What do exceptionally successful people have that you don’t?

Higher IQs?

More advanced degrees?

Better hair?

Actually, the difference isn’t so much what they have, but what they do.

The truth is, you don’t have to be a well-coiffed genius with a Ph.D. to be successful – you just have to ask yourself great questions. So start yourself on the path to greater success today, using these three questions to guide you:

Am I waking up early enough?

The early bird really does get the worm – and successful people often rise before 6:00 a.m. to take advantage of those precious morning hours that many of us sleep away. What should you do with that extra time in the a.m.?

• Do something nice for yourself. Whether it’s reading, meditating, cooking a healthy breakfast or reflecting on your goals. As your day gets crazier, creating “me” time gets harder to do. Carve it out in the morning, and you’ll be happier all day.
• Get in a workout. Exercise improves mood, energy and focus – and puts you in a great position to tackle the challenges of your day.

What’s my top priority for the day?

No matter how full their plates are, incredibly successful people start each morning with a clear understanding of what they absolutely must accomplish. Before you plunge head-first into your workday, take a step back and take control of it (before it takes control of you):

• Don’t check your email first thing.
  Yep, you read that right. Tackling your inbox without a clear plan for the day forces you into “reactive mode” – addressing yesterday’s fires, responding to others’ requests, and potentially derailing your plans. Stay in control by establishing your priorities first, and then adjusting them based on what you find in your inbox.
• Plan, prioritize and block out your time.
  Create a simple to-do list, organized by deadline, and then do your hardest work during your own peak productivity period, whenever that is. Block this time off on your schedule, and eliminate distractions during this period to stay focused.

What difficult things do I not do enough of?

And on the flip side: What easy things do I spend too much time on? You only have 24 hours in a day. If you’re not spending those hours learning, challenging yourself, pursuing your goals and focusing on your highest priority activities, you’re holding yourself back.

Turn a critical eye to the way you spend your day – and get ready to create some new habits. Identify easy tasks which you could delegate to someone else. Then, find ways to eliminate time-wasters that derail you. Once you do these two things, you’ll have more time available each day to tackle the tough stuff that will really help you get ahead as a professional.

Exact Staff is here to support your success.

Serving organizations across the company, Exact Staff provides a wide range of talented people – and a full complement of staffing solutions – to support your success. Need to fast-track a project? Offload repetitive work? Free up more time for high-priority activities? We have you covered. Just give us a call!