The 5 Strengths & Habits That Successful People Possess

I'm a studier.

I like to read up on people I admire, people who seem to have it all figured out, whether it's in a field like health, or something completely different.

Because you start to see patterns.

Over time, I've started a list of "success habits" of big deal-type people.

If enough true leaders start doing the same thing, maybe there's something to it, right?

And if you do some of those things, maybe you'll feel better, have more energy, be more productive, and more likely to be successful, whatever that means to you.

So here are a few things these people seem to have in common:

They get enough sleep. Often prioritizing 8 hours a night. It's amazing to me how undervalued sleep is. But if you wake up rested, everything that comes next is easier.

They wake up early. Maybe they listen to Ben Franklin, who was a big proponent of "early to bed, early to rise." If you want to get in the habit of early rising, raise the shades in your bedroom, and let the natural light wake you with the sun.

They exercise. You have to be physically healthy to be mentally healthy and strong. Starting your day with exercise is a great way to get there.

They spend time with loved ones. This doesn't require much explanation. The more time you spend with the ones you love, the better off you both are, especially if you can manage to carve out time in the morning to do it.

They go outside. Fresh air and wide open skies can do wonders to open up your mind to a successful day. You'd be surprised what interesting thoughts can emerge when the rest of the world is quiet.

It's a pretty simple list.

And there's another one on here, that as much as I try, I haven't made a point to adopt. Mostly because I don't have to.

Many of the successful people I've seen interviewed say they don't use an alarm clock. They've "trained themselves" to wake when they want.

That might be true. But I don't typically use an alarm clock either.

My dog is my alarm clock.

And Ellie helps me do most of the things on this list, without even trying. She gets me up early. She gets me outside.

She wants to walk, so I'm exercising right away. And of course, I love her, so I'm spending time with someone I appreciate.

Maybe I'm not the CEO of Amazon. But my dog looks at me like I'm a champ.

And if I am, maybe I have her to thank for it!