Success leaves clues. I believe that there is nothing new in the world, so the traits that successful people have today been around awhile. Sometimes I have a discussion with someone who is looking for a new Holy Grail of success. They are convinced that if they could just find the right tip, the right book, the right video, or the right time management system that they would be successful. [insert game show buzzer here]. It’s not going to happen. Quit looking for the magic beans to grow your bean stalk. The people around you that are successful follow a set of rules. These are the guidelines that control their thoughts and their actions throughout the day. They are not flexible. The rules they follow keep them focused on what must be done every day to continue to grow and mature – both personally and professionally.
They know their planned outcome for the day.
A high achiever knows what to expect every day when their alarm goes off. Their day centers around their master plans that they worked on last week. They do not allow random phone calls or emails change their mission every five minutes. They have a certain set of objectives that must be accomplished by 5pm (or 6pm or 7pm – whenever they stop). Start planning your day, your time, and the tasks you will accomplish each day. Create your future based on your daily actions. And don’t wait until the morning of a day to plan the rest of it. Plan your day at the end of the previous day or week.
They get up early.
And not just a little early. Very early. They need the extra time to reflect in thought, exercise, and to get their ship moving a little earlier than their competition. Getting up early also allows them uninterrupted productivity time. If you want to start getting ahead faster in life, go to bed at a decent time and get up an hour earlier.
They ignore noise.
What is noise? Noise is something that our world has created that takes your attention away from the focus on your prize. It comes at us every day and in many forms. Most social media can be distracting noise that takes your attention away from the important things. Your cell phone that you answer every time it rings is noise. Checking your email account every hour is noise. What other people say about you in an effort to discourage your success is noise. To many social activities and “hanging out” is noise (“social” meaning in person. Not Twitter. And “hanging out ” meaning with people. Pre-Google Plus) / Start ignoring these and other items that get in the way of your focus. You have a limited amount of time in each day to make progress on your goals. Don’t let the noise distract you.
They make other people better.
The high achievers of the world have figured out the secret formula that makes the world go around; If you want to live a fulfilling life, help other people. It is a simple concept that gets overcomplicated too often. Solve someone’s problem. Make somebody else richer, faster, stronger, smarter, or more emotionally stable.
They are precise in their ways.
A high achiever does not use words that allow for ambiguity. When they want a certain amount of money, they specify the exact amount. When they want to accomplish a BAHG (Big Ass Hairy Goal), they define their target in every way possible. When it is going to happen, who it is going to involve, what resources are needed, and what are plans B (and C, and D). If you want to achieve something great in this world, then define EXACTLY what you want. Make a poster or a screensaver out of it. Always keep it in your view. Keep it on your refrigerator. Become obsessed with it. That is the only way you will make it happen.
The main point of this list is to show that there are regular habits that lead to success. If you have been looking for the “magic beans” to productivity, then you will never find them. Everything about how to be highly productive (which leads to a high rate of success) has already been done.
The question now is …
Are you going to ignore this blog post and go back to your old habits?
Or are going to start changing your habits which will change your life?
Here are five killer habits that high achievers do on a regular basis via @patrickallmond
I commit to being better. I am going to implement at least one of these five habits this week and change my life via @patrickallmond
