What makes you successful?

[toasterwater]

Everyone has things they do that make them successful in some way or another. Whether it is a daily routine, a reflexive habit, an environment, a forced attitude, a system, or anything else, I want to hear what yours are.

Specifics:
-This must be tried and true... something you actually use and therefore you KNOW it works (otherwise if you have a theoretical success mechanism, you can still post it, but please state clearly that it is theoretical and therefor cannot be directly vouched for.

-Must be something TANGIBLE!! for example... saying "I try to be the best at everything i do" is not exactly tangible... that isn't something someone can really just implement. "I eat healthy" is also not specific enough.

-Must be something most other people can implement. Examples contrary to rule might be things that require lots of money, or political power, etc...

Examples of ideas I'm looking for are things like:

-I have this organization system that I set up once and everytime i get an x, i put it in a y, and this thing saves me many hours per day/week, etc.

-Anytime I'm feeling depressed, I put on my favorite song and meditate for 5 minutes and I end up much happier.

-I only pay for non essentials (such as rent/car note, etc) with cash and this keeps me conscious of how much money I'm spending, and in turn curbs my overspending or frivolous spending habit.

Okay. I think that's enough for examples. You all get the idea. Now let's hear it. What are the systems/habits/etc that make YOU successful or enhance your life in some way?

[annie]

Getting up at 5:00 am (Thanks Steve)
Power hour from 5:15 - 7:30 This is when I read spiritual literature (like scripture & other stuff) pray/meditate and write in my journal. Then I watch a 10 minute on-line from the Jedi masters on something regarding personal empowerment (I have hundreds to chose from and they're all in Hi Def, full screen, no buffering..YES!) Finish up with my 30 minutes recorded LifeVision while I'm exercising (1.5 hours)

[toasterwater]

@annie: Awesome! thats exactly the kinda stuff I'm looking for.

I'm curious... how much sleep do you get per night, does waking up at 5 every morning cause u to get sleepy before you go to bed at night? and if so, do you have something to compensate for that?

[echo]

I connect with people on an unspeakable level through the music I play.

[annie]

Originally Posted by toasterwater

@annie: Awesome! thats exactly the kinda stuff I'm looking for.

I'm curious... how much sleep do you get per night, does waking up at 5 every morning cause u to get sleepy before you go to bed at night? and if so, do you have something to compensate for that?

I get about 6.5 hours and more on weekends (I don't get up on Sat & Sun & 5:00...more like 6:00) When I first started by mid afternoon I could hardly stay awake. But I hung in there and maybe 2 weeks later, it's just habit. My body is used to it and I typically wake up 1-2 minute before the alarm goes off.

Sometimes on Friday (like today) I'm dragging a bit. A diet coke usually cures it

[sidsavara]

I do my most important work for myself first thing in the morning - that way there are no excuses, I get it done early and the rest of the day is just gravy

I think it also helps that I drink a lot of water and avoid simple carbs - this keeps my blood glucose constant throughout the day, and keeps my brain functioning at optimal levels. I have read that information work in particular is brain glucose intensive, so there's some evidence for a "sound mind in a sound body" =)

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by toasterwater

What are the systems/habits/etc that make YOU successful or enhance your life in some way?

I use the Law of Attraction every day.

Others may practise it by other names (eg meditation, prayer, NLP, self-hypnosis etc).

[Shane]

Great topic!

Here's what I can contribute:

Financial: I never spend money that I don't have (no credit cards, no loans, etc). This won't make you rich, but it will keep you out of financial trouble.

Fitness and general productivity: Track stuff. This is easiest with a work out program. Keep track of what exercises you do, how often, when, what your heart-rate is etc. This will keep you motivated and it helps you train more effectively because you can objectively measure what works and what doesn't.
It might seem like a lot of bother to track many things, but with the right tools, you can track half your life with just a few minutes a day spent on entering data.