Ten Habits for very successful people.

Lists…Lists Ten Habits for a successful marriage, ten things to get that dream job…Lists.

Wise people always drop brilliant morsels for us to chew on to help navigate this world we live in but most of us are too caught up in the hustle and bustle of life to consider them.

I was influenced by some articles that I read on effective habits for happiness, health, productivity, and success and decided to summarize the ten best ones below.

10) Celebrate and Smile : Life is short , pause to enjoy your successes before moving on to the next thing. And Smile, the simple act of smiling reduces stress and increases happiness, even if you’re faking or forcing the smile. Putting on a happy face actually makes you happier.

9) Say no more often: Jack of All trades, Master of None.  Trying to do everything usually means not doing anything very well.

8) . Don’t check email first thing in the morning or last thing before bed — This approach is championed by Tim Ferriss who says that email first thing derails your priorities for the day and email right before sleeping gives you insomnia. Putting this into practice has been a life-changer for me.

7). Do one thing at a time — Do one thing at a time and pay attention while doing it. Giving our attention only to the task at hand enables us to accomplish more while feeling less anxious and less scatterbrained. On a related note, put your phone away when you are spending time with another person and give them your undivided attention.

6). Limit your daily to-do list to your 3 most important items —  It’s less intimidating have 3 items on your to do list than 10, with fewer projects for the day you can focus and achieve and watch your productivity skyrocket.

5). Be Grateful, Having an attitude of gratitude has been shown to improve mood and physical health.

4). Eat Healthy and don’t starve yourself. Even if you want to lose weight, eating small healthy meals is more productive than starving yourself.

3). Read — Reading is one habit ultra-successful people have in common. Business leaders such as Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk say reading has been critical to their success.

2). Get 8 hours of sleep per night — anything less won’t cut it, says Dr. Mike Dow, best-selling author of The Brain-Fog Fix. The experts recommend establishing and sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day (including weekends).

1). Maintain close relationships — Social connection is the greatest predictor of happiness, according to Harvard researcher and happiness expert Shawn Achor who has studied the topic for more than a dozen years. Having Close Relationships is great for your wellbeing and general outlook in life.

BONUS
Exercise: Exercise...Exercise…Exercise, It’s great for your Mental, Physical and even emotional health.  — “The single-most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function,” says John J. Ratey MD in his best-selling book Spark. Exercising daily.