Some people seem built for success but behind every winning story there are hours of hard work, dedication and commitment. We tend to see the end result while resigning ourselves to the idea that success is out of reach.
However, as Richard Branson pointed out in a recent interview with CNBC, it is a fear of failure that often sets us back.
"As soon as I discovered my passion, all of my preconceived notions about what it takes to succeed flew out the window," he said. Aside from restricting the self-limiting thoughts, there are certain other common habits shared by highly successful people and these habits can help you succeed.
Inc. took a closer look at the daily habits incredibly successful people practiced. Here are eight of those:
1. Take a lunch break. We underestimate how important downtime is but as Ed Molyneux, co-founder and CEO of FreeAgent, points out, not taking a break from work can hurt your productivity. "You need to step away and recharge your batteries so you can return to the task you’re working on with a fresh perspective."
2. Be honest with yourself. Before going to sleep, take a few minutes to reflect on the day and how you approached it. Tom Eddington, Silicon Valley strategic advisor and owner of Eddington Advisory Services, says he likes to ask himself whether or not he liked how he "showed up today." The reflection gives him a chance to see himself the way others did.
3. Embrace tech. Using productivity apps are a great way to identify areas in your day that need attention. "By providing yourself, and your team, the ability to leverage productivity tools and apps, you empower the entire team to make decisions and create a culture of doing so," says Edward Woodford, cofounder and CEO of Seed CX.
4. Turn off notifications to focus on work. It is easy to blame a lack of time for not getting through mountains of work but in most cases, it comes down to poor time management skills. Marina Malaguti, director of data engineering at Jellyvision, says, “permanently turn off all of your notifications on your phone and computer," she said.
5. Press pause to reset. We often charge into a project then struggle to maintain our steam. Brendan Caulfield, co-founder and chief revenue officer at ServerCentral Turing Group (SCTG), has a theory why this happens. "A very wise person told me that when you chase into projects, you’ll always be behind, always striving to get to something that is moving," he said. "It has proven to be incredibly true: When you take a few minutes and reset yourself and then engage with the task at hand, when the task is at hand (not before it is at hand) …magic happens."
6. Prioritize tasks. Do you love the thrill of multi-tasking? You are not alone but juggling multiple things can be detrimental to your productivity, says Ryan Coon, founder and CEO of Avail. "Start the day by deciding on a very small number of important tasks that you need to accomplish and zeroing in on those items only," he suggests.
7. Start thinking outside the box. Believe it or not, thinking outside the box is a skill that can be learned, developed and refined. Katherine Prescott, founder and CEO of VoiceBrew, says she likes to experiment with "as many crazy ideas" as possible when it comes to building her business. "You never know what’s going to unlock a new growth channel or solve a problem you’ve had on your mind for weeks."
9. Spend quality time with the people you love. We can easily lose sight of where we are headed if we do not take time to stop and appreciate where we are and where we have come from. Rich Ransom, CEO of Reliefband Technologies, says he makes sure to spend time with his wife and children as it serves as a reminder of why he works as hard as he does. "When I get to the office, I review all the emails, texts, and voice messages from the prior day to make sure I have responded appropriately. It sounds so simple, but just being present often leads to great success."
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