What’s the key to your success? Maybe you’re a great communicator or start every day with a mindful yoga practice. We all have different strategies we use to thrive, but there are lifestyle habits that most successful people have in common. We turned to our friends at Chopra to find out ten healthy habits of successful people.
- Prioritize healthy sleep. If you’re a regular Optimist reader, this one is a no brainer. Quality sleep allows our brains and bodies to rest, boosts our immune system, gives us the energy to greet our day with enthusiasm, and even helps ward off degenerative diseases. Seven to nine hours of good sleep is one of the most important factors for success.
- Don’t hit snooze. Some of the most successful people, including Oprah Winfrey, Tony Robbins, and Deepak Chopra, are all early risers. Waking up early lets you take advantage of your body’s productive and energized early hours and gives you time to engage in routines like meditation, visualization, and exercise.
- Clean eating. A close second to good sleep is good eating habits. This means eating balanced regular meals around the same time each day and consuming plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. This doesn’t have to be as complex as many lifestyle gurus make it seem. The bottom line is everything in moderation and make sure the bulk of the foods you consume are nutritious and fuel your body to make it through your busy day.
- Get out in nature. Time in nature has been shown to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and prevent illness. Even five minutes outdoors has been linked to more balanced nervous systems, greater functioning digestive systems, and significantly higher happiness levels, but people who spend at least two hours outdoors per week reap the greatest benefits of time in nature.
- Move your body every day. Whether it’s a game of soccer with friends, lifting weights, or just a walk around your neighborhood, exercise is vital for both physical and mental health.
- Meditate. This practice can feel uncomfortable at first, but the more you do it, the more you will reap its rewards. Many successful individuals like Jerry Seinfeld and the late Kobe Bryant swear by daily meditation for setting up their day for positivity, poise, and potential.
- Visualize. As opposed to meditation, where you aim to empty your mind of thoughts and distractions, visualization encourages you to picture your goals and manifest success. For top athletes, this means visualizing crossing the finish line or scoring a strategic goal. For you, this may mean acing a presentation at work, nailing that interview, or finishing that novel you’ve been working on.
- Lifelong reading and learning. For most of us, formal education ends by our mid-twenties, but education is a lifelong process and just because you’re not in a classroom doesn’t mean you should stop teaching yourself new material. Reading is the easiest way to incorporate lifelong learning into your routine. Take time to sit down and consume books, articles, or even blogs to keep expanding your mind. Replace some of your TV watching or social media scrolling time with reading and you will be surprised how much time you have for learning.
- Develop meaningful relationships. Success requires dedication, but cutting yourself off from your social ties to make time for achievement is not the answer. While this can mean romantic relationships, it certainly doesn’t have to. The key is forming authentic connections with other human beings to build a sense of community and a support system to boost our mood, confidence, and empathy.
- Connect to your purpose. Success does not mean simply filling the hours of your day with productivity. Clarifying what your purpose is and why you want to achieve a certain goal is key to feeling empowered and influential, not just busy.
Success can be defined in all different ways. No matter your job or ambition, healthy daily habits can help you achieve it. Starting with the basics like good sleep, nutritious food, and self-reflection are the first steps to success and growth.
