Every successful person has a “How I got here” story.
And most of the time, these stories are a little disappointing.
What I mean is, we often expect people to have a mega-inspiring backstory that led them to where they are now.
But generally, this isn’t the case.
Most people have a very ordinary experience of finding success in life. They just do the most basic things every day and eventually, they reach the point they’re at.
That’s not me diminishing their success. Because those little things they do every day are the very things they owe their success to!
What are those habits? Let’s find out…
Up first:
1) You get outdoors
Fresh air is one of the best things for your mind and body. Experts say breathing in clean air every day cleans your lungs, lowers your heart rate, and even improves your digestion!
But the effects aren’t just physical. When you get yourself outdoors, even for just 30 minutes every day, it reduces feelings of stress and anxiety in your body.
It also raises your serotonin levels by increasing the oxygen in your brain, which, in turn, gives you a mood boost. Some research even shows that fresh air makes you 45% more productive!
So even if you just go for a quick walk or to the local store for snacks, you’re doing great. Because it could be leading you down the path of true success.
2) You move your body
Exercise has long since been known to improve both your physical and mental health. But when we talk about exercising daily, most people think we mean going for a fast-paced 10k run or a heavy lifting session at the gym.
But that’s not the only exercise that can make a difference to your physical and mental state. Just moving around every hour, walking instead of driving, or taking the stairs once or twice a day can make all the difference.
Plus, experts say the more you move, the more it can improve your work performance. The less tired it can make you feel while working, too – meaning you can go for longer!
3) You drink enough water
Drinking enough water every day is one of the most important things you can do for your brain health. Dehydration makes you feel tired, with a shorter attention span and reduced memory.
Experts also say it can negatively impact your self-esteem, making you feel worse about yourself. This is why not drinking enough water isn’t going to help you find success in life.
When you lack energy and attention, you aren’t going to achieve your goals in the same way you would if you were firing on all cylinders. You might not even achieve them at all!
4) You laugh genuinely
“Laughter is the best medicine” is a phrase you’ll hear all the time – and for good reason! There’s a huge list of physical health benefits due to laughing genuinely, from boosting your immunity to preventing heart disease.
Studies show that most adults don’t laugh enough in their lives. When we’re young, we laugh as much as 400 times a day. But as adults, we only laugh an average of 15 times a day.
Yet the more you laugh, the more likely you are to enjoy your everyday life! It has huge social benefits and some experts even say it helps you get ahead in your career.
So if genuine laughter is something you make time for every day (ideally more than 15 times!), you’re probably well set up for success.
5) You show love to people in your life
Another thing you’ll do every day when you’ve set yourself up for success is show love to the people you care about.
Love is one of the most beautiful human emotions. But when you’ve been hurt before, it’s easy to run from it and avoid showing it to the people around you.
Yet this doesn’t work in our favor. Experts say when you experience feelings of love, it can lower your blood pressure, stabilize your mood, and boost your confidence.
And a lack of it can make symptoms of anxiety and depression worse. Which aren’t emotions you want to experience if you want to find success in life!
The most obvious choice is your romantic partner to show love to. But if you’re single, just expressing love for your family, friends, or even your pet every day can make a difference to your overall mental health.
6) You find something to be grateful for
When you take the time to think about it, there are a million things to be grateful for in our lives.
Even if you’re feeling your worst ever, there’s still something to find gratitude in. Like the way the sun feels on your skin or how comfortable your feet are in your socks.
You don’t have to journal it out or make an “I’m grateful for” list in your head every day to show gratitude. If you ever look at something and think, “That looks nice” or think to yourself, “This shower feels nice” when you’re in it, you’re showing gratitude.
Even if you say “Thank you” to your partner, friend, or parent just once, this counts. According to experts, it’s all contributing to improving your mood, sleep, and immunity. Plus, of course, your success in life!
7) You make your bed
Any self-help book out there will tell you it’s good to make your bed every single morning – without fail – if you want to find more success in life.
Why? Because when you make your bed first thing, it’s the first achievement of the day. This gives you an immediate feeling of pride for what you’ve achieved so early in the morning.
Experts say this promotes a feeling of calm within yourself. They also say it makes you feel more productive and in control of your emotions. In turn, this can help you get more done in your day – and feel better about it!
8) You wake up on time
Telling yourself you’ll wake up at 6am, only to snooze your alarm and sleep in until the very last minute, isn’t the best way to start your day. Why? Because breaking a promise to yourself so early in the morning doesn’t make you feel good!
Neither does the fact that you’ve clearly skipped something important to snooze in! As a night owl myself, I know just how hard it is to wake up early when you want to have more of a morning to yourself.
But even experts say that snoozing is bad for your productivity and overall sleep health. Snoozing causes fragmented sleep, which can negatively affect your mood, attention span, and cognitive ability.
It can also just make you feel tired and groggy – both of which aren’t good ways to start your day if you want to be more successful!
9) You think about the future
Successful people don’t bury their heads in the sand whenever talk of “the future” crops up in their relationship or inside their own brains. They think about the future all the time – because they’re always making plans for it!
Experts say it’s important to live in the present most of the time. It reduces stress and anxiety, and helps you enjoy the here and now. But it’s also important to think about the future sometimes, too. Especially if you want to find success in life!
If you’re always avoiding thoughts of what happens after you’ve reached your full potential in a job or achieved a certain goal, this isn’t good. It can lead you to stay stagnant in life and make you feel like you lack control over your every day.
Whereas thinking about the future every so often and setting goals can keep you focused and organized. It can also keep you working towards something, which is the best way to be successful, after all!
Final thoughts
No one needs a hugely inspirational story or a “turning point” that leads them down the path of success.
Of course, some people have that. But most of the time, being successful is about what you do every single day of your life.
The saying, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” is popular for a reason. Because you don’t reach all your goals overnight. You have to work every day to build the foundation for success before you can achieve what you want.
And once you have habits like these ingrained into your routines, you’re more likely to achieve those things. Plus, you’re more likely to feel better about yourself overall!
