How These 10 Small Habits Build Big Success

Success is not a phenomenon that happens overnight. It takes determination, motivation, and constant cultivation of resourceful routines. It requires good habits. We often believe that what sets successful people apart is their intelligence and innate ability to work hard. While this might be true, what is invisible to us is the cultivation of small habits that lead to their larger success.

Habits are consistent behaviours perfected in our everyday lives through practice and ambition. At times, we might feel as if we are stuck in an exhausting cycle, and every day feels like the same day over and over again. It might not be how one reaches their goals and achieves success. Habits are powerful tools to inculcate positive changes in our lives slowly and gradually and eventually achieve all our desired goals. Success, after all, is not the result of a single monumental effort but is a combination of all the patience, hard work, and intentional behaviours repeated. 

This article delves into 10 daily habits that lead to success. These habits can help you achieve your goals and develop resilience if you fail in both your personal and professional lives. It is all about creating a functional, balanced, and resilient routine that allows you to thrive in all aspects of your life such as family, friendships, and relationships.

Read More: 10 Habits of Highly Focused Individuals, According to Psychology

1. Begin Your Day with Mindfulness

Start your day with 5-10 minutes of mindful breathing. In this digital age, everyone reaches for their phones as soon as they wake up. Let go of this habit. We are often busy focusing on our memories or planning for the future. This practice of being present at the moment has been proven to reduce stress, regulate emotions, and increase concentration. 

Moreover, you can reflect on your routine and achievements from the previous day and your intentions for the day. Mindfulness also includes practising gratitude. Try to list at least 3 things you are thankful for in your life. This will promote a positive mindset, and set a constructive mindset for the day.

Being mindful improves clarity, reduces stress, and creates a peaceful, effective tone for the day. It also includes meditating regularly to increase your inner peace and enthusiasm.

Mindfulness also allows one to understand feelings and emotions. This acceptance makes you concentrate on the light at the end of the tunnel rather than bottling up your emotions and wallowing in them. When you are peaceful inside out, you can improve your focus and concentration and achieve insight, and it plays a big role in enhancing self-awareness and decision-making.

2. SMART Goal Setting

In 1968, Edwin A. Locke, a psychologist, published a paper titled ‘Toward a Theory of Task Motivation and Incentives’. He studied the link between setting clear goals and achieving them and found that goals that are harder to reach are more likely to lead to better performance. Later Dr. Garp P. Latham decided to test this and established a connection between goal setting and performance. These two then published a book together called ‘A Theory of Goal Setting and Task Performance’.

SMART refers to the goals that are specific, achievable, measurable, relevant, and time-bound, and therefore, SMART here becomes an abbreviation. For this to be effective, you can break down a large goal into smaller goals that are more achievable. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivate you towards betterment.

Moreover, you can reinforce this through visual reminders like writing a goal and sticking it on your bedroom wall or writing about it in your journal. When you set a SMART goal, you must reflect on it from time to time. Review what is working for you and what is not effective. This boosts dopamine levels, increasing productivity. When you set and enhance your goals every day, it gives you a picture of your overall improvement. When the goals align with your actions, it assures long-term success.

Read More: How To Set Your Goal, Know About the Goal Setting Theory

3. Prioritize Tasks

Now that you have set your goals, it is time to prioritize them. The Eisenhower matrix gives us a very effective way to do so. Here, you divide all your goals or tasks into 4 categories. The top priority here would be the tasks that are both urgent and important. These include deadlines, crises, etc. The next priority will be given to the tasks that are important but not as urgent.

Examples of this category might involve spending time with family, exercising, etc. These goals might not appear as urgent at the moment, but they are helpful in the long-term and therefore go on second priority.

Next in line are the tasks that are urgent but not important like unexpected texts or calls, interruptions, etc. These might not possess as much importance and thus are third on the priority list.

The last priority here is the tasks that are neither urgent nor important. These tasks might include mindless scrolling on social media, excessive online shopping, etc. When you prioritize tasks, it leads to better time management and enhanced productivity. Furthermore, since the prioritized goals align with our long-term goals, it leads to less stress and anxiety about the future. By adopting this, the path to success becomes clearer and achievable.

4. Emotional Intelligence

Intelligence doesn’t necessarily mean being book smart or a knowledgeable person. It is also a very essential component of achieving success. Emotional intelligence is the ability to successfully identify, control, and understand emotions. These emotions could be oneself or those of the people around them. Emotionally intelligent people are more successful in their personal as well as professional lives. 

To cultivate and develop emotional intelligence, one first needs to develop self-awareness, appropriate social skills, self-regulation, and empathy. These factors will help to understand and respond to emotions appropriately. 

It can be developed through reflection on our emotional responses to various triggers, practising empathy to build functional relationships, and using journaling to improve emotional regulation.

Paying close attention to your emotions and reactions can plant a deeper understanding of emotions and improve your chances of success. Now that you are aware of your emotional responses, you will notice your impulsive reactions and transform them into more situation-appropriate ones. Emotional intelligence makes it easier to lead, work with others, and solve problems. All these factors are essential for success in both your personal and professional life. 

Read More: The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership, According to Psychology

5. Maintain a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is believing that you can achieve better things or goals in life and working towards them. A growth mindset believes that intelligence and other abilities can be achieved through constant practice and hard work. You inculcate healthier habits when you keep a growth mindset. Do not view minor setbacks, or even major ones for that matter, as ultimate failure.

Work diligently towards your goals and believe that you will come back stronger and will do better next time. Do not be extremely fixated on the goal because it might make the journey seem like a chore.

Appreciate and reward efforts and small progress that you achieve along the way. Reflection is a powerful tool for improvement. Align with reflection by yourself, seek constructive criticisms from others, and inculcate them into your thought pattern.

Do not take the criticisms personally, but view them as the stepping stones to your success. Adopting a growth mindset makes people more flexible, less afraid of failing, and more willing to keep learning, all of which are important for success. By simply being open to improving yourself, you can move one step closer to success.

Read More: 5 Game-Changing Mindset Shifts for Success

6. Focus on Your Physical Health

It has now been widely proven and accepted that physical and mental health are dependent on each other. An effective mind-body connection keeps you healthy and helps you to concentrate on your goals. Physical goals like active fitness goals might also improve your self-efficacy. Physical activities like exercise improve neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to adopt new experiences and enhance cognitive functions like memory, decision-making, problem-solving, thinking, and attention. It leads to increased resilience, improved mental health, and enhanced productivity.

Some practices to improve mental health include eating healthy, exercising regularly, aiming for 6-8 hours of sleep, managing stress through effective practices, and working consistently towards your goals.

A commitment to physical well-being gives you the power to deal with problems, reach your goals, and live a full life by giving you more energy, mental clarity, and emotional strength.

Take small, steady steps to improve your physical health, and see how this investment in yourself changes your personal and work life. The ripple effect of personal and professional success, and long-term sustainability. Focusing on your physical health can also be considered one of the pillars of success.

Read More: How to Develop Critical Thinking in Psychology 

7. Foster Better Relationships

Surrounding yourself with people who support and motivate you is very important. With these people, you are not only to discuss your goals and how you will be working on them, but also all your emotional aspects, like your failures, where you feel you fell short, and what you are feeling currently. It would help if you had people you could pour into because there will be as many bad days as there will be good ones.

To maintain these relationships, it is also necessary that you lend your ear to them whenever they require as well. Be very mindful of these relationships. Engage in active listening and build healthy bonds. Spend quality time with your loved ones, however short it may be.

Even if your connections are deep and go way back, no one can read your mind. Therefore, make sure that you express gratitude towards these important people in your life verbally.

You can also join groups that include people with goals, interests, and values similar to yours. This way you may get a sense of belongingness and feel that someone understands you. Along with increasing happiness, these relationships provide emotional support when you need it and foster a collaborative mindset essential for success. 

8. Self-Compassion

Don’t be too hard on yourself in the face of adversity. Self-compassion includes treating yourself with kindness and taking breaks whenever required. Whenever we face shortcomings, we either tend to blame ourselves or various factors around us, neither of which are helpful. Keep a balanced outlook on both achievements and setbacks. Do not let either of these get into your head and hamper your progress.

If you don’t know how to practice self-compassion, try to reframe the situation. If one of your closest friends was in the same situation, how would you treat him or her? Similarly, treat yourself. Note that not every day is going to be a good day and that you are bound to face setbacks. Acknowledge them without harsh criticism and judgment.

These failures do not define you but rather provide you with a learning opportunity. When you do not completely accept them, it can lead to procrastination. You might be afraid of making mistakes again and hence do not attempt the task at all. Self-compassion is essential for long-term success because it lowers burnout, increases emotional resilience, and cultivates a better relationship with oneself. Make a deliberate and active effort to do this.

Read More: The Psychology of Learning

9. Focus on Lifelong Learning

Learning never stops and opens our minds to something bigger. The human brain is wired to foster and cultivate adaptability and creativity. When you engage in constant learning, the neuroplasticity increases, and therefore better neural connections are formed. Do not just focus on achieving a particular goal but aim for your holistic well-being. Dedicate some time in your everyday routine for learning and betterment. This could include online courses, skill-building activities, or simply reading. 

Reflection, just like in any other habit, plays an important role in improvement. When you reflect on what you have learned, you also contemplate applying them to your goals. Reflection also helps to identify what to focus on next. Moreover, surround yourself with people who, just like you, are open to learning and growing. 

When you focus on achieving success, you often fear falling behind. The only way to eliminate this fear is to keep learning that will help you in the future. Learning is also very effective in finding something valuable. It could be as simple as an article or as impactful as a groundbreaking discovery. When you adopt these learnings into your life it enhances your Problem-solving opens the doors to new opportunities, and keeps you prepared for any change.

Read More: 10 Characteristics of Lifelong Learners, According to Psychology

10. Rest Properly

We live in a fast-paced world where you constantly need to work to obtain success but if you are fatigued, you are of no use to yourself. Rest is essential for brain function. While resting does involve getting at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep, it also includes talking breaks. It enhances focus and prevents burnout. In addition to adequate sleep and taking the required breaks, one should also practice relaxation to calm the mind.

Practices such as meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and deep and mindful breathing. Cognitive rest is also essential for functional decision-making. A well-rested person can focus and concentrate better. In addition to this, it increases emotional resilience, boosts creativity, and enhances problem-solving.

There are various types of rests. Some of them are physical rest, mental rest, sensory rest, social rest, and emotional rest.

These give a break from the stress caused by physical, mental, and social factors. To effectively practice this, you can unplug from your electronic devices for some time, balance work and life, and incorporate relaxation techniques into your routine. Recharging your body and mind leads to sustainable growth and fulfilment. 

Read More: Helpful Breathing Techniques for Meditation

Conclusion

Success is never guaranteed, and there are no definite habits that ensure it. All one can do is work towards it diligently and hope that they have done enough. While it is not conclusive, some habits can pave the way to success when practised diligently. These habits need to be practised consistently and applied to everyday life. Success cannot be measured by the achievement of a few goals but also by the qualities you embedded in your life throughout the journey. By integrating these 10 habits into your life, your path to achievement might become easier and more achievable. It also creates a foundation for a perfectly balanced life with both personal and professional achievement. Success begins with small efforts and depends on the choices you make every day.