There are two kinds of people in the world: those who have the ingrained habits to become successful in reaching their goals, and those who wish they had those habits. If you, like Benjamin Franklin always was, are in the process of refining your personal habits, then you should consider these seven habits that are shared by most of the go-getters in the world.
Set Aside a Portion of Your Income Every Month
Successful people know that the future is uncertain, so you should always be in the process of saving up. The money—or other resources—that you put aside now may end up becoming seed money for your next investment, an important addition to your retirement fund, or a special pool of cash you can dip into in case of an emergency—or an opportunity.
Getting used to deducting a portion of your paycheck and putting that money in savings will help you resist against overspending. It also reinforces a good habit that will help you in many more ways: the habit of planning ahead. Teaching yourself to look to the future can help you cut back on money spent on eating out and other nonessential expenditures.
Remember to Negotiate
Depending on how you were raised, negotiation may not come naturally to you, as some of us were taught that it’s impolite to haggle. However, family life and real life don’t always play by the same rules. The most successful businesspeople negotiate constantly. Get yourself used to this mindset by starting to look for deals. Wait to make purchases until you can buy something on sale or use a coupon. Most people in the United States simply accept that posted prices are non-negotiable, but that isn’t strictly true.
Have a Set Routine Each Day
Allow yourself the time and energy to become successful by clearing up the clutter and stress from your life. Though many people say they hate the feeling of being “tied down” to a schedule, if you’re spending so much time looking for your day planner, trying to rememberwhen your next appointment is and wondering if you have time to fit in an extra 10 minutes of shut-eye in the morning, you’re hampering your potential for success. Instead, make your schedule sacrosanct with plenty of time penciled in for working on money-making projects.
Simplify
Likewise, your home and office environments should be simplified to allow you freedom of movement and more room for creativity and working toward your essential goals. Embrace simplicity not only in your environments but also in your workflow. Look at each process you undertake with an eye to making it more streamlined. The time and energy you save doing this will help you to focus on what really matters.
Make and Refine Your Goals
Don’t leave goal-setting for one week a year. Though many of us spend the time around New Year’s Eve thinking about the past year and objectives for the months ahead, goal-setting and refining should ideally be a year-round process. Get in the habit of keeping lists of things you intend to do and revising these lists weekly, monthly and quarterly to see how much progress you’ve made and to brainstorm new ways of achieving these goals. Many people find it useful to keep several of these lists with different targets.
Be Proactive, Not Reactive
Another good habit that will help you to make more money. Keeping your mind’s eye on the future will help cement your future successes and make you more flexible and better able to grab opportunities when they arise. Being proactive is a good thing. However, if you allow events to blindside you and you spend your time and effort reacting to those instances, you’ll be hard pressed to make a success. Instead, treat adverse events as a way to help you refocus on the future. You know your goals, so go get them.
Network with Other Successful People
Surrounding yourself with other successful people is not a sure bet for success yourself—however, it is a way for you to understand the motivations and habits of people who are making the best out of the opportunities that they have encountered, and who are making new opportunities for others. Establishing working relationships with other successful people will help you climb the ladder at your company, find better investment opportunities and inspire you to do more.
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