7 Habits That Will Help You Achieve Greatness

Great people aren’t born into greatness. It’s not a special talent exclusive to a lucky few. Nor is it the result of a lucky break. Luck has nothing to do with it. 

We often make the mistake of equating greatness with wealth. Although wealth is often an outcome of achieving greatness, it’s not always the rule.

Greatness is a cocktail of qualities that include honesty, integrity, passion, resilience, fortitude, self-belief and strong values. All of these come together to create a uniquely strong character that consistently achieves success after success.  If this brings wealth as an added bonus, who’s complaining?

So, how do you go about achieving your greatness? When you ask great men and women what their secret is, the answer is pretty surprising. It’s nothing more than a number of mundane habits that they practice diligently, day in, day out.

These habits led them to greatness and enable them to continue making remarkable achievements. 

1. Set clear goals

Clear goals bring your purpose to life. They allow you to create a roadmap that helps you see the bigger picture and keep track of your progress.

The best way to stay on track is to create a series of clear, long-term goals. These reflect where you want to be in 6 months, a year, two years and so on. 

These big goals are then interspersed with shorter-term goals or milestones. These milestones can be further divided into daily or weekly goals.   

Clear goals also keep you passionate and fire up because each milestone you cross fuels your purpose even more and gives you an amazing sense of achievement. 

2. Get organised

A cluttered life results in a cluttered mind. An organised life means a more streamlined day that allows for more clarity and focus.

Getting organised doesn’t mean scheduling, bur structuring your day so that it flows smoothly. This means fixed mealtimes and bedtimes, as well as regular exercise and entertainment times. These are the fundamental pillars around which you can plan other tasks.

Being organised also means decluttering and organizing   your home and workspace. Everything should have a designated place and your space should look spare and tidy.

Structuring, decluttering and organizing your life gives you amazing peace and calm. Everything just flows more smoothly and with much less hassle.    

3. Manage your time

Time management doesn’t mean having a minute-by-minute schedule and a foot-long to-do list. Actually, this can be a huge stress factor rather than a productivity booster.  You feel pressured to complete every task on time and panic when an interruption throws you off track.

Do make a daily or weekly schedule but keep it loose and know that it’s not carved in stone. Keep to-do lists to a minimum list the highest priority task first. 

Managing time really means finding innovative ways to get the most out of your day according to your specific needs. 

For example, some people find they’re more productive and motivated when they get dreaded tasks out of the way first. Others prefer it the other way around. Some people are more focused early in the day while others think more clearly in the evenings. Depending on your needs, these could be times to work on tasks that require more mental effort.

Managing time also involves anticipating particularly hectic days and scheduling time to get just one or two priority tasks done.

Depending on the pace of your lifestyle, you can create a loose schedule that allows you to be more efficient without stifling you.

4. Learn new skills

Great people never stop growing. They never say they know enough or have all the experience they need.

Great people are constantly looking for opportunities to learn new skills and are consistently growing and learning.

Make this your motto as well and create a powerful cycle of growth and learning that will open unexpected doors and bring amazing opportunities for success.

5. Stand up for your beliefs

Foster your integrity and gain the trust and respect of others by standing strong for what you believe in.

Never compromise your values and never sell yourself out, no matter how attractive a certain opportunity may seem. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind on issues you believe in or causes you support. Not everyone will see eye to eye with you but you can be sure that you’ll gain another essential quality of greatness – respect! 

Staying true to yourself is the key factor in achieving greatness. IT gives you self-confidence, resilience and determination to pursue your goals on your terms. 

6. Hang out with like-minded people

Purpose passion and the aspiration to achieve great things are wonderful human traits – because they’re contagious!

Hang out with like-minded people to stay motivated and inspired. Their positive traits and behaviors will wear off on you and keep you fired up. Surround yourself with these people as much as possible and if one or two are willing to mentor you, so much the better! 

7. Look after yourself

Eat well, get enough sleep and stay active. A healthy lifestyle keeps you energetic, positive and mentally sharp.

Achieving greatness isn’t always smooth sailing. You’ll likely encounter setbacks and disappointments along the way. But being in peak physical and mental health will fuel your resilience and give you the strength to keep going!

Conclusion

These habits have the potential to change your life. The key is to practice them consistently and to make them your mantra for achieving your personal greatness. Give them time to work and they’ll change you from the inside out.