Success is a funny thing. It means different things to different people, and everyone can define this one word in so may different ways. For some success is climbing the corporate ladder to earn a six figure salary and owing a million dollar house by the beach, while for others it is having job that they enjoy, enough food in the pantry and roof over their head. No matter what your definition of success is, there are a number of habits that you can implement into your life to help you achieve your desired level of success. Here’s what the habits of successful women look like.
THEY SET GOALS
Having goals is a huge part of not only becoming successful and pushing yourself for success, but also to show you how much you are achieving. Goals can be as big or as little as you like, and I always think it’s good to have a mixture of the two. Check out my guide for setting your goals here. Women who are successful dream big, plan their goals, and work towards them everyday – no matter how big or small those goals are
THEY PRACTISE SELF CARE
Self-care is an extremely important practise – it’s your time to fill up your cup. Like success, self care looks different to each of us. Some might take the time to have a nice hot bath with candles and a face mask, while others might enjoy switching off and reading a book or doing a puzzle for a while. Think about what you truely enjoy doing and make time for yourself to do it. While I know it can seem hard to try and schedule this time in (especially if you are a mama!), make it a priority. Instead of scrolling through Instagram after the kids go to bed, do something that you really enjoy and sets your soul on fire. Your wellbeing will thank you for it!
THEY USE A PLANNER
I am a total planner freak, I love being organised and knowing what I have on on what days. I honestly cannot recommend using a planner or diary enough. Whether you prefer a traditional pen and paper planner (like me!) or prefer a mobile option, there are a number of options that will suit. Using a planner allows you to plan and keep track of your days, goals and appointments and will 100% make you achieve your goals faster! Kikki.K is my go-to for gorgeous diaries and planners!
THEY ARE ORGANISED
This sort of ties into the above point, being organised will make your life so much easier and make it so much easier to achieve those goals. Keep things written down and scheduled in. Also work towards organising your personal space, work area and home. Reducing clutter and being physically organised also allows your brain to become more organised and reduces stress, and overall you will feel much better for it!
THEY PRIORITISE & DELEGATE
Successful people have mastered the art of prioritising and delegation. They know what needs to be done first and they know what they are good (and not so good) at. The things they struggle with, the delegate off to others and this in turn frees them up to focus on their goals. I know this isn’t possible for many of us who are trying to wear a number of hats, but learning to prioritise will have a positive impact on your day and free up time. I break my tasks into urgent, semi-urgent, and not urgent and place them in my diary accordingly. I generally work on the smallest urgent tasks first, before cracking into the larger urgent tasks and so on.
THEY HAVE A POSITIVE MINDSET
Having a positive mindset is probably the most powerful and important way to achieve success. Positive thinking and believing in yourself goes an awful long way in making things happen. It also helps you to have gratitude for the things you have and have achieved. The mind is powerful and if you believe you can’t do something, then it’s unlikely you ever will. Think positive and believe in yourself and you will be unstoppable.
THEY LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES
We all make mistakes. They are a part of life and no-one goes through their life without wishing they hadn’t done something. Many mistakes are huge learning curves and they help to make us a stronger form or our original selves. I know I have made many mistakes over the years, but as a result I’ve become a much stronger and confident person – something that might not have happened if I hadn’t made mistakes! The important thing is to learn from what went wrong. Take a step back and see what went wrong and how, and plan how you won’t make the same mistake twice.
THEY GET OUR OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE
While it can be super tempting to keep things as the status quo, no one ever gets anywhere if they play it safe. Making calculated choices and getting out of your comfort zone is one of the best ways to grow as a person. Remember things never seem as scary the second time around – so go to that job interview, sign up for that course, or agree to do that speaking engagement. You will regret what you didn’t do, more than what you did.
THEY TAKE TIME OUT AND UNPLUG
In the world we live in we are constantly connected via email, social media and cellphones and it can get so overwhelming and hard to focus. So it’s extra important to take time out from all of this and just unplug for a while. Put down your phone and switch off your computer and take some time out to do something that doesn’t involve a screen.
THEY KEEP A GRATITUDE DIARY OR JOURNAL
Keeping a gratitude diary or journal is a great way to reflect on just how far you have come, and reminds you to be thankful for the small wins and nice things that happen. Sometimes it’s easy to get hung up on the end goal, and this is a great way to remind you about all the positive things that happen in life. Journalling is also a great habit to get into for increasing a positive mindset and is also a great task you can do that’s screen-free!