10 Shocking Habits of Successful People

There are 10 shocking habits of successful people that you probably didn’t know about. 

When we think about successful people, more often than not we think about people who are different from us. But what makes them so different? 

Their daily habits. 

So, if you want to level up, it can’t hurt to learn about their habits and start implementing them into your life. 

Let’s dive right in… 

The 10 Shocking Habits of Successful People

#1. They quiet their monkey brain.

Research suggests that meditation can alleviate anxiety, prevent depression, and reduce pain in the body. It’s also excellent in helping you improve your focus, especially in times of overwhelm. 

Quieting our monkey brains isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do, however. It requires patience and focus. 

If you’re just starting out, try to create a morning habit of meditating on your breath for at least 3 minutes, up to 5 minutes if you can manage. 

When you find random thoughts popping up in your head, refocus your attention on a mantra. Anything from “I am at peace” to “Om Namah Shivaya” (meaning I honor the divinity within me) can be used as a mantra during your meditation practice. 

#2. They practice unwavering belief in themselves. 

Another one of our 10 shocking habits of successful people is an unwavering belief in themselves. And yes, this is a daily habit that we should all get into. 

Even the richest among us suffer from self-doubt at times, but they do an excellent job of talking themselves out of their self-doubt by not taking their thoughts seriously. Concentrating on their strengths allows them to improve their skills and empowers them to take calculated risks. 

Self-belief is the springboard on which all successfully talented individuals get to where they are. 

#3. They work even when they don’t feel like it. 

Do you want to know what separates would-be successful people from professionals? They keep working even when they aren’t in the mood. 

You can’t wait for the ideal time to pursue your dreams. You have to get up every morning with a plan to make your dream happen, even when you aren’t feeling it.

Keep calm and use the force within yourself to get up and work on your dreams. Even if that’s just for a few minutes per day. Just stay consistent and do it, and you’ll be amazed by what you can achieve. 

#4. They minimize distractions. 

Another habit of successful people is the minimization of distractions. Tim Ferris in his book The 4-Hour Work Week touts the theory of batching your communication responses. He insists that when you’re reading and answering emails throughout the day, you’re simply being responsive. 

If you want to cut out the distractions, check your emails just twice a day. This should be mid-morning and early evening, for the best results. Don’t make it your top priority, because it simply isn’t.

#5. They don’t use an alarm clock. 

That’s right, waking up without an alarm clock is one of our top 10 shocking habits of successful people. Even everyone’s favorite CEO, Jeff Bezos, sleeps eight hours each night and wakes up without an alarm clock. Oprah, too, wakes up naturally. 

Thanks to their negative connotations and how they wake the body up by flooding it with adrenaline, many successful people avoid them altogether. 

If you want to try this, first start by setting a regular bedtime and routine. Once you have that firmly coordinated with your mind and body, the next step is to start envisioning waking up at a specific time, say 6 am. You’ll be amazed by how your body wakes you up consistently at that same time each morning. 

#6. They self-reflect 

Self-reflecting in the morning is another important habit to get into. When our minds go on autopilot, we find our lives on autopilot, too. That means our values, goals, and passions go right out the door. 

Take some time to ask yourself if what you’re doing today is making your life better or worse? Where do you think you’ll be in 2 years if you continue on the same path?

 That sort of reflection will shock the system into making important changes, especially if you set aside time to do it regularly. 

#7. They use an idea notebook/journal.

Writing down your ideas is important. If you don’t, they’ll come to you and disappear just as quickly. Throughout your day you’ll find ideas and thoughts come to you and if you don’t have a notepad to jot them down on, you’ll forget about them.

You can also use your phone to save the ideas if you’re committed to doing it. These thoughts can become the seeds of your future success if you pay attention to them. 

#8. They spend time reading every day.

Some of the world’s richest people read up to eight percent of their working days (like Warren Buffet). Tony Robbins, too, claims most of his knowledge has come directly from the books he’s studied. Make time to read a book every day and keep up the habit to put yourself on the path to success. 

#9. They exercise most days.

Another important part of every day for successful people is exercising and moving your body. Whether you just take a quick walk around the block before lunch or stick to a rigorous gym schedule, daily exercise is critical to your mental and physical health. Get a bit of extra energy and enjoy a more positive outlook. 

#10. They write down what they’re grateful for. 

Gratitude is one of the most important morning habits of successful people. Start the day off in their footsteps by writing down three things you are grateful for, three things that would make your day amazing, and then one affirmation. Before you go to sleep, write down at least 3 incredible things that happened to you during the day. Make this a daily practice to improve your gratitude levels.