8 Daily Habits of Successful People
Once you clearly define success, learning and practicing the habits of successful individuals becomes crucial. Let’s explore the eight daily habits of successful people with VietsourcingHR below
1. Read More Books
A common habit among successful people can often be found in their libraries. Have you ever seen a great leader who doesn't read? Every top achiever always has a book in hand. Reading is one of the most notable habits of successful individuals.
P.J. Worsprint, Head of Product Development at FTSY—an AI-powered platform that helps people find the right shoe fit—spends an hour after dinner catching up on industry trends, pop culture, and current events.
Reading is a sneaky way to get inside the minds of successful individuals, visit places you may never physically go, and improve yourself in all aspects of life.
2. Exercise Regularly
Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and one of the world's richest billionaires, has dedicated his wealth to philanthropy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. But what does Bill Gates do daily that others don’t?
Since 2008, he has started his mornings by exercising on a treadmill, combining it with watching educational videos from the Teaching Company’s Great Courses series, as reported by Business Insider.
Successful individuals understand that a strong body is essential for a strong mind. Success demands mental and physical fitness.
Tom Corley, in his book Change Your Habits, Change Your Life, stated that 76% of wealthy individuals exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Most attribute their success and happiness to physical health.
Mark Zuckerberg, a billionaire with a net worth of over $72 billion, once said:
"I make sure to exercise at least three times a week—first thing in the morning."
3. Overcome Fear
Fear is a major obstacle to success. You cannot achieve great results without courage. Did you know that Warren Buffett was once so terrified of public speaking that he felt physically sick? He even talked about it in an interview.
He dreaded giving speeches in high school and college. He admitted to dropping a public speaking course and avoided presentations at all costs.
So how did Warren Buffett overcome his fear of public speaking and win an award for completing a course on it?
Here are some habits that helped Warren Buffett build public speaking confidence:
✅ Improve step by step.
✅ Rewire your brain to view opportunities positively.
✅ Practice as if it’s the real deal.
4. Never Give Up
Successful people understand that tough times are temporary.
When you hear the names Jack Ma (founder of Alibaba) and Elon Musk, you might not believe they had tough beginnings. Musk was bullied in school and later fired from PayPal. But he never gave up. His company, Tesla, recently became the most valuable company in the U.S., now worth over $2.1 billion (Forbes).
Jack Ma was rejected by Harvard around 10 times. His escrow payment idea was also turned down. He was even rejected when applying for a job at KFC! But today, he is one of the wealthiest figures in China and the world.
Here's my takeaway:
"If you find yourself in a difficult situation, you can change your goals, but never give up. Every success story comes with sacrifices. Never give up!"
5. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!
When Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started what we now know as Apple in a garage, no one knew that their bold move in 1976 would change the world.
One major challenge Jobs faced was being forced out of Apple in 1985 because the board didn't believe in his Macintosh vision. He slept on floors during tough times and traded Coca-Cola bottles for meal tickets at a local Hare Krishna temple.
But his focus remained on the vision.
In 1985, he founded NEXT and later, Pixar Animation Studios (1989) with colleagues and friends. By 1997, Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy. Jobs was invited back to negotiate Apple’s acquisition of NEXT, leading to his return as Apple’s CEO.
Apple regained profitability in less than a year.
During his famous 2005 Stanford Commencement Speech, he shared his philosophy:
"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!"
6. Take Notes
Imagine Bill Gates' overwhelming schedule. Yet, he still tracks ideas and plans by taking notes.
Another billionaire with the same habit is Richard Branson.
Both Gates and Branson attended a conference in London. While Gates was giving his closing speech, he pulled out some handwritten notes from his pocket. Branson noticed that Gates had scribbled on scraps of paper he had been carrying.
Branson believes that note-taking is a simple yet powerful habit of successful individuals.
7. Plan Every Minute
Bill Gates is a time management icon. According to The Telegraph, he schedules his entire day in 5-minute blocks.
And guess what? Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, does the same. Every minute is carefully planned. He does not believe in procrastination.
Musk shares the same philosophy with Warren Buffett:
"Time is the only asset that money cannot buy."
You can buy every asset in the world, but you cannot buy more time. Successful people maximize their time.
8. Give Back
Giving back means contributing genuinely—whether it’s ideas, time, or money.
Successful people understand the power of giving. They believe that:
"Life is not just about existing; it’s about making a contribution."
Famous philanthropists include:
✅ Bill & Melinda Gates
✅ Mark Zuckerberg
✅ Oprah Winfrey
✅ Serena Williams
Recently, Serena Williams ended a three-year losing streak and donated $43,000 to Australian wildfire victims.
You don’t need to be rich to give back. Start small—volunteer to teach orphans or support communities recovering from disasters.
Impact should be the result of success—not just wealth accumulation.
Final Thoughts
Good or bad, habits define success.
If you want to succeed, eliminate bad habits and adopt the habits of successful people.
It takes effort, discipline, and consistent practice—but success will surely come your way. ????
Source (Jane, biên tập từ lifehack.org)