Whether you are looking to make a total shift in your daily habits or just wanting to stay at the top of your game these 13 habits of highly successful women will give you some amazing tips and techniques to follow!
You have decided you want to go after your dreams and really gain the confidence and focus to do so! Now what? It really boils down to your daily thoughts, choices and habits.
You hold the power to make your dreams come true. Ok, that may be a little melodramatic, but really! You do!
There are a thousand things, and people, demanding your attention so typically, you put yourself somewhere on the list of “to-do’s”. You may even be at the bottom. The reality is you will only see success, as you have defined it, if you work towards that success with intention.
I have been coaching, teaching and leading for over 15 years and these are proven habits of highly successful women. They work for men too! I have worked with so many people and seen great success! So, let’s get started!
This post will walk you through 13 habits of highly successful women with tips on how to adapt them to your own life! Take control of your future now. You deserve it!
Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used on my website. If you purchase a product or service via my link I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I love, use and believe in. You can read my full disclosure here.
Habit #1: Define Success
It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of your life only to wake up and realize that you aren’t happy. Pinpointing why you’re not happy is a whole other story, right? It’s not that you don’t love your life… well most of it. It’s just that you don’t even remember what you were striving for in the first place or just lost sight of it. Sound familiar?
You are not alone!
As a society we have a tendency to define our success or goals and then truck along after them. There is no plan for revisiting those goals or our success from a planning perspective. That is a HUGE problem.
Let’s be real, our lives change on a daily basis. Circumstances you never saw coming appear at your doorstep whether you ask for them or not. Life changes happen like career changes, relocation, promotions, marriage, children, health issues, etc. It isn’t always bad it’s just… different.
You made your plans for success with a different set of circumstances on your mind. Does this sound about right?
The key here is to define what success looks like to you, for you, right now. What does it look like in the future?
Defining success has many different layers. The best way to tackle this is with a tiered approach. What does success look like in the next week after having changed some daily habits? Next, what about a month from now? Then, what does success look like in 3 months? Next, 6 months. You get the idea. After a year, revisit where you are, what you accomplished, and what you still want to accomplish.
Habit #2: Set a Morning Routine
Remember that busy life we talked about earlier? It is the fastest way to allow your focus, goals and healthy habits to be completely derailed!
Set a morning routine that supports your goals.
To accomplish your goals you need to have a fresh mind. Take a few minutes before you get out of bed in the morning or during your morning coffee or tea to think about your plans for the day.
Visualization is a powerful tool. It might sound silly but try to see yourself accomplishing whatever it is you need to get done for the day. Trust me, it works!
Dedicate a few minutes to read a daily devotion or motivational quote. Then, just take a few minutes to reflect on it. There is no right or wrong here. The key is take the time to do it, think about it and apply your own perspective to what you have read.
There are so many things you can add to your morning routine. I could literally write a whole post on it. The bottom line is just take a few minutes to follow through with your plans for your morning routine. Successful women everywhere swear by this healthy habit because it makes a huge difference in your readiness for the day.
Habit #3: Get Organized
If you are not a person that has to have everything organized this can be WAY TOO overwhelming to even consider. Or, maybe you’re one of those people who absolutely LOVES organizing and planning (that’s me too).
Regardless of which one of those people you are, refocusing on how you organize your day and your life is worth the time and effort. Let’s be real for a second. You have a ton happening every day which means you have figured out a way to get it all done in the mere 24 hours we get in a day. That means you have organizational skills in there.
There are two ways to look at a busy day.
Your first option is to wing it and hope and pray that everything gets done. The problem with this is all too often you are worrying about the next thing you have to do rather than focusing on the present task at hand.
The second option is to plan out all of the things you have to do in a day. Dedicate the amount of time it needs (even if it has to get broken out over a few days). Then, when those “oh wait, there’s more” moments come, you know exactly where you can fit them in! Your stress level will decrease and the sense of accomplishment you will feel is amazing!
Ask any highly successful woman… anyone… female entrepreneur, blogger, stay-at-home mom, corporate leader… how they manage their day and a planner, organizer or calendar schedule is what they are using. You can totally do it! Just start with one day and then keep after it! Getting organized is habit you need as a highly successful woman!
Habit #4: Use Lists to Stay on Track
This is such an important habit to have in your life! Using lists to keep you on track through the day is so rewarding. It not only feels GREAT to check things off as you complete them but it really builds off of habit #3 of getting organized.
If you have a to-do list that you can quickly glance at you know exactly what you still have to accomplish. This is true no matter what your day holds. I have sworn by to-do lists my entire career, actually, my entire life. It feels great to move through your list and really know and see what you are actually accomplishing.
When you get in a rut in life it’s easy to forget all that you really do in a day! Writing everything down and crossing it off has a way of motivating you to keep going. Sometimes you will even realize there may be a more efficient way of taking care of your daily requirements.
It seems a little crazy, but there is something about writing it down that makes you more aware and in tune with what is happening in your life. Another way to put it would be that you aren’t just going through the motions.
Highly successful women everywhere use to-do lists to keep them on track. It’s super easy and you can too!
Habit #5: Stop Procrastinating
If you really stop and think about it, successful women did not become successful by putting things off. It makes perfect sense, but when that task that you really do not want to do is staring you in the face… it can appear to be the best option. Fight the urge!
Tackle that task that you have been putting off. It feels so good to have it done and not to have to worry or think about it anymore. Most of the time you have turned it into something bigger and scarier than it actually is. Let’s get real for a second… it doesn’t get easier or less daunting by waiting longer to finish it.
Not only that, there is something about getting the bigger or harder tasks done that is so empowering!
If you are really struggling with it try rewarding yourself somehow when it’s done. Your reward can be whatever you see fit, but often times that will help you conquer “it” once and for all.
Another option is to have an accountability partner. Tell someone about what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. Be sure to let them know if you are planning some reward for yourself too!
Whatever you do, put one foot in front of the other and complete whatever it is you want to procrastinate on… one step at time!
Habit #6: Prioritize
Successful women have mastered the art of prioritization!
You can’t talk about habits of highly successful women without really digging into prioritizing. With so many things to accomplish on any given day, how do you decide what to do when? The answer is prioritize!
This can seem like a ridiculous thing to do, but all too often you find that you are spending the most time on things that matter least. I have worked with quite a few people in my career and this has been the best way to break down your priorities.
To start, write down all of the things you are responsible for. Write them with space between them because you are going to cut up the piece of paper. Once you have them all written down, cut the paper so each responsibility is on it’s own little piece of paper. If you have sticky notes write one responsibility on each sheet.
Next, go ahead and order them top to bottom with most important at the top and least important at the bottom.
Before you write down your priorities in your organizer or planner (maybe in a Google Doc) look over them and be sure you have them in order of priority.
Don’t get me wrong. The things at the bottom are still responsibilities and require your time. Just be sure you are dedicating your time to the things that matter to you most! It’s important to add that whatever is right for you is RIGHT. There isn’t a right or wrong answer here. Just be intentional about where and when you spend your time and how much time you are dedicating.
Habit #7: Think Positive
The power of positivity is something that simply cannot be ignored. To process positivity we are are going to work it backwards.
Life throws you some serious curveballs. No matter how great your life is, no matter how great of a plan you have, there are just times in your life when the bad things feel like they are attacking you from every angle. How do you even begin to be positive when all you see is negativity?
Being overwhelmed is a human thing to do. There is no shame in having moments of helplessness. Again… human… it’s ok. The real question is how to get out of that feeling.
The answer is one of the hardest, simple things you will ever do!
In those moments when when you are frustrated, hurt, feeling overwhelmed or whatever it is that’s making it difficult to focus on anything but the negatives, intentionally seek out the good things.
I’m a list girl (as is evident in the information I have shared here). Close yourself in a quiet room, even if the only place you can find that’s quiet is in the bathroom, and start writing down the things you are thankful for. Write down what your successes have been. In the beginning it may be a little difficult. Stick with it. Once you get a few others will start flowing.
If you are a reader, pop over to this site on the Power of Positivity. There are tons of great examples and some really helpful tips here too!
Intentionally shifting your focus to positivity will completely change your perspective!
“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need tomorrow.”
~ Robert Tew
Habit #8: Allow Yourself to Ask for Help
Habits of highly successful women are tried and true. SO MANY successful women and boss babes have learned the hard way. The whole point of this post is to help you to avoid going through some of the pain and heartache others have experienced.
It is fitting to remind you of that on this important habit to master for your own success!
It’s HARD to ask for help. It is even harder to admit that we even need help in the first place.
Assess your situation and if help is available don’t be afraid to ask for help! Allowing yourself to ask for that help is not only one of the biggest signs of confidence, it also provides an opportunity to work through whatever it is you’re struggling with from a new (or another) perspective.
Finally, remember that asking for help does NOT show weakness. Be the strongest version of you and get the help you need!
Habit #9: Balance
Hopefully you are naturally and organically far better at this than me! I have to work… and I mean WORK to have balance in my life.
If you are a type A personality you probably struggle with this too. If you are going to do something you are going to kill it, right!?! That means throwing yourself in 100% to see the success that you want so badly. Your approach is very noble.
There is one major problem with the “all in” mentality. If you give 100% to that ONE THING… what is left for everything else?
One of the hardest things in the world to do is to choose to give the best that you can with ALL of your responsibilities in mind. Let that soak in for a second. You can’t give 100% to one thing. If you do, you will be left with exhaustion, frustration and find yourself picking up the pieces of all things you let fall behind in the process.
This is one of the most important habits of highly successful women. Just be sure to assess your priorities and spread out your time accordingly. Your priorities will shift with your life situation. Again just remember to be intentional about what you do and when you do it.
Habit #10: Be Authentic & Kind
Ok, ladies. You are one of a kind. It is so important to remember that you can’t nor, should you, ever be untrue to who you are.
It was your history, your experiences, and your perspective that have made you into who you are today. Yes, striving to consistently grow and be the best version of yourself is something you should never give up on.
There is a BIG difference between growing and trying to abandon who you are as a person. Be careful not to slip into the latter.
Start with mentally focusing on your core values. You can do this by asking yourself what matters most in life (Q1)? Why does this matter most(Q2)? Lastly, consider what you believe based on those answers(Q3). Here’s a personal example:
Q1) My family matters most.
Q2) They matter most because the one thing I couldn’t handle would be any situation pulling us apart.
Q3) I believe that family is the most important bond we have here on earth and it is worth protecting.
Don’t apologize for what you believe and why you believe it. The one thing you have to do in all things is be authentic.
Finally, as you make decisions and choose to act being true to yourself… be kind. There is nothing worse than speaking out of frustration, anger, fear or sadness and regretting the things that you said.
When you find yourself in a tough situation just take a second, respond with words that are true to you and who you are with kindness and consideration. Humility is another way to sum this up. Humility is a habit of highly successful women.
Habit #11: Practice Self Care
Spoiler Alert!!! This is the habit of highly successful women that most of women fail miserably at…
You are a woman! This means you are a force to be reckoned with. You are going to make it through this life having done everything possible to “do” for those you love and care about. You are also going to take care of business and do what needs to be done.
No one questions what is important to you because you make sure they know how you feel about them and how much they matter!
The conundrum you may find yourself in is that you didn’t take time to take care of yourself. Did you know that taking care of yourself will give you more to give to others? It’s true! When you feel rested, rejuvenated and at peace with your life you have a vigor and energy that is unparalleled.
I have several posts on Self Care. Be sure to go over and check out my posts on emotional self care, physical self care, tips for self care and self care essentials!
Whatever you do, dedicate time each day to your personal self-care. Highly successful women understand that you can’t be all you need to be without taking care of yourself. You only get one body, mind and life… make it count!
Habit #12: Seek Joy
Falling quickly in line with several other habits of highly successful women, seeking joy ranks high on the priority list.
This is pretty simple, really. No matter what you are doing, find the joy in it! Take a few minutes to reflect on what you enjoy about it.
If you are working on your monthly budget, try to focus on the fact that when you are done you will know exactly what you have to spend and what will be left when you’re done! If you are dealing with screaming kids that refuse to quit fighting, remember that when they are grown they will look back and remember that you were there to support them. You will also be modeling how to handle stressful situations in the process!
There is joy in all things if you seek it out. Everything in life isn’t sunshine and roses but you can see the rainbows in your life when you intentionally focus on the stretch goal!
Habit #13: Protect Your Perspective
No matter what you do there will be those who consciously or subconsciously undermine your efforts. They might even be more forthcoming than trying to undermine and flat out fight against what you are doing.
There will always be people that disagree with your approach, methodology, or purpose.
What it all boils down to is you are making decisions that are true to your core values and beliefs and sometimes people will disagree. If you can truly say that you have taken their concerns and the heart of their disagreement into consideration, it’s ok.
At times, you just have to be ok with the fact that people will not always agree with you. I struggled with this one in a big way. Whatever the “job” that needs to be done is, clearly you have to make a decision. Be kind, considerate and empathetic (even when you don’t think they deserve it) and be true to yourself.
The old adage, “Haters gonna hate” fits well here. The bottom line is, you can’t lose sleep over things that you can’t change. HOW you go about making that decision matters, but what you decide to do… well that is up to you.
13 Habits of Highly Successful Women
Well, that’s that! You just finished reading the 13 habits of highly successful women! Go ahead and start working your way through and apply the habits that other female entrepreneurs, business women, corporate success gurus, six figure bloggers, stay at home moms and women with a purpose have accomplished! You’ve got this!
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This post was all about how to implement 13 habits of highly successful women to live a fulfilled life. Stay focused on your goals and remember that you are a strong woman with the power to achieve great success!
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