9 Habits of Successful People to Help You Live a Fulfilling Life

In the 1790s, French writer Nicolas Chamfort wrote a sentence that would eventually shape the habits of successful people. Translated from French, Chamfort wrote, “We should swallow a toad every morning in order to fortify ourselves against the disgust of the rest of the day.” As you might imagine, he did not mean for people to eat live frogs for breakfast. Chamfort was urging his readers to tackle the biggest and most difficult tasks (eating the frogs) before dealing with less important things.

The Pareto Principle—also known as the 80-20 rule—explains this further. To become successful, you must understand that only about 20 per cent of what you do will influence 80 per cent of your output. This high-value 20 per cent makes up your “frogs.” When you begin your day, tackle the most complicated tasks first. Once done, you can breeze through the easy items on your list.

Successful people know this well. However, good time management is not the only thing that propels them toward a fulfilling life. They have nine other productive habits. Apply these to your life consistently and get on the path to success.

They Get Enough Sleep

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends getting at least seven hours of sleep every night. They also suggest you follow a consistent bedtime routine. Your body thrives on the rhythm of your sleep pattern. Without it, AASM says your cognitive functions go awry.

Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post and a loud advocate for work-life balance, understands the value of good sleep. She makes sure she gets eight hours of sleep every night. Huffington’s body is so used to her sleep routine that she does not need an alarm to wake her up. At least two other successful entrepreneurs swear by the therapeutic properties of good sleep. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey and Tobi Lutke, founder and CEO of Shopify, get eight hours of sleep like Huffington.

Daily Meditation Keeps Them Focused

Bestselling American author and self-help guru Tony Robbins begins his day with 10 minutes of meditation. Sir Paul McCartney has been doing transcendental meditation for 50 years now.

What do they get out of meditation?

Several studies prove the many health benefits of meditation. According to studies published in the National Library of Medicine under the National Center for Biotechnology Information, meditation helps you develop self-awareness. It also trains your brain to focus more. Additionally, meditation can help control anxiety, develop kindness and empathy, and lower blood pressure.

They Rise Early And Have a Morning Routine

It is not a coincidence that successful people begin their day early. For instance, former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama rises at dawn. Melody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments, wakes up at 4 a.m. Bestselling author Haruki Murakami does the same.

An early wake-up call is not the only common denominator among these industry leaders. They rise ahead of the rest to maximise their day. Tom Corley, author ofChange Your Habits, Change Your Life, knows this. He found that almost 50 per cent of the self-made millionaires he studied rise at least three hours before their work day. They spend this time on breakfast, exercise, meditation, reading, and other personal projects.

These daily morning routines physically and mentally prepare them to handle the day’s work tasks. As Murakami says in an article on The Writing Cooperative, “The repetition itself becomes the most important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerise myself to reach a deeper state of mind.”

They Make To-Do Lists

The items on your list set your pace for the rest of the day. It sorts out your thoughts and helps you classify tasks according to importance.

Marcus Lemonis, CEO of Camping World, calls his to-do list the “knockout task list.” Every morning, he thinks of five things he needs to accomplish for the day. He writes each of these items on a separate notecard. As each task is finished, Lemonis folds its notecard into a paper aeroplane and launches it into the air. His goal is to send all five notecards flying by the end of each day.

You control what goes on your to-do list. Just make sure the items are specific and have deadlines. Place the three priority tasks at the top of the list. These can make up your knockout task list.

They Read a Lot

People who lead successful, fulfilling lives pursue knowledge. One of the activities they do to achieve this objective is to read. They do not read just anything, though. Below is the partial reading list of three inspiring personalities. Take a look:

• Bill Gates, who is known to read one book weekly
  • Why We’re Polarizedby Ezra Klein
  • Klara and the Sunby Kazuo Ishiguro
• Oprah Winfrey, whose book club has been inspiring readers since 1996
  • Becomingby Michelle Obama
  • Nightcrawlingby Leila Mottley
• Warren Buffet, who reportedly reads, aside from 500 pages of financial documents, five or six newspapers daily
  • The Intelligent Investorby Benjamin Graham
  • Mitek: A Global Success Story, 1981–2011by Jim Healy

They Learn Everything They Can From a Mentor

Yves Saint-Laurent had Christian Dior. Elizabeth Taylor had Audrey Hepburn. Mark Zuckerberg had Steve Jobs. Even the greats started their careers by learning from mentors. You should, too.

Having a mentor brings you several benefits. They can coach you on trade secrets. A mentor can also help you develop a valuable professional network within your industry. Mentors know career transitions well. Let them guide you when you go through yours. Most importantly, the right mentor will challenge you and inspire you to achieve your dreams.

To Succeed in the Workplace, They Know Balance Is Vital

According to an article in The Straits Times written by Megan Cheah, 41 per cent of Singapore workers would give up a bonus to continue working from home. One of their reasons is that the flexible work arrangement gives them more personal time.

These advocates for work-life balance are on the right track. Successful people acknowledge the importance of living a balanced life. Take, for example, Richard Branson, founder of the global brand The Virgin Group. Employees of Virgin, including himself, enjoy unlimited vacation days. Branson has only one rule. Before employees go on holiday, their team has to be up-to-date on tasks.

On his own holidays, Branson takes things further. He leaves his smartphone in the hotel or turns it off for days at a time. When Branson gets ideas while out, he jots them down in a notebook.

They Use Failure as a Stepping Stone to Their Dreams

When he was starting as a writer, bestselling American horror novelist Stephen King couldn’t get his stories published. For years, he was forced to work in a laundromat and then as a part-time English teacher to support his family. Throughout, he kept working on his first novel,Carrie. After 30 publishers rejected it, King threw the manuscript in the bin, frustrated. His wife fished it out and convinced him to send it to another publisher, who offered King his first book deal.

“It’s not failure; it’s unfinished success,” King once said. If you want to live successfully, look at every setback like how King sees it: as a detour, not a dead-end.

Multiple Income Sources Sustain Their Lifestyle

Making wise money decisions is a prerequisite for a comfortable and fruitful life.

Charlie Chang, 30, uses his eponymous YouTube channel—which has 729,000 subscribers—to create five income streams. He earns from affiliate marketing, brand sponsorships, YouTube ads, online courses he teaches, and one-on-one financial coaching. In 2021 alone, Chang earned $1.5 million working an average of 35 hours weekly.

Having several sources of income is especially smart today with the world’s unstable economy. Perhaps you could earn from a side hustle. Online tutoring could be profitable, as well as an e-commerce business, freelancing, and offering IT services. You could also make passive income from a rental property apart from your regular salary.

The habits of successful people are simple and easy to follow. Since a good day begins the night before, get enough sleep. Include meditation and some reading time in your morning routine. Guided by an efficient to-do list, go through your day and mind what your mentor says. Remember that failure is an opportunity to improve and that balance is key to a happy life. Manage your time well. Remember that having more than one income stream is ideal.

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