November – a time for “over eating” on Thanksgiving! Or at least it used to be. My family is very saddened by the cumulative decision not to gather as a family for our traditional Thanksgiving Day feast. Although that decision is prudent, it still doesn’t sit well. Those special Holiday times that are missed are times you don’t get back. On the flip side, we all need to think about staying safe and healthy, and never lose sight of what we’re thankful for. These times have certainly been a struggle, but it could always be worse.

Fast forward to thinking about January 2021. Are you in the job that you will want to be in? Now is the time to be soul searching and planning on how to take your career to the next step. Sometimes we get pigeonholed in a job because it becomes a habit. Changing habits can provide the roadway to advancing your career, responsibilities, paycheck, etc.

November’s topic shares with you the five habits top performers have. Granted none of the people mentioned are bench jewelers, but that’s okay. Reaching the pinnacle of what you do, no matter what that is, is having the right mindset. This quick read on the “Five Habits Top Performers Have” is one I hope you think about and enjoy.

5 Habits That Top Performers Have

You become what you do and you do what you think. Getting what you want in life is simple. As you sow so shall you reap. You get what you put in repeatedly every day. That’s why your habits today can predict your future. Success leaves clues and there are many successful people who have achieved what you want to achieve already. All you need to do is adopt their successful habits in your own way.

In fact, after researching many top performers you will notice they have many habits that are in common.

Here are 5 habits that top performers have that average performers don’t:

1 – They Have a Morning Routine No Matter How Short

Every top performer has their own unique morning routine. For some, it’s a 1 or 2-hour thing and for others, it could be as short as 15 minutes. No matter how long you decide to make yours, its purpose is to get you off on a good start for the day.

It also teaches you to control your own schedule rather than having your schedule control you.

Take Warren Buffett for example, he jumps out of bed at 6.45 am and then goes on to read Forbes, WSJ, and USA Today.

And then you’ve got Elon Musk’s morning routine which consists of waking up at 7 am, skipping breakfast on most days, and showering which has been a source for many of his ideas.

2 – They Do Then Think After To Evaluate

Most people over think themselves into procrastination. But if you really think about it, most of your over thinking is all theory and reality can be much further than what you thought.

That’s why top performers do first and then evaluate what they did to improve for next time. Rather than over think about something that may or may not happen as it was thought. That’s why most low performers are usually daydreamers who keep their dreams stuck in their minds. While high performers act upon them and make them a reality.

That’s because if you spend most of your day thinking, you’ll just have created an imaginary world in your mind.

But if you spend most of your day doing, then you’ll have actual results and feedback that you can base your thoughts on when it comes time to think and evaluate after.

3 – They Fit Fitness Into Their Busy Schedules

It’s said that Warren Buffett drinks 5 cans of coke each day and has McDonald’s for breakfast. But one thing he makes sure to do is to fit exercise in his busy schedule.

Even Elon Musk who is known for his 100-hour workweeks manages to find the time to lift weights and run on the treadmill while watching TV.

Every successful top performer whether they be actors, entrepreneurs, or even world leaders find the time to fit fitness in their busy schedules.

No matter how busy your lifestyle is, you can always break down your week to see what you spend your time doing and where you can fit fitness into your week. It will help to use a calendar to visually see your schedule in blocks of time.

4 – They Wake Up The Same Time Every Day

As you can see in the above examples, Musk wakes up at 7 am, Buffett wakes up at 6.45 am and Bill Gates wakes up at 7 am. This ensures you can predict the outcome of your day and ensures you feel sleepy when it comes to bedtime.

It’s also one of the aspects of having control of your schedule. If you can master your day you can master your life. Where you are in life is what you’ve done repeatedly each day. The good news is you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You can simply replicate the lives of those who are where you want to be.

One of the main issues with waking up at different times in the day is that you can’t set your schedule beforehand if you don’t know what time you will be waking up. You may for example schedule something for 10 AM but then end up waking up at 10.15 am and missing out on that task which would make your entire schedule late.

If you are trying to make up for lost sleep or you feel particularly tired then it’s good practice to sleep earlier rather than wake up later.

5 – They Follow Their Scripted Day Even If They Don’t Feel Like It

Our mood is affected by several factors such as the hours of sleep we get, mindset, foods we consume, hormones, weather, and many other factors. Therefore doing your best when you “feel like it” is a guaranteed path to failure. It is how most low performers operate.

In fact, it’s not just about mood. It could be something outside your comfort zone that you’re afraid of doing or perhaps something that will exhaust you. It’s natural to feel this way. Our bodies want to stay in the comfort zone but it’s doing what you need to do when you don’t feel like doing it that will lead you to better results.

It’s how many top performers operate.

One of the popular tools top performers use to achieve this is by scripting their day on a calendar. Gates for instance schedules his days in 15-minute increments and Musk in 5-minute slots.

Can it be that they feel their best every single day? Of course not, yet their tasks are always done every day regardless.

Conclusion

Becoming a top performer is a day-by-day occurrence. It is the accumulation of your daily habits done consistently over the years.

You don’t need to have a miracle day to become an overnight success.

What would a successful day be for you?

Then just put that “perfect” day on repeat for the next few years.