30 short habits of the top 10%
If you can get one day right, you have a shot at getting your life right
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30 short habits of the top 10%
Habits are the building blocks of success. We make or break our lives through habits. The top 10% of any population have an uncommon set of habits that make them rise above the rest. When planning for your best future, focus on habits rather than specific circumstances.
“People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures,” F. M. Alexander rightly said. Good habits compound in our favour. Practised over time, you become unstoppable.
The top 10% of performers in any field drive the bulk of the results. Highly productive or successful people are always seeking to elevate performance.
For many people, the top 10% means being on the cutting edge of life, finding ways to do things differently and breaking free from traditional notions of how things should be done.
The challenge is how you can raise the bar or replicate the habits of successful people. There is no magic bullet. Top performers succeed by practising deliberate habits consistently, almost every day.
The top 10% increase their net worth by doing more of what’s working.Benjamin Franklin was right when he said, “Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.”
If you want to become one of the top 10% — or even if you just want to improve your life, be more mindful of what you do daily.
Highly successful people decide what they want early in life. Success takes time; early commitment is the only way to compound time in your favour. “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
Every successful people is intentional about what they want to become. The top 10% have a clear and attainable goal. They start with the end in mind.
Successful people don’t overcommit too early. Average people focus on too many mediocre projects at a time. “Extraordinary results happen only when you give the best you have to become the best you can be at your most important work.” ― Gary Keller
Financially successful people create multiple income streams. The top 10% don’t rely on just salaries; they earn from stocks, personal projects,real estate, etc. Diversification builds wealth.
Highly successful people read biographies for growth lessons. Life-changing lessons are hidden in the books you are avoiding. “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” — Benjamin Franklin
They don’t stress over things they can’t control — they spend productive energy doubling down on actions within their control.
Highly successful people have investment accounts. The top 10% are far more likely to have investment accounts than the bottom 90.
Many successful people are lifelong learners; they are always learning — they learn from every experience and use that knowledge to create a better future for themselves.
They focus on what makes them come alive and commit almost 100% of their time to it. Think Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.” — Howard Thurman
Top performers consistently remind themselves of the big picture. Never pass an opportunity to ask yourself, “How can I become a better version of myself?”
“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? If the answer is no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” — Steve Jobs
Highly effective people make time in the early hours of the morning for high-value tasks — and plan their next day before morning.
Highly successful people don’t make decisions in the morning — they get straight to ticking things off in the early hours of the morning.
They control and defend their time like their success depends on it — because it does. “Getting up at five in the morning to tackle the top three things you want to accomplish in your day allows you to regain control of your life.” — Tom Corley
“Each minute is a little thing, and yet, with respect to our personal productivity, to manage the minute is the secret of success.” — Joseph B. Wirthlin
Productive people make time to move in the morning or later after work.“I’ve always known that you have to be physically healthy and strong to be mentally healthy and strong. It’s all connected,” says Niki Leondakis.
Successful people make time to think — that’s how they process the world and things important to them. We connect ideas better when the brain is free from distractions and noise.
High performers have a healthy approach to living; they stay connected to those close to them and prioritise their physical and mental health.
They write to clear their minds. Writing goals, ideas, and tasks is a productive way to offload your brain or focus on the right things.
Highly productive people question their intentions, goals and plans.When you have too many things on your plate, ask yourself: will it matter in a week, month or year?
They are receptive to change: change is inevitable and can be a good thing. The top 10% may not always like it, but they know that change is necessary.
Many successful people wake up naturally — without the stressful sound of an alarm clock. “Just think about the definition of the word alarm,” says Arianna Huffington, “a sudden fear or distressing suspense caused by an awareness of danger.”
They rarely expose themselves to people who bring out the worst in them. To accelerate your success, connect with people smarter than you or people who inspire you.
The most successful people put time to work — they don’t spend it; they compound it. “The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” — Stephen R. Covey
“High performers are clear on their intentions for themselves, their social world, their skills, and their service to others. I call these areas self, social, skills, and service, or the Future Four.” ― Brendon Burchard
They are obsessed with routines, rituals and systems. For every goal, they focus on the small habits that move them closer to the outcome daily.
Highly productive people are proactive — they don’t react to events and tasks around them. They take control of the trajectory of their lives.
The top 10% are not easily distracted. There are so many distractions on your way to the top — busyness, procrastination, comparison, mistakes, and even success. “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.”― Winston S. Churchill
They hardly pay attention to what others think of them. If you are too worried about how the world perceives you, you will never become a better version of yourself. To forge your own path, detach yourself from people’s judgments.
Finally, top performers make time to unplug. You can’t consistently deliver peak productivity without quality breaks. “Find some quiet, private time. Allow yourself to slow down and relax. Find nature, meditate and relax. Find nature, meditate, or to nothing. Take a mentalbreak. You’ll gain the benefits of a quiet mind.” ― Tom Giaquinto
Food for thought
If you can get one day right, you have a shot at getting your life right [Free read on Medium]
The Greek philosopher of Ephesus and poet Heraclitus said:
“One day is equal to every day.”
“He meant it in the sense that philosophers have always meant that same idea — that if you can get one day right, you have a shot at getting your life right (and that you should try to get today right, because tomorrow is no guarantee)” explains Ryan Holiday. Every day has 24 hours, the sun rises and sets, a cycle repeated endlessly. But Heraclitus delves deeper. He observed that every single single day is the essence of all time. Own today, and you will likely create a ripple effect that will influence your actions tomorrow.
Play it again: The causal link between fun and resilience [Big Think]
A company culture centered around fun doesn’t just make employees feel good — it builds a sense of commitment that can make a difference when the going gets tough. This type of commitment also enables people to take more creative risks. Employees feel more confident trying new things, knowing that failure won’t be punished — but rather seen as part of the creative process.
Your 10-step plan for achieving a creative breakthrough [Psyche]
What exactly are these Aha! moments, and how do they come about? Let’s break it down. Typically, when presented with a problem, we use our prior knowledge to solve it, and this works fine for most day-to-day issues. However, for more complex problems that require out-of-the-box thinking, our pre-existing solutions often fall short. Frustrated, we feel like we’ve hit a wall, unsure of how to proceed. This is when the brain switches its mode of functioning. Instead of relying on prior knowledge, it starts to actively seek fresh perspectives by rearranging what we know and forging novel connections, all beneath our conscious awareness.
A concept worth understanding: Epistemic Luck—You know that if you’d lived in a different place or time, read different books, had different friends, you’d have different beliefs. And yet, you’re convinced that your current beliefs are correct. So, are you wrong, or the luckiest person ever?
A quote worth repeating: ‘Is happiness an option, right now?’ In any moment, we have a choice: to follow unhappy thoughts and feed a bad mood; or let go and choose something else to focus on.
A concept worth understanding: Interoception, which is our capacity to sense, track and feel our internal landscape. There is an emerging body of literature that points to how cultivating this lesser-known capacity can upgrade your life: from making more informed decisions to improving your capacity for empathy.
A question worth asking: ‘How does the I look at the future impact my actions today?’ Our visions of the future are images of the future, this reflection is important because if you imagine a positive future, you are likely to perceive signals in the present that are pulling you/us towards that future. You are therefore more likely to create it.
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Thanks for reading!
Until next week,
Thomas
Medium | All Courses | The Write Life | Philosophy For Modern Life
Postanly Weekly is now a reader-supported publication. To support my work, you can upgrade to a paid subscription for $7 per month or $40 for an entire year. With a modest yearly contribution you’re not only helping keep Postanly Weekly going, you also get free access to Thinking Toolbox (mental models for life) and Mental Wealth Toolbox (practical concepts for smarter decisions).
Thank you so much for sharing.