strategic with your schedule
One thing about most highly successful people — they know the value of their time. To be highly efficient and productive, this often means eliminating common time wasters like social media, apps, and other distractions from their day to day.
This also means being highly intentional with your time. For example, both Bill Gates and Elon Musk reportedly schedule their days in five-minute increments to make sure they use every second of their day to its full potential.
Of course, this five-minute scheduling style isn’t for everyone, so find what works for you. Many use The Pomodoro Technique, where you break your day into 25-minute chunks. Others may find they prefer working for an hour or more at a time and don’t want to interrupt their flow.
Experiment to find the length of time that works best for you, eliminate distractions, delegate as needed, and do what you can to accomplish your goals.
7. Schedule time to reflect
In his survey of self-made millionaires, Tom Corley found that most dedicate between 15-30 minutes a day just for self-reflection. Often, this time isn’t spent planning out the day and thinking about everything that needs to get done. Rather, Corley found the most common topics for reflection were career, health, and relationships.
For instance, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos shares that he enjoys taking time in the morning to do what he likes, whether that’s reading the paper, being with his family, or just sitting in reflection. He calls this his “puttering time,” which allows his mind to wander and soak up inspiration from his subconscious and the world around him.
Elon Musk has said that the one thing he always makes time for in his days is a shower, which is where he says many of his most creative and innovative ideas come to him.
Meditation is also a great form of reflection. Even Arianna Huffington and Oprah Winfrey prioritize time for reflection, usually in the form of meditation!
If you’re looking to meditate more, make your own practice with the Muse 2 Headbands and our collection of over 500 guided meditations. Our meditation app is designed for all meditators, from beginners to experts.
Try reflecting with meditation with Muse today, even 5-10 minutes of meditation can turn into a meaningful reflection time!
Want to learn more about building successful habits? Check out our Untangle episode with Dr. BJ Fogg, the author of “Tiny Habits,” who shares insights into rewiring your brain for success!
