8 Success Habits
How do you make success a habit? Here are some tips that work for me.
Arrive early. I find that it is nice to arrive early for work or appointments. When I meet someone locally, I leave in time arrive fifteen minutes early. I can always find a comfortable place to relax before stepping into the appointment. When I travel for several hours for an appointment, I may even go in the night before.
Keep healthy snacks on hand. When I get a little hungry, I feel anxious. I take things more personally. Just eating a banana, a piece of whole-wheat toast, or a few nuts can relieve that hunger.
Seek advice. I am very lucky to have a family and friends who can help me make decisions. I turn to people who have experience with similar situations as my own. It is very easy for me to overlook things or see things incorrectly. Having other people around to work through situations is very helpful.
Make decisions. When my wife asks me what I want for dinner, I tell her what I want for dinner. If she asks me which movie I prefer, I tell her my preference. Indecision on my part may seem as though I am being flexible. In reality, by telling her I prefer to let her decide, I am putting the weight of the decision back on her when she had ask me for help with my decision.
When I go out to dinner, I keep the process simple. I read the menu, pick an item. Then I pick an item and order it. Asking the waiter what I should eat or asking others what they are having may give me some options, but why make a simple process complicated?
Take action. At one time, I might spend all day going through my email as my day progressed. I would have the stress of reading the same emails more than one. Most emails have the meat of the content in the subject. I immediately delete all email that I will not need to read. I read and move the email that I need to save to a folder labeled “Read.” I send a short reply to email that requires an answer. Then I have finished working on email for the day.
Take breaks. Often when I think of taking a break to get some exercise or just to sit quietly, I feel anxious. What I find is that after the break, I feel refreshed and work more effectively. Putting off taking breaks is as unproductive as putting off doing anything else. My mind and body need breaks.
Be grateful. I find that I feel better if I stop when I feel stress and think about the many good things in my life. By developing an attitude of gratitude, I feel less stressed.
Enjoy the moment. I am more effective if I keep my thinking in the present moment. I also enjoy life. Even when I am working on a long-term plan, I am not living in the future. I am creating guidelines that will lead me to a goal. I try to remember that most of my worries were over things that never happened. I enjoy the moment.
“The World’s Noblest Headhunter”