Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to work with and speak with a hundreds of CEOs at companies around the world. I love to ask them about their habits and how they approach business and life in general.
I’m always interested in what makes someone successful and I have found that while how you work matters, how you think, actually matters even more.
Success isn’t an endpoint it’s a constant evolution. If you view it as something static then your success will always be temporary. This is because we live in a rapidly changing and evolving world.
If you truly want to be successful then follow the example of some of the top business leaders.
Ask yourself these three questions every day:
What did I learn today?
As I mentioned, things change quickly. You can’t rely on educational institutions or on your company to teach you everything you need to know to be successful. In fact, most of what you learn in a 4 year university becomes obsolete by the time you graduate.
This mean you must become a perpetual learner. Meaning, you have to “learn how to learn.”
This requires conscious thought and energy to learn something new every day, even if it’s something small. Perhaps you got some new insights from a conversation you had, a podcast you listened to, a TED talk you watched, or a book you read.
You can ask yourself this question at the end of each day or even after the end of each interaction you have.
If you start to notice multiple days in a row where the answer to the question above is “nothing,” then you should really visit your daily activities and interaction to see where you can make changes.
Remember, growth happens when you learn.
What is the best thing I did today?
We are all busy, especially now with COVID-19. It’s easy to focus on all the things we didn’t do, what we didn’t accomplish, or the mistakes we made.
But instead, focus on the positive things you did. In my family for example, when we sit down at the dinner table, we each say something we are grateful for on that specific day.
It could be something as small as having a good meal, being able to go to the park, or just having some time to relax. The point is to focus on the positive and on the good.
From a business perspective the same the same logic applies. What made you feel good, proud, or accomplished? Practice positivity and gratitude and you’ll be amazed by the positive changes in your life both personally and professionally.
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What can I do better tomorrow?
One of the most effect things that successful people do is focus on the future and looking for areas where they can learn, grow, and improve.
Maybe you can do a better job of:
- Handling a difficult situation
- Recognizing an employee
- Communicating with your peers
- Taking some time for yourself
- Not getting worked up when someone upsets you
You get the idea…
Some of the most successful people I’ve talked to and worked with are constantly evaluating themselves and tweaking their approach to work and relationships.
Even small updates and changes can lead to big progress over time. Taking time to be self-aware and look for ways to improve sets you on a path for continual progress and development.
I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.
As a bonus question, ask yourself who you can help! No matter if you’re a leader or an entry-level employee, there are always people you can help. It doesn’t have to be huge effort, but reaching out to someone and offering a helping hand shows humility and builds relationships.
Asking yourself these questions at the end of every day only takes a few minutes, but the practice of self-evaluation leads to strong self-discipline and continual improvement. If you want to be a future-ready leader, you’ve got to think like one. And it starts by asking yourself these questions every day.
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If you enjoyed the article and want more content like this here’s what you can do:
- Subscribe to The Future of Work Podcast where I interview business leaders around the world each week.
- Grab a copy of The Future Leader which has been endorsed by the CEOs of MasterCard, Best Buy, Oracle, Audi, Unilever, Domino’s Pizza, Ritz Carlton, Kaiser, and Marshall Goldsmith. It explores the most essential skills and mindsets for future leaders.
- If you are or want to be an entrepreneur then my wife and I just launched a brand new podcast on how to Be Your Own Boss, called the BYOB Podcast where we share what we did and how we did it. You can subscribe to that here.
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