7 HABITS OF EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
1. Read a LOT
Think book nerds are losers? It’s quite the opposite, actually. Last I checked, they rule the world. Mark Cuban insists on reading 3 hours a day, while Bill Gates reads for 1 hour as part of his bedtime routine. J.K Rowling, the first ever billionaire author, read ‘absolutely anything’ as a child. President Obama, Sheryl Sandberg, and Albert Einstein are book lovers, too. Reading helps you learn from the mistakes and successes of others.
2. Wake up Early
Notable early risers include Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Group, Disney CEO Robert Iger and Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer. Waking up early isn’t an easy habit to cultivate, though. I suggest you experiment with different techniques, but in general, the most effective ones are:
- Find a no-mercy alarm clock: Clocky Alarm Clock on Wheels, I Can’t Wake Up on Android, or Sleep Cycle alarm.
- Don’t hit snooze: Hitting the snooze button and going back to sleep for 5-10 minutes will make you feel worse.
- No screen or light (even a tiny blue light) at least one hour before bedtime: Light affects your circadian rhythm and melatonin production, the hormone responsible for inducing sleep.
3. Deliberate Practice and Hard Work
Serena Williams wakes up at 6 AM to practice tennis, and she’s been doing that since she was a kid. Even her after-school routine revolved around practicing the sport. Dallas Mavericks owner and famous Shark investor, didn’t take a vacation for seven years when his company was just starting up. That’s dedication. You can find shortcuts for everything in life, but you can never sidestep the hard work required to build the foundation of your goals.
4. Donate
Successful people allot time to give back to their community by working with charities, volunteering and donating. Tom Corley, author of Wealthy Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals, states that 73% of the 233 wealthy people he studied for 5 years volunteer 5+ hours a month. Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, all donate to different causes. Not rich? No problem. Volunteer at your local soup kitchen, help at the nursing home, or teach kids to read. Many times, your time and the pleasure of your company is enough.
5. Regularly exercise
Exercise certainly is a portion of the day-to- day regimen of successful individuals. It’ll make you feel good about yourself, and keep the body healthy, will make the mind alert and teach you discipline. As a matter of fact, a report revealed that 70 percent of successful business individuals discover a way to exercise each day. If you cannot exercise in the morning, get it in around lunch time or in the early evening. But overexerting might cause a setback so it’s always recommended to have a healthy exercise.
6. Plan your day ahead
Objectives aren’t as crucial as getting the work done. Not attaining goals may lead to lack of self-worth and depression; however, doing day-to- day tasks which propel you toward the person you wish to become will benefit you a positive way; that is, motion will beget greater motion.
7. They listen to others
If you want to be successful, says Deependra Dobriyal , "Listen more, talk less. Be attentive in every meeting. Hear everyone out, no matter how useless you think their ideas are. Meanwhile, Dave Kerpen, founder and CEO of Likeable Local, says listening is the most important – and most underrated – skill in business and in life.
