Want to Be Super Successful in 2018

Based on Article by By Jeff Haden Contributing editor, Inc.

We all have the same amount of time. That's why people who are more productive -- and successful -- use their time more effectively.

And that's why my Inc. colleague Chris Winfield is such a great resource for entrepreneurs.
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Chris is an entrepreneur and writer, and if you like this post (and the next two in the series), he's created a special bonus area with a worksheet and 40 powerful morning habits you can adopt.

Here's Chris

​"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle is credited with saying these 15 famous words, though they're actually an interpretation of a passage from Aristotle's writings by historian Will Durant. And for most of my life, I didn't believe them.

​I fought against cultivating good habits and routines because I didn't want to feel like I had to live my life by other people's rules. I wanted to be my own person and do my own thing. Besides, keeping a routine was hard work.

Know what I discovered?

Having no routine or structure is so much more draining mentally, physically, and emotionally than any routine could ever be!

By not doing the things I knew would make me better -- habits like exercising, meditating, and creating gratitude lists -- I deprived my body and mind of the energy that these types of positive activities create. I felt tired, inside and out. And to make matters worse, my dreams and goals were slipping away.

A few years ago, I decided to take a different path: to listen to this advice and actually work on creating excellence in my life by establishing a positive daily routine.
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​Now that I've created and stuck to my own daily practice (I call it my "Best Day Ever"), not only do I get more accomplished than I've ever thought possible but I also feel 100 times better while doing it!

Why a Routine

​First, you may need to be convinced about the benefits of creating a routine.

Establishing a positive daily routine is both a self-investment and a way to do your best for the rest of the world. It also provides additional benefits like giving you structure, building forward-moving habits, and creating momentum that will carry you on the days when you feel like you don't have the strength to carry yourself.

Following a daily routine can help you establish priorities, limit procrastination, keep track of goals, and even make you healthier. It lowers your reliance on willpower and motivation because, as Tynan, the author of Superhuman by Habit, says, habits are "action[s] that you take on a repeated basis with little or no required effort or thought."

Today, I have more drive, motivation, and passion, which makes reaching my goals easier and more fulfilling. I have more physical and mental energy to make it through my days -- even the really tough ones (which still show up). I feel happier and more satisfied with the quality and depth of my life.
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I admit it, though; it isn't always easy to create good habits. As Brian Tracy says, "Good habits are hard to form but easy to live with. Bad habits are easy to form but hard to live with."

Here's something really important to remember: What works for someone else might not work for you.

That's why it's important to pick the activities that resonate most with you, the ones that push you to become the best you that you are capable of being, and to keep doing those things.

Don't be afraid to try new habits and see how they work for you. If they leave you feeling energized and inspired, keep doing them, and if they don't, keep trying new ones until you find ones that do.

The key is to create regular and consistent daily patterns that will take you where you want to go in life, helping you maximize yourself on every level possible.
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Now, let's get into some of the things you can do in your daily routine to reach higher mental levels -- like more brain power and clarity!

Optimize Your Mind

​A successful daily routine helps you achieve laser-like focus from the moment you wake up in the morning to the time you close your eyes and drift off to dreamland at night. Here are some ways to get it.

1.

​Get positive: Start the day with a mantra.
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According to the Mayo Clinic, positive thinking helps manage stress and even improves your health.

"Today is going to be the best day ever!"

I start every single day saying that simple sentence (out loud) as soon as I get out of bed. And yes, I even tell myself this on mornings that have followed nights that were too short or mornings when I wake up feeling like the weight of the world is on my shoulders.

Why?

These nine words put me in the right mindset for the day ahead.

What makes a day good or bad isn't the events that occur but rather your response to them. As Jim Rohn once said, "Either you run the day or the day runs you."

I want to put my mind in a good state right away, because left unchecked it will try to tell me the things that are wrong. Through positive thinking, I can overcome that.

Ben Franklin used to ask himself this question every morning: "What good shall I do today?"
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Pick a phrase or question that resonates with you. It could be as simple as smiling and saying "thank you" out loud, acknowledging that you have been gifted with another day.

Continued tomorrow ...