10 useful habits for self-development

To start living the life you’ve been dreaming of, you don’t have to radically change your lifestyle. You’ve probably already learned that you don’t need a Monday for change, and that the most important transformations first happen in your head. Og Mandino, author of The World’s Greatest Salesman, argued that the difference between poor and rich people is only in habits. Interested to know what habits will really bring you closer to your goal? We have collected for you useful habits of the most successful people.

Useful habits of successful people

If you want to develop, regardless of motivation, mood, external circumstances and other factors, start small – include in your life just useful 10 habits.

Reading

Read 10-20 pages every day. It won’t take much time, and in return, you’ll not only get new information, but you’ll also be able to relax. Reading is called the habit of rich people for a reason. Almost 90% of wealthy Americans spend half an hour every day reading news that relates to their professional activities, literature on personal growth and spiritual development, biographies of successful people. At the same time, successful people are not ready to spend time on entertainment literature; no more than 11% read it.

Self-analysis

There is no need to analyze your productivity at the end of each day. It can be done at the end of a working week or period. Note which tasks you did well and which ones you could have done better or faster. This is not a way to lower your self-esteem, on the contrary – self-analysis helps you find points of growth.

Social circle

“Tell me who your friend is and I’ll tell you who you are.” You can interpret this any way you like, but among successful people you really won’t meet those who spend time among losers. Try to expand your social circle, spend time with those people from whom you have something to learn. In such a society, it’s important to talk a little and listen more.

Podcasts

Change your useless radio and annoying playlist to podcasts. Listen to them on your way to the store, in the car and subway, while doing household chores or chores.

Early rising

Waking up early is good for your psyche and mental performance. Successful people wake up early – about 3 hours before work. During this time you can have time not only to wash your face, tidy up and drink a cup of coffee. For people who value their time, this is a great opportunity to go for a run before the workday, make plans for the day, read, communicate with loved ones. Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Tim Cook, Steve Jobs – among these famous names are definitely not those who slept in before lunch.

Healthy food

It is not so important who owns the saying that recommends giving dinner to the enemy and eating breakfast yourself. The main thing is that such a principle is indeed adhered to by rich people from all over the world. And not only because they want to live longer and stay in good physical shape. It’s simple – overeating causes a feeling of heaviness, laziness and sleepiness. If you think rationally, food should be a source of energy, not take it away.

Sport

Regular physical activity increases productivity and mood, strengthens immunity and self-esteem. Not to mention a beautiful taut body, which is not just called a sign of high status. Physical fitness cannot be bought, stolen, or given as a gift, it can only be earned. People who put in a daily workout are disciplined by default, and discipline is one of the most important habits of successful people.

Leanness

People who have worked their way up on their own know the value of every dime they earn. Thrift is not about being stingy. Billionaires do not throw money around, they know how to calculate and plan, save and invest. For example, billionaire Charlie Ergen takes sandwiches with him from home. And the founder of IKEA had lunch in the canteen and commutes to work in an old Volvo or by public transportation. People who receive an inheritance or win the lottery, in most cases, do not remain millionaires for long. Because they do not know how to appreciate and properly dispose of what they did not create themselves.

Investing

Money should work. Give up the habit of hoarding money, invest part of your income in real estate, deposits, currency, whatever, but don’t let it lie under the mattress and depreciate.

Get out of your comfort zone

It is impossible to know yourself without trying something new. There’s a great saying, “If you want to have something you’ve never had before, start doing something you’ve never done before”. It’s not easy to step out of your comfort zone, but it’s always worth it.  Positive experiences are always preceded by negative experiences. And any transformation happens through pain, fear and other defense functions of the body, which does not want to let us out of the “comfortable swamp”. A person’s emotions before the first parachute jump can hardly be called positive. But when he touches the ground and realizes his act, he will never be the same and will never regret this step. How do you get out of your comfort zone? Remember what you are very afraid of or what you’ve wanted to try for a long time but never dared, and don’t look for excuses anymore.

These habits won’t take up a lot of your time, won’t turn your established lifestyle upside down, and won’t make you a billionaire in a year. But they will definitely bring you closer to your goals and make you happier.