The 4 Habits of Highly Successful and Happy People

I was inspired by yet another great article today that discussed the morning routines of highly successful leaders. They were really great tips, a few that I would like to implement myself. As I’m working with a variety of leaders, I figured I could also help compile some of the trends I’ve observed, and add to this great list.

Here’s what I gathered from the happiest and most successful leaders I work with:

1. They hit snooze.

Great leaders hit snooze. They lie in bed with their eyes open (or closed), not wanting to get out of the cozy warmth and start the day. They know this means no time for meditation, kombucha making, journaling, exercise etc. No early start on clearing the email backlog, or do 'deep-thinking' work.

And they are all highly successful and happy individuals.

2. They get distracted.

Oh the distractions! Especially in this WFH world when you hear the laundry buzzer go off and you think ‘I could squeeze in a quick laundry swap right now’, or you’re listing out the presents you still need to buy for the Holidays while listening to an All-Hands presentation. Even the facebook pings, the infinite instagram scroll, and don’t get me started with the black holes of Reddit and Tik Tok.

And they are all highly successful and happy individuals.

3. They don’t get a good night's sleep.

I truly believe in the benefits of a good night’s sleep. When I sleep well, my brain is clear, I can achieve so much, I focus better, and feel happy. And science tells us that’s the case for most people. If we had one thing to prioritize, a good night’s sleep should make the top of the list.

Successful leaders know that. Yet, they have kids with nightmares, a husband who snores, nighttime anxieties, a loud neighbour, or a night out with friends.

They may have a less than optimal day the following day, but they survive, march forward, and hope for a better sleep the next night.

And they are all highly successful and happy individuals.

4. They throw garbage in their kids’ lunches.

Well, after they hit snooze a few times, there’s not a ton of time to carve little stars in kiwifruit and bake homemade nut-free granola bars. So they open the lunch boxes, throw in a croissant from the freezer (it will be defrosted by lunchtime, right?), pepperoni sticks, a couple of made good granola bars (they contain 1 whole serving of veggies apparently) and a yogurt drink.

And they are all highly successful and happy individuals. (and their kids are doing fine too)

The point of this was not to say that all the tips you read from Tim Ferriss and Co. do not work, or are not better in some way, shape or form than your current routine. Even I have written some of those lists I believe would make you an even better, more resilient leader! So yes, please, strive to learn, grow, experiment and find what works for you. If you have time, energy and it brings you benefits (health, well-being, happiness, satisfaction, whatever it is), do yoga early in the morning, stop drinking too much wine, make smiley face shaped sandwiches for your kids, and focus only on the task at hand until it is done.

But also know that so many individuals don’t do that all the time, and are still highly successful, happy and fulfilled. Let’s stop putting so much pressure on ourselves to do everything ‘the right way’, and feeling like a failure when we can’t keep up the self-imposed intense regimen.

Back in the days, I remember asking the President of my division, a young superstar who had risen through the ranks like a bullet, “what did you do during your two weeks off?” I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but definitely not her answer: “Really? I sat on the couch and played Candy Crush for two weeks”.

Keep it real.