Habits for Success Meme (the April IOU)

Kristen King

www.inkthinkerblog.com — Shortly after our move to the new place, I posted an IOU for a meme that Brian Westover tagged me to complete, and I haven’t yet paid up. Well, here goes!

List the top 5 to 10 things you do almost every day that help you to be successful. They can be anything at all, but they have to be things you do at least 4 or 5 times every week.

Like Brian, I’m not sure I necessarily qualify as “successful,” but here are things I do to work toward succeeding in my business and in my life overall.

I try to focus on spiritual things first, which means considering a daily scripture, spending some time in prayer and personal study, and arranging my schedule to accommodate religious meetings (I have several each week). “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these [other] things will be added to you. So, never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness.” (Matt 6:33, NWT)
I try to focus my energy on positives rather than getting bogged down in the negatives. That doesn’t always work out, but I’m doing my best. ;] By maintaining a forward momentum, it’s easier to, well, keep moving forward.
I write a lot. This is kind of a “duh,” but I’m amazed at how many “writers” never actually write anything. I’ve got this blog, Lively Women, meow/bark/blog, and the L-K Article Challenge to keep me busy, plus client work, and I try to work in some personal projects here and there as well. The more I write, the better I write.
I read as much as I can. I don’t get through the 200+ books a year I used to manage, but I’m still holding my own in the books department, and in magazines, newspapers, and blogs, too. And the more I read, the better I write.
I pursue educational opportunities that better equip me to do my job. And I’m not just talking about my graduate studies in publishing — I’m talking about conferences, seminars, workshops, general training courses, etc. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get great tools and resources to help you progress in your career.
I make a list and check it twice. I’ve recently renewed my addiction to list making, and my productivity has just about tripled. When you have a list of things to get done, it’s a lot easier to remember what you need to get done.
I admit it when I screw up. It’s not easy, but it is important. If you forget something, mess something up, or otherwise err, apologize. This applies to all areas of your life. People who refuse to apologize (and mean it) when they make mistakes are not fun people to deal with. You don’t have to offer up your firstborn — a simple, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience” or “I take full responsibility for that error” or something along those lines is sufficient, and it’s meaningful, too.
I enjoy what I do. The day I stop enjoying it is the day I’ll stop doing it, that’s for sure. It’s hard to be successful at something you hate. That’s why I really do believe that advice that you should find what you love and then find someone to pay you for doing it rather than finding something people will pay you for and just tolerating it. Who wants to spend their life tolerating their life? Not this girl!
I try to work to live rather than living to work. Clocking out at night, taking the weekends off (most of the time), and giving myself breaks are so, so important. If I didn’t do these things, I wouldn’t make it through.
I say no. If I don’t want to do a project, if my schedule is too full, or if the money just isn’t enough, I say no. I have stopped operating as though every job may be my last, which was my big fear when I first started freelancing. Now I limit my work to things that fit my goals and pay me well enough to be worth my time. It was hard to get here, but I am really liking it — and I’m finding that I still have plenty of work.

What are YOUR habits for success? Leave your tips in the comments.

I’m tagging Lori, Julie, Deb, and Liz.