A lot of famous entrepreneurs talk about having specific habits that help them achieve their success. Certainly, there are daily habits that can motivate you to be more focused and boost creativity. It takes time and effort to cultivate repeated practice, and a healthy routine will do wonders for your professional work and personal health.
What can be exactly considered as good work habits? If you’re wondering what should you start on, here are five habits that you should start focusing on from now on:
- Timeliness
Punctuality is a virtue that everyone appreciates, especially in business. Being able to complete responsibilities and arrive at work on time—or in advance!—leaves a good impression on your workmates and clients.
It is recommended that you maintain a somewhat consistent schedule that you follow every day, starting from the time you wake up, so you don’t find yourself scrambling to get ready in the morning. A small tip is to place your alarm a bit farther away from your bed. This makes it a must for you to stand up and get out of bed to stop the ringing, which ensures you start your day according to schedule.
Planning your day the night before also helps by avoiding unnecessary stress in the morning. Prepare any documents or materials you will need and pack your bag for the next day, even the outfit you’ll wear if you’re a fashionista!
Setting reminders for your deadlines and creating a timeline for your tasks will also help you complete them on time. Prioritize the most complicated ones first to make sure you have ample time to work on them. If you like time-blocking, you can also use a timer to see the average time you spend on finishing a task to better arrange your schedule. Time management is an important skill alongside punctuality that goes hand in hand. - Develop Your Skills
Working on your talents and skills is a positive habit that optimizes your chances of achieving success at work. By fully utilizing your strengths, you can achieve your goals by choosing tasks and roles that require your talents: you can ask your supervisor to let you take on responsibilities that you’re confident with handling, be it creative work if you have an eye for art, organizing a team with your natural leadership skills, proof-reading documents if you’re good at grammar, anything!
You’ll learn to view challenges on your way as opportunities to improve and develop what you already know. There are many ways to further your skillset: you can take online courses, attend workshops, speak to experts, anything! Set goals for yourself, and make continuous progress by working on yourself.
- Make time to relieve stress
Being stressed and internalizing it can reduce your productivity and motivation. The workplace can bombard you with tons of pressure from deadlines, co-workers, supervisors, and other areas. You must learn to manage your stress level so not to let these nagging worries pull you down.
An example of coping with stress would be to write down your frustrations in a journal or talk to a close friend or family member about your troubles, which are good ways to release your emotions.
Another would be breathing exercises, which help soothe your mind and relieve tension. Breathe deeply and slowly, counting from one to four. Hold your breath as you count from one to five, then exhale gradually as you count from one to six.
There are countless other ways to relieve stress—listening to music, taking a walk, eating good food—so try and find something that works for you!
- Embrace your small wins
Acknowledge the tasks you’ve accomplished each day for a few minutes as you leave work. Identify your small wins and successes, as well as aspects you think you can improve on. This can help you track what needs improvement and encourage you to continue doing good every day.
This habit does not have to be complex since you can simply jot down your ideas on the notes app on your phone or even just mentally. After listing the things you did well for the day or week, remember to go over them and use the list as a tool to remind yourself to do better—or keep up the good work!—on the next day.
- Prioritize your self-care
Regular exercising is necessary, even for a few minutes. Physical activity actually releases hormones such as endorphins that increase your sense of well-being. A daily exercise routine does not require a gym membership; it can be as simple as a short walk during a workday or a bike ride in a nearby park.
Aside from the physical aspect, what’s also important is a healthy mind and soul. If there are certain activities that help you relax and give you peace, allot a time for you to spend with it. Your overall wellness contributes a lot to the amount of work that you would be able to finish in a day.
Habits are something you can train yourself to do regularly. You can start off with an alarm or reminder in your phone or computer to remind you of any habits you want to build, and you can track your progress with a habit tracker. This way, you’ll get motivated and look forward to practicing these routines until you get used to them!
