10 Ways Successful People Lead Themselves

After more than 75 interviews with successful leaders, Sean Ackerman is starting to see a few commonalities. 

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As the host of a show dedicated to self-leadership and improving one’s self through organization and efficiency, it’s amazing to see the variety of individuals with completely different success goals using very similar traits and attributes to achieve their accomplishments in life. Through over 75 interviews, these 10 life hacks, habits, or traits just kept recurring. It makes sense to include them in your life for better fulfillment and a much higher probability of hitting your target.

#1 – Keep Your Mindset Positive

I know it seems natural to say this, the key is actually doing it. Placing yourself mentally in the best position possible is the master link in the chain of these other success strategies. Find a place where you were energized and excited, then close your eyes and go there. It’s only the simplest one of a million other strategies for a positive thought process, I know I’ve trained on many of them, in the end it’s YOU that truly makes the difference in your success, and if you’re Doubting Debbie or Negative Ned, you’ve already lost! Turn your Titanic around, insecurity and anxiety are the icebergs of our minds!

# 2 – Proper Diet, Exercise and Rest

Everybody says it, not everybody practices it, even yours truly. I’ve found though, that having the intent and even a 50% success rate in staying on course with eating healthier choices and controlling portions, movement of your physical body (whether exercise, yoga or simply walking) and getting at least five to six hours of solid sleep have allowed me tremendous strides in my success. You may be a bundle of energy when it comes to your business, project or dream, but not re-charging YOU, the living cell, is foolish, and counter-productive.

# 3 – Surround Yourself With Success

Look to your left and now your right, are you positioned for success? In my journey, being the novice in a room of experts, or at the very least encircled with like-minded and similarly focused individuals, has made all of the difference. I’ve joined a few different masterminds over the last few years, and I have to say, having a group of accountability partners is an excellent way to not only get a boost, but a push right in the tush. On the flip side of the coin, removing yourself from the doubters and naysayers is also well advised! Remember sometimes those that are right next to us are the ones that will find it hardest to understand.

# 4 – Focus On Your Priorities

Everyone has a different desired outcome, whether it be for a life goal, or the moment at hand, and only you can decide what is most important. Once you do though, then put your energy here! Intentional energy spent on your passions and dreams have the absolute best rewards. Imagine you are the gardener, prep the soil, plant the seeds, water the garden and pull the weeds, now success comes from your efforts.

# 5 -Systems For Your Tasks

Break all of your goals down into smaller tasks, then plan them daily to move forward! It is simply amazing what intent on a specific task will accomplish. Remember that Everest was climbed one foot at a time! Through a very clear perception of where you are going, then putting effort into the small things that will move you towards your eventual endgame, your possibilities are endless.

#6 – Manage Your Calendar

The ultimate truth, the most valuable commodity we have is time, you can’t produce more of it, and it’s use or abuse has been the downfall of many potentially successful men and women. I’ve managed MY time since I began my professional career and it has made all of the difference, in both my personal and professional worlds, leading me to a much more balanced life. If you follow my lead before and get 6 hours of sleep, then you’ve got 18 hours left, at the end of each day you need to ask yourself, was it all worthwhile?

# 7 – Leverage Technology

In today’s workplace the ability to use powerful cloud document and data storage, lightning fast apps and mobile ninja technology means only one thing. The user will either take advantage of productivity and efficiency technology, or he will continue to spend time and effort wastefully in a work environment that can’t afford it. Who do YOU think will come out on top?

# 8 -Take Action

The best thing that I ever did was publicly set a date to launch my podcast and business. The worst thing I ever did was executing it. I scrapped my website a week before the launch, I had audio difficulties, it was a disaster… and I survived. So have countless others, the key is not in success, but in failing, on the wings of trying. In taking a step forward, you are making a stand against inertia and what was. Now take another action step, soon you can be running, and making a very triumphant sprint through life!

# 9 – Holding Yourself Accountable

In front of us is the road to a thousand distractions, the insurmountable pile of to-dos and action items. At the end of the day, did you accomplish all that you needed to move your dreams forward? And while you are being strict with yourself to reach your aspirations, remember that you are doing this for YOU, if you aren’t enjoying it, perhaps it’s time for a map check!

# 10 – Find Balance Between Passion and Your Relationships

This is the most important area in my life, now. It wasn’t always, I learned the hard way. Make the time, put THIS in the calendar; Daughter’s Concert, Date Night With Wife, Visit Mom and Dad (while I can), not another episode of American Voice or Mountain Man Hairdressers. You get the importance of this focus on being a complete you. You’ll be glad you did, many years from now!

I can tell you, if you use some, or all of these different success traits, you’ll see a difference in your life, incrementally over time. Have some others ones, share and bring on the success!

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Photo: Flickr/uncorrectedproofs