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BY Hope Nunnelley

How Successful People Boost Their Productivity

“Your level of success will seldom exceed your level of personal development because success is something you attract by the person you become.” – Jim Rohn

Success is something you attract by the person you become.

I heard this quote listening to a LinkedIn Learning course and it resonated with me like the sound of a gong. Rohn’s quote reminds us that self-development should be a priority as it attracts success. Most people hope to be successful and strive for that elusive golden ring. How do successful people boost their productivity? Is there a road map?

During the LinkedIn short course, Pete Mockaitis speaks about “The Six Morning Habits of High Performers” and describes his “Miracle Morning.” He had some great advice on how to kick-start your day, boost productivity and adopt habits of high performers. Pete poses questions to help you define your personal definition of success and encourages you to list steps on how to reach your goals.

The “miracle morning” requires waking up at least an hour earlier than you need to start your day. Pete used the acronym SAVERS to help us remember the six habits.

SAVERS

S – SILENCE. Peaceful, purposeful silence. Ease into your morning by sitting in silence and meditating. To help focus your silence, set an intention for your meditation (i.e. think about one specific goal for the day – like having a positive attitude at the office or an encouragement for being active that day). Set a timer for 10 minutes and allow yourself to keep notes . Try not to force thought. Engineer space to take in your genius.

A – AFFIRMATIONS. An affirmation is a written statement that directs your focus towards something valuable. They are practical and results oriented. Ask … what is my goal? Why is that goal important to me? How can I achieve this goal? When should I execute this plan / how long will it take to meet my goal? (EX: setting up a training plan for a marathon).

V – VISUALIZATION. Visualize your goal via the journey and then picture the end result. For example, imagine yourself lacing up your tennis shoes, picking the perfect running playlist and enjoying your run. Go there mentally and emotionally before you ever get to your goal. The hardest step is the first one. If you visualize your first step, you’ve moved past the hardest part! Most top performing athletes use this technique.

E – EXERCISE. You can boost your energy throughout the day by moving in the morning (even for 60 seconds!). Try doing some jumping jacks, going for a quick walk or stretching. This will help increase blood-flow to the brain. Plus, everyone benefits from endorphins.

R – READING. We are all one book away from learning everything we need to learn to help improve our life. Eating healthier? There’s a book for that. Improving relationships? There’s a book for that. Bill Gates reads 60 book a year (5 books a month). Setting a goal for 10 pages per day seems reasonable.

S – SCRIBING. Journal! List three things you’re grateful for and three things that will help you make a great day. The Five Minute Journal is a great book to help walk you through these questions. Starting the day with gratitude is a reminder that your life is already awesome. Setting the goals for the day (top three priorities) helps you determine where to focus your energy. And, of course, reflecting on your day holds you accountable and rounds out the feeling of gratitude.

Six simple steps on how successful people boost productivity. The biggest takeaway for me here was the importance of taking time for personal reflection. How often do we spend time specifically thinking about our hopes and dreams (not just day-dreaming at our desks)? Let this be an encouragement to become more intentional about practicing self-development moments.

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