Everybody wants to be a success story. Many of us daydream about the day we will be able to explain to someone how we started our own business, earned our first million dollars, bought our own house, or any number of extraordinary achievements. While the daydream is very similar from person to person, the actions are drastically different between the people who reach these dreams and those who just continue to dream them. If you want to be a success story instead of just dreaming about being one, here are 7 habits that will help you get there!
1) Wake up early, consistently! Many of the world’s most successful CEO’s believe that an early wake-up time has helped them to gain massive success. You need time to clear the fog in your head and perform at your best. If you are waking up and throwing yourself right into school work, you may feel dazed and confused. Get up earlier than you need and allow your body a chance to get set for the day. Then, when you show up at school, you are ready to attack the day!
2) Push your mind. If the only learning you do is in school, you are holding yourself to average at best. Challenge yourself with books that open your mind, video lessons that increase your skill level, and coaching/mentorship that makes you think outside of the box. Learn something outside of school every day and build the habit of constantly adding to your knowledge base.
3) Push your body. It has been well documented that healthy learners learn more. But how are you exercising? Are you pushing your limits, or just getting your time in? Physical exercise is one of the best ways to practice mental toughness and resilience. Pushing through a difficult workout will help you push through academic challenges. Bring intensity to every workout so you get used to battling through discomfort.
4) Push your friends. The expectations you set for others will fall in line with the expectations you set for yourself. Don’t settle for mediocrity with yourself or your friend group. Motivate the people around you and place expectations on them to grow and improve. This is how you set up accountability, as your friends will expect the same from you. The more you surround yourself with people who are trying to grow, the easier it will be for you to thrive.
5) Value Experience. Some of the most important things you will learn may come from volunteering your time, taking an unpaid internship, or spending time with people older and wiser than you. Don’t think that paid, working experience is the only thing you will need. While some people are focused on making every dollar they can in the short term, you should be building perspectives, connections, and filling out a well-rounded resume. Maintain the belief that you can learn from every person and every experience, and allow that to propel you to better opportunities.
6) Patience is a virtue, effort is a must. Bring 100% effort to every task you commit to. It doesn’t matter if it’s a long, boring class period, a huge test, an after-school study group, or anything else… Give your all to every task and be in the moment. When your effort is given, you don’t need to worry about the results. You can be patient, trusting that your effort will pay off, whether it is in the short or long term. The people who are most impatient also tend to be the people who change their effort based on the reward they think they will get.
7) Build your confidence daily. Affirmations go a long way in adding to your confidence. The belief you have in yourself can change often as situations go better or worse than expected. Don’t allow your confidence to rise and fall like the stock market. Be consistent in building yourself up and remind yourself constantly of the future you are building.