If you’re tired of hearing that a successful person must get up early and read one new book a week, this article is for you. Here are five less trivial things you can do to boost your performance and be successful.
1. Celebrate Your Victories
Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to lament failure instead of paying attention to the positive outcomes? At the end of the day, we often think about that 1 unpleasant thing that happened to us and forget about 99 nice ones. This cognitive distortion is a part of human evolution that helped us prevent dangerous events thousands of years ago but is completely unhelpful now.
We often anguish over the mistakes that we made, forgetting that they are an indispensable part of a career path or one’s self-improvement. At the same time, dozens of small things that we do successfully are perceived as natural or neglected. That’s why you should put in the effort to make self-celebration a habit.
You can do it in many ways: try writing down the top three things you did well every day or buy yourself something unnecessary but pleasant, such as a ticket to the movies or a bath bomb, after achieving a milestone (for instance, having written 5 out of 10 pages of your college assignment). You could even organize a party with your friends to celebrate your recent successes.
2. Learn to Ask for Help
Many of us would rather fail than ask for help. It would be recognizing one’s limits, a sign of weakness, incompetence, showing oneself vulnerable, putting oneself at the mercy of others.
Asking for assistance doesn’t mean swallowing your pride at all; quite the contrary. Not being afraid to ask for help means to be self-accepting and have a self-esteem that is not shaken by incompetence. Not having a barrier to recognizing one’s limits is ultimately a sign of the strength of character of a person who does not fear the gaze of others and knows their own worth.
Not asking for help when you need it is to miss out on an opportunity to improve and grow. For example, if you are not good at essay writing, you could ask professional essay writers from domyessay.com for writing samples or editing services. This way, you would be able to learn from experts in their field and grow yourself. Asking for help is a skill you should learn to make your life simpler.
3. Choose Your Role Model
Looking up to other people is not something to be ashamed of. However, it would help if you chose your examples to follow wisely. First, because in the era of online-based celebrities, we rarely can guess if the person shows their real-life or covers some less Instagrammable parts in the fear that they would not be appealing to the masses. Instead, choose to follow public figures who are not afraid to show their failures.
In this context, it might be more useful to read people’s biographies and listen to inspiring TED talks than scrolling through the Facebook feed. It is essential to learn about both ups and downs of one’s career and life to have a realistic image of a role model.
4. Plan Your Schedule
It might seem overwhelming, but developing a comprehensive plan will save you time – you won’t waste a minute deciding what to do on a daily basis – and help you track your progress. Work out your schedule as detailed as possible and stick to it. Be realistic! Don’t forget to leave time for seeing friends, exercising, and other things.
As for the breaks, it is better to have one-hour study sessions over 10 days, rather than studying a topic for 10 hours in one day. Memorizing information takes time. Keep this in mind while elaborating your schedule and use the technique of spacing. For that, you will need to start early and avoid putting things off until the last day before the due date.
5. Clean Up Your Digital Space
People are more productive when working in a clean room, at a clean desk. Getting rid of clutter in your studying or working space is a sure way to better productivity. But have you ever thought that the same applies to your digital space? In fact, digital hygiene is as important, if not more, as the physical one.
The Internet is abundant with information a human brain can’t digest. We multiply all distractions by subscribing to tons of emails, saving hundreds of bookmarks, and stocking dozens of blogs and articles “for later.” Delete all of the unneeded information from your devices, unsubscribe from channels and accounts that steal your energy. Be honest with yourself: if you watch the videos on a certain channel to procrastinate, it might not be a good source of information. Keep your environment clean, both online and offline!
Final Thoughts
It is essential to keep in mind that the path matters as much as the destination. Life isn’t a speed race; it’s a marathon. If you really want to equip yourself with excellent personal skills, you inevitably have to accept and confidently embrace every stage of life and run at your own pace. All that is precious is built over time and requires substantial sacrifices.