I’m not a huge fan of sticking to a routine just for the sake of it.
But I’ve learned over the years how important daily habits are for long-term success and wealth creation.
These habits and routines are like ballast.
They hold you steady when stress threatens to de-rail you, and they give you the psychological tools you need to perform at your peak.
I’ve had a good think about what I and other successful investors, business people and entrepreneurs do every day, and I’ve collected a check-list of the top 5 daily habits I would recommend for success:
Let’s start with the one most people struggle with:
1. Exercise
Now, before you start making excuses or switching off entirely, let me be really clear about what I mean when I say exercise.
All exercise means is movement.
So find something you enjoy and then do that every day for 30 minutes.
It could be a brisk walk in the park or your own improvised exercises at home.
But it doesn’t mean you have to turn into a gym fanatic or start training for triathlons unless that’s what you want.
As long as you’re reaping the benefits of daily movement, it doesn’t matter what you do.
2. Eat one healthy meal
Experts, of course, would argue that we should choose healthy foods for every meal and they’re right, of course.
So, if you’re already managing to eat well, three times a day, then that’s great.
But for those who struggle with their diet, and most busy people do, it makes more sense to aim small.
Try to have at least one healthy, nutritious meal a day and then build from there.
3. Have a conversation with a loved one
When you’re striving for success and financial freedom, it’s all too easy to let your world narrow so it contains work and not much else.
Don’t make this mistake.
Make sure you stay connected to the people you love, as not only does this improve your mental health but it provides a fresh perspective outside your work life.
By the way: asking your husband or wife to take out the bins or to pay a bill doesn’t count as a conversation.
You need to sit down and have a real conversation with them face-to-face.
4. Do something pointless for one hour
It’s tempting to over-schedule in this day and age and but it's important to learn to say no to certain activities that you don’t want to do.
Once you start doing this it frees you up to take time out from work and do… absolutely nothing!
Well, nothing productive anyway.
Every one of us, even the top CEOs, needs this kind of downtime to read a book, catch up on the news or do something you enjoy, such as cooking.
The only rule is, it cannot have a point beyond the fact that you enjoy it.
5. Calm your mind
For some people calming their minds and exercise go hand in hand.
They like to run outdoors and find a connection to nature this gives them relaxation.
But for some people meditation is their saving grace.
In fact, many CEOS, from the LinkedIn founder, Jeff Weiner to William Clay Ford Jr from the Ford Motor Company, swear by it.
And you don’t have to be a full-time yogi to gain benefits from meditation.
There are a lot of apps these days that offer everything from short breathing exercises that go for a minute or two to extended meditation.
Choose whatever suits you!
This is the point really of all these daily routines: they have to work for you.
I’m not fussed about which routines you choose, they just have to be productive, good for you and hopefully ones that you’re able to stick to for life.
