5 Habits of Highly Successful People
I’d like to begin by asking you a question. And that question is this: What have you been up to lately? Such a normal, common, and frankly un-special question.
In many cases, we ask this question to our friends, neighbors, and acquaintances purely out of politeness or habit, not really caring about the answer, and, oftentimes, forgetting that answer within a few hours, if not minutes, of the conversation. But I actually want to know: what have you been up to lately? Specifically, why? Let me explain…
Typically the answer to this question is something like, “Oh, not much, just work.” But going deeper - WHY are you working, and what are you working ON? What is the deeper goal? Is it, like many of us, for the money? Or, maybe you want the status, respect, and financial gain that come with a promotion. Or maybe you’re working because it’s your passion.
Whatever it is… beyond the actual THING you’ve been doing lately, you have some sort of a goal attached to it; otherwise, you wouldn’t be spending time on it. Well, today I want to talk about something relating to those goals, which is 5 habits of highly successful people.
DEFINING "SUCCESS"
For this post, we’re defining success as your ability to reach the goals you’ve set. Whether that’s a certain level of wealth, a title at work, or a type of lifestyle - that’s beside the point. The point is: you have goals. Are you reaching them?
Whether you feel good about your ability to hit your goals or not, you’ll benefit from what follows on 5 habits of highly successful people. And, for context, much of what I’m including in this post comes from my observations of successful people I’ve had the privilege of spending time with.
One in particular comes to mind… he’s the CEO of one of the world’s largest real estate franchises. We met him through a social networking group and, for a time, were relatively close with him, his family, and friends. In the ~2-year period that we all spent time together, I quietly observed him – it’s amazing what you can learn by simply watching someone who has skills you admire and would like to adopt.
Much of what’s included in this episode comes from my observations of this man, whom I came to respect, but it also comes from observing other executives throughout my corporate career, and conversations with them, as well as one of Cory’s high-net-worth clients.
1) THEY’RE PROACTIVE
The highly successful people I’ve met in my life do not avoid things they find difficult or inconvenient. Big goals are hard. If they weren’t, everyone would be accomplishing them. So being proactive and not procrastinating when it comes to taking steps forward is simple, but important.
In the same vein, the successful people I’ve met also do not bury their heads in the sand when it comes to things going wrong. They address challenges or potential challenges head-on, angling to get ahead of what could later become a problem.
Part of this proactivity, I’ve noticed, is that they make decisions relatively quickly – and stick to them. They aren’t wishy-washy or back-and-forth. But that’s not to say they don’t make decisions that aren’t backed with data. They certainly don’t move forward without the proper research. It’s not like they’re shutting their eyes and throwing a dart at the board, hoping it hits. They use data and what information is available to make an educated choice, decide, and move forward.
After some time, if it becomes apparent that choice wasn’t the best, they change tack. They’re not afraid to try things, and to “fail fast” – which means, if they try something and see it’s not working, they quickly change course.
Dealing with roadblocks or problems that arise during your journey toward hitting your goals can not only slow you down but can throw you off course entirely, depending on what you’re dealing with. So being proactive about addressing these things BEFORE they become huge issues that can stall you out or push you to quit may help you pull off what you’re working toward more successfully.
2) THEY’RE ORGANIZED
This one surprised me a bit, especially with our friend I mentioned before because he was full of big, wild ideas that sometimes seemed to go this way and that. But, when it came down to execution, it seemed he had a framework for everything. I specifically remember an exercise he had Cory and I work through where he had us list our 3-, 5-, and 10-year goals, and how we were going to progress toward each.
And it’s the same with the high-net-worth client Cory’s working with now… despite all the projects this guy has going on, he’s got everything neatly organized in a spreadsheet. Processes, frameworks, organizers, checklists, and task sheets… these seem to be the secret weapons of the successful – and after thinking about it, it makes sense.
Chances are, your big goals aren’t simple; if they were, they would just be something you did, instead of something you feel like you must WORK toward. So, I imagine, many moving pieces make up each one.
If you feel like organization doesn’t come naturally to you, you’re not alone. Some of the world’s most successful people are wild dreamers… but, you know what? They know that about themselves, and therefore have processes in place, and people who can help them, stay organized, stay focused, and continue progressing toward their goals. And you can, too.
If you aren’t naturally organized, I’d suggest first, simply trying to be. Stop telling yourself you can’t, and just try. But if you try for a month or two and feel like you’re still not progressing, find someone good at it, and learn from them.
3) THEY HAVE MULTIPLE SOURCES OF INCOME
According to leaders.com, in a commentary article for CNBC, Rich Habits author Tim Corley shares that 65% of the 233 wealthy individuals surveyed had at least 3 income streams. Further, 45% had four income streams, and 29% had five or more.”
Now, I want to add a comment here which is this: Even if your goal does not align specifically with money, I think it’s fair to say that people who produce high levels of wealth are oftentimes relatively good at hitting goals (at least compared to the general public), so I think we can learn a thing or two from them. And also, chances are having multiple sources of income can help in one of two ways.
First, simply having extra income or multiple sources of income can free up space in your mind so you have more brain capacity to dedicate toward hitting your goals. It’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about financial wellness; not because of the money itself, but because having enough money can reduce stress, free up time, and empower you to think about and work on the things that matter most to you.
Having multiple sources of income might mean that you don’t need your job anymore or at the very least you don’t rely so much on your job that it’s all you think about. For example, once I started acquiring multiple sources of income, I still did a good job at work, but I no longer felt the insane pressure to perform. I think it made me an even better employee while also enabling me to pursue other goals at the same time.
The second reason having multiple streams of income can help you reach your goals is simply because you can pay for more things to help you do exactly that. Want a promotion? You can hire a career coach. Want to start a side hustle? Hire someone to help you. Want to grow your small business? Run some paid ads.
And, the last thing I’ll say about this is that having multiple income streams, in my opinion, ties back to organization. Figuring out how to create your second income stream, and your third, and beyond – that in and of itself requires organization, but also, once the income streams begin to multiply, you have to be organized to be effective. You can’t be strategic if you don’t know where everything is and what’s going on with each.
4) THEY SURROUND THEMSELVES WITH OTHER SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE
I hate to admit it, but your mom was right: you are who you hang out with. And that reality stretches far beyond your high school years… it’s a lifelong truth. And that’s why it’s not surprising to me that all of the successful people I’ve observed surround themselves with other successful people - other people who have perfected the art of setting and hitting their goals.
This goes far beyond the actual physical human beings you invite into your life… because something else I’ve noticed is that many of these successful people are particular with whom they invite into their minds. Authors, podcasters, musicians, news anchors… these successful people are strategic with what they fill their minds with, and by whom. And it makes sense.
The conversations you have with people in your life every day. The “conversations” you have with yourself as you absorb the words of the authors you read, the podcasters and musicians you listen to, or the television programs you watch… All of these things affect your psyche. There are only so many hours in each day and only so much brain space you can fill, so the conversations you have with others and with yourself throughout each day have a huge effect on how you behave, what you focus on, and your perception of the world.
Think about it: if you spend all your time around a bunch of people who lay around on the couch all day watching “reality TV” and then grab fast food for dinner while they argue about the latest thing the news media is fuming about… your mind will be filled with and focused on unhealthy behavior that will not help you get any closer to your goals.
But what if you spent your time surrounded by people who are EXCELLENT at hitting their goals, learning from them, having discussions on what you want to do with your life and how to make it happen… and seeing that other people out there have already done it? Now, you’re focused on actual steps you can take to reach your goals, and you feel hopeful because you see that other people have pulled it off, and you can too. As Tony Robbins says, “The only thing that will change your life, change your business, change your relationship, is that you must raise your standards.”
5) THEY’RE CONSISTENT
This one’s important because you can do all 4 of these other things, but if you’re not consistent, then none of them will matter. Who cares if you’re proactive once or you spend one day getting organized or one day around healthy, successful people? Taking wise action once is not what counts… we’re talking about HABITS here, and one of the cornerstones of habits is consistency.
So, whether big or small, it seems every single day these successful people are taking some kind of action that closes the gap between where they are today, and where they want to be concerning hitting their goal.
No time? There will be days like that; we’re all human and life happens. But the difference between successful people and unsuccessful is that as soon as they can, the successful ones are back at it, hacking away at their goal.
Great things take time. And like a sculptor chipping away at a rock, sometimes it can be hard to see the result, especially when you’re first starting. But if you keep showing up, day after day, piece by piece, your goal will slowly but surely come into view. And that chunk of rock you started with? It will have transformed into a masterpiece.
THE BIG PICTURE
Whatever SUCCESS looks like for you. Whatever GOALS you have and are working toward. It can be helpful to observe others who have set and achieved impressive goals and/or goals similar to what you’re trying to accomplish.
For me, one of the big goals I’ve had for a long time is not only achieving but maintaining financial freedom, and that’s why many of the people I’ve based this episode on are high-net-worth individuals… they’ve successfully done what I’m trying to do.
And, regardless of whether the goals you have are primarily financially based or not, as I mentioned, having a solid financial strategy in place with multiple income sources and passive income that can further help you free up some time, can be helpful.
NEXT STEPS
If you are ready to build a solid financial strategy, it ALL begins with a financial dashboard - more commonly known as a budget - because you can’t be strategic with your money until you first know EXACTLY what’s coming in and what’s going out regularly, on an ongoing basis.
Again, similar to your other goals, it’s not a matter of creating a budget once. It’s creating a budget that is consistent, organized, proactive, and one that’s helped others successfully hit their goals of creating multiple sources of income.
And you better believe I have one that hits all the marks. It’s the template I’ve used for more than 10 years, the one I use with all my Private Wealth Clients, and the one that’s been foundational to the creation of a 7-figure net worth, multiple 6-figures of passive income, and a 5-figure debt payoff.
After the initial set-up, it’s 90% rinse and repeat month after month, and the insight it provides you is insanely valuable. It’s your North Star for making wise financial decisions, and your treasure map that takes you from where you’re at now to the exact life you want. And it comes with a mini-training video to help get you up and running in no time.
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