My social newsfe
ed has been full of articles, blogs, podcasts and webinar invites on various versions of entrepreneurs delving into the practices of successful people. I’ve seen everything from “4 things you should do every workday,” to “The 5 Habits of Highly Successful People,” “Breakfast of Champions,” etc. In the early part of February, I attended The National Achievers Congress conference in Denver with headliner Tony Robbins and seven other speakers over the 12-hour event. Talk about being surrounded by success! Not surprisingly, each of them shared the thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and habits that got them where they are.
The common theme: Willpower is highest in the morning, so start strong
Studies have shown that you have the most willpower in the morning. The longer the day goes on, the more your willpower, focus and determination fade. Early morning hours matter the most.
After 30 days of putting these ideas in practice, I have learned just how productive one can be in the early hours of the morn. You may not consider yourself a morning person, but don’t let that limiting belief hold you back any longer. There are fantastic resources out there on how to become a morning person. There is deep wisdom in “the early bird gets the worm.” So grab some coffee and make these things a staple in your morning work routine.
1. Gratitude – Start each morning with five minutes reflecting on how grateful you are that you got out of bed by yourself. Then take five minutes at night to write down in a gratitude journal how grateful you are that you made it through the day keeping your family safe and healthy. Not many people can say this, and it may even move you to tears because you are so fully present to it. An attitude of gratitude creates good fortune.
2. Start with Hard – Start with the things that appear to be heavy and hard, those that are going to generate opportunities and possibility. Drum up your motivation mojo and master your most important work bright and early. Successful people rally their to-do list first thing in the morning and crush it. And the last thing before leaving the office at night, write down the top three things you want to accomplish tomorrow. Use that list to start the next day.
3. Boundaries – Successful people have clear boundaries and aren’t dragged down by what others think. If someone tries to dump a load of crap on them, they give it right back. If someone behaves poorly or says something harsh, it bounces off them like Teflon. They don’t allow outside forces to influence, shake, rattle or steamroll them. They don’t get distracted by other people’s comments.
4. Face a Fear – Take a small action that makes you uncomfortable or a little afraid when you think of it. It’s not about being reckless, but more about being in action and pressing forward. The goal is simply to take that one small step to get you two steps closer to what you really want on the other side of fear.
5. Ironclad Determination – A universal trait for most every success story out there is ironclad determination to make “this” work, whatever “this” is. Regardless of the overwhelming amount of focus, will, work and determination needed, successful people don’t let that deter them. They have a mindset of “I can, I will and I am.” “I can’t” or “it’s too much X” is nowhere in their vocabulary. Low vibrational statements set you up for failure and make you feel like crap.
Success is whatever YOU define it to be: money, health, balance, time. Success is more about what you remove from your life. Success is about clearing out the stuff not in alignment with who you want to be to make room for what you want to magnify in your life.
If you are not starting your day with a “Breakfast of Champions” and would like help with setting up your day (Hint: enrolling the people in your life is crucial), contact us for a complimentary 30-minute Team Empowerment session at molly@hiringandempowering.com.
