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HABITS OF SUCCESS: TIME

MANAGEMENT, SETTING
GOALS, NETWORKING AND
THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND
SUCCESS
Contents
Introduction: The concept of habits..................................................................................................................................1

Chapter one: Daily Routine, Time management...........................................................................................................3

Chapter two: Self Discipline, Self-esteem, Self-confidence, Personality...........................................................11

Chapter three: Goals, Setting goals, How to achieve goals.....................................................................................25

Chapter four: The right attitude to work, Work ethics............................................................................................30

Chapter five: Network, Creating Network, How to Manage your network.....................................................34

Chapter Six: Psychology of Success.................................................................................................................................39

Chapter seven: Healthy Living..........................................................................................................................................41

Conclusion................................................................................................................................................................................. 45

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Introduction: The concept of habits
A habit is the product of repeated voluntary actions. When a voluntary action is
repeated very often, it is turned into a habit. Voluntary actions involve an effort of will
or volition. But when they become habitual, they dispense with the guidance of
attention and volition, and become automatic. Habitual actions are acquired.

They are sometimes called secondarily automatic actions, because they are uniform and
mechanical, and are performed with ease and facility. Running, reading, writing, type-
writing, swimming, etc., are habitual actions. They are the results of repeated voluntary
actions. They are learned actions as distinguished from unlearned actions. Instinctive
acts also may be repeated and fixed as habits.

A habit is a routine of behavior that is repeated or carried out regularly consciously or


subconsciously. The psychological view habit can be seen as a way of reasoning,
thinking, solving problems through regular mental experiences. A regular behavior or
habit is mostly unnoticed by the person or group of people exhibiting them, because a
person or those people do not engage in self-examination when he or they are engaging
in their daily routine.

A research was carried out by Wendy Wood and her colleagues and in the research they
found out that over 43 percent of our daily activity is carried out as a result of the habits
we formed. Habits can either be good or bad, there are numerous habits exhibited by
human beings in everyday life and I will categorize them according to the world's moral
standards. Good habit A behavior that is beneficial to one’s physical or mental health,
often linked to a high level of discipline and self-control. Examples of good habits; Good
hygiene, Hardworking, Regular exercise, Meditation, Reading, Writing, Punctuality,
Honesty etc.

A bad habit is a negative behavior pattern. Examples of bad habits; Bad hygiene,
Alcoholism, Procrastination, Drug abuse, dishonesty, stealing, Causing troubles,
Lateness etc.

Most times habits are formed psychologically and physiologically. The physiological
formation of habit is related to the body system. When activity is carried out repeatedly
or more number of times, a clear nervous connection is formed, leading into a pathway.
The psychological theory is explained as a way by which humans retain experiences
they get during any learning process as they are being done repeatedly.

There is a theory that it takes an average of 66 days to break a habit. The amount of time
it takes to break a habit is generally between 18 and 254 days. This should often be
repeated once or maybe twice depending on what the habit is, something small like
chewing a fingernail should only have to be done once. Larger habits like smoking
should be repeated twice but everyone is different so it could be less. There are sources
that phrase the breaking of bad habits under habit-formation and that an individual
acquires a new habit within 66 days. A study found that this process is marked by an
asymptomatic increase of the behavior, with the initial acceleration slowing to a plateau
after the said time period. There are several variations regarding the period of
development. For instance, a source stated that breaking a bad habit or changing an
unhealthy behavioral pattern such as smoking takes 90 days while forming a new habit
that sticks requires 66 days.

Habits of success is a deliberate repetition of actions that will help us build good
success. Habit of success is not formed in a day, it is formed by continuous practice of
those actions that bring success.

In this book we are going to be looking at the habits of success and how to apply them in
your lives. We will check the lives of most successful people, their habits and how they
applied it in their lives. In this book we will be looking at those habits of success, how to
form them and utilize them.
Chapter one: Daily Routine, Time management.
In this chapter, we are going to look at the importance of this daily routine, time
management and how vital it can be if you want to be successful, but first of all we will
look at the daily routine of some successful and influential people. Let us take a look at
the life of Elon Musk and see what his daily routine looks like. As co-founder and CEO of
Tesla Motors and SpaceX, and founder of the boring Company and Neuralink, Elon
Musk, might just be one of the world’s busiest entrepreneurs. Here’s how he manages
his day:

He gets enough sleep. Even on insanely busy days, Musk sleeps 6 to 6, 5 hours per night.
He gets a boost from a few cups of coffee during the day.

He keeps an extremely specific agenda. Musk schedules his day in 5-minute intervals
and constantly optimizes it for efficiency.

He has crazy productive meetings. Musk limits meetings to only parties that are
hundred percent necessary. He’s been known to remove people who don’t contribute.

He sticks to email. Musk avoids calls whenever possible, and instead relies on email or
text. “Email is my core competency,” he once joked

He multitasks. Musk scarfs down lunch during meetings and checks email while playing
with his kids.

He uses “first principles thinking”. Musk always tries to understand the basic why
behind a new idea. This reduces the time needed to learn new concepts down the road.
Now we will have seen how detailed and how sacred he takes this morning routine we
will look into some other successful people. Now let us also take a look at Bill Gates’s
daily routine and see what we can learn from it. Bill Gates starts his day with one hour
exercise upon waking up, he said "he runs at least one hour on a treadmill immediately
he wakes up". Now according to a 2019 study published by the British Journal of Sports
Medicine found out morning exercise improves cognition and focus throughout the day.
Although waking up early to exercise improves our self-discipline which will in time
spill over to other areas of our life. Just like Elon Musk Bill Gates breaks his day down
into minutes. In an interview with Charlie Rose Bill gate made an important point by
telling us he knows he has enough money to buy him whatever he wants but his money
cannot buy him all the time he wants. He is known to break down his day into five
minutes increments. Bill Gates also sets aside one hour every day to learn and he does
this deliberately despite his busy scurrile. Bill Gates reads at least 50 books in a year
and these books help in looking at problems from different angles, hereby expanding his
horizon in world view. As rich as Bill Gates is he engages himself with some chores Well,
as hard as it may be to believe, research shows that mundane, everyday tasks can be
opportunities to practice mindfulness, thereby promoting calm and creativity if done in
the right way. Finally Bill Gates gets necessary sleep when it is time to sleep. He gets at
least 6 hours sleep and 7 hours max. Not only does a lack of sleep impair cognitive
processes such as attention, alertness, and problem-solving, making it more difficult to
learn efficiently, but it can also lead to serious health problems like heart disease and
high blood pressure. So, to function at the highest possible levels, you need to get at
least 7 hours of sleep everyday. We can see slight differences in their routines but they
have a lot of similarities in their routine. Let's look at the routine of Facebook founder
and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

He manages to balance work and play: he exercises three times a week, travels
extensively, and tucks his daughter in every night.

He stays as productive as possible by eliminating "non-essential choices" from his life,


like what to wear or what to eat.

He works 50-60 hours a week, but spends his free time learning Mandarin Chinese. His
daily routine looks plain and simple but let's look closely at his daily routine and see
what we can learn from it. Take a look at the part where he eliminates "non-essential
choices" from his life and those choices are petty decisions such as; what color of
clothes to wear, the type of food we will eat, the hairstyle for an occasion that consumes
most of our time and makes us less productive. I am not saying it is bad to make choices
but most times it is not so necessary.
Importance of Daily Routine.

Daily routine is a healthy habit we should engage ourselves with and I will be teaching
you on the importance of this daily routine.

1. Makes Us More Efficient: When we have a routine that we follow daily, it reduces
the need to make decisions each day. It enables us to know exactly what tasks we
need to do each day without having to contemplate, decide or think too much. When
we are finished with one task, we know what comes next without much thought.
Activities become standardized and we become more efficient as a result.

2. Creates Structure in Our Lives: A daily routine provides structure and a logical
sequence in our lives. It provides the framework within which we live our lives and
conduct our daily activities. Soon we become familiar and comfortable with what we
have to do each day. It allows us to experience a flow to our day.

3. Helps Us Become More Proficient: When you have a routine, you start to become
better at doing certain things because you do it regularly. That is one of the keys to
mastering any skill. Think about something you are skillful at. More likely than not,
you developed your skill because you have performed the task over and over again.
Practice makes perfect.

4. Reduces Our Need to Plan: When we carefully design a set routine to follow, it
eliminates the need to plan our activities every morning and budget and allocate our
precious time. It takes the guesswork out of our day and allows us to wake up and
‘do’ instead of wake up and ‘plan’.

5. Prioritization: The beauty of designing a set routine is that it forces us to prioritize


and decide what is important to us. Rather than make these decisions on a daily
basis, we already know what we need to do and in what order because we have
carefully planned it. For example, after some soul-searching and careful
introspection, I decided that being mindful and healthy were goals that I wanted to
attain, so I incorporate meditation and exercise into my daily routine.

6. Saves Time, Our Most Valuable Resource: Time is the most precious asset at our
disposal because, once lost, it is non-retrievable. By following a routine, we free up
time that would otherwise be spent on planning, decision-making and preparation.
Our routine has predetermined our schedule, allowing us to use our time efficiently.

7. Reduces Procrastination: When a set of tasks and activities become routine, it


reduces the chance that we will procrastinate doing them. It becomes ingrained into
our system and we almost do it subconsciously. For example, I do a few minutes of
yoga every morning when I wake up. I do not have to think about it. I simply do it
because it has become a habit. We all know that procrastination is a waste of time
and having a routine is one way to combat it.

8. Saves Us Money: When we follow a routine and do the same things over and over
again, it can help us save money. For example, part of my routine involves juicing
fruits and vegetables each morning. Because I know that I will follow this routine
religiously, I can buy my fruit and vegetables in bulk, saving me money. The same
holds true for many other things such as the cost of a long-term gym membership.

9. Instills Good Habits: The secret to building good habits is repetition. When we
design a personal routine that works for us, it facilitates developing good habits by
encouraging us to repeat the same tasks over and over again. Just like brushing our
teeth every morning, adhering to a routine allows us to foster habits that match our
goals and aspirations.

10. Builds Momentum: As we all know, when you do the same things repetitiously, it
builds momentum, making it easier to persist. That is why going to the gym gets
easier the more frequently you do it. Momentum is a huge factor when it comes to
ensuring success and following a routine helps build that momentum.

11. Builds Self Confidence: When we adhere to a routine and stick with it, it helps build
self-confidence and gives us a sense of tremendous satisfaction. That provides us
with the ‘fuel’ to continue our routine and reap the benefits associated with it. And a
lack of self-confidence is one of the main reasons people find it difficult to change
their lives for the better.

12. Reduces the Need for Determination and Willpower: When we brush our teeth in the
morning, it does not require a lot of determination or willpower because most of us
have made it a daily ritual. We hardly think about having to brush our teeth; we
simply do it. The same holds true for other tasks when we follow routine.

13. Helps Us Achieve Our Goals: Our goals and aspirations are rarely, if ever, achieved all
at once. Successful people accomplish their goals by doing the same things over and
over again. An athlete gets good at his sport because he practices daily. An artist
hones his craft through repetition. Developing and sticking with a routine that is
congruent with your goals is one of the surest ways to ensure success.

14. Keeping Track of Our Success: When we slack off and fail to follow our
predetermined routine, it is a clear sign that we are falling short. It is an excellent
way to monitor our progress. We can subsequently make adjustments and get back
to following our personal routines while having the confidence that we are on the
right track again.

15. Breaks Bad Habits: While our routine helps us develop good habits that are in line
with exploiting our full potential, it also helps to eradicate bad habits that do not
serve us well. We can slowly replace our bad habits with good ones through
repetition.

How Do I Create A Routine?

I will show you how you can create a routine for yourself in this section.

1. You will need to create a list of your routine: First of all, get a notebook write down the
things you want to do in your home, life and at work. It is not a to-do list or your check
box don't worry too much about organizing the list yet. Just take out time write out
everything you do every day or everything you want to start doing every day. This is the
first step to take if you want to create a working routine.

2. Structure your day: Since you know yourself well enough, you know when you work
well, you know when you function most for example; most people who work effectively
in the morning are the early birds. While those who work well at night or evening are
known as the night owl. If you fall under the early bird category, you will have to
structure your day according to how you function. For instance, you will have to start
your day with those work that requires more strength and attention in the morning
because you are an early bird and you will keep doing other work that requires less
strength and attention in the evening because you will be less functional then so that it
will not be so ambiguous on your side. This step is where you need to be more careful
and very intentional so that you will create a good working routine.

3. Be Specific: In your daily routine you need to be specific with your daily routine. The
essence of being specific here is to avoid procrastination and clash on routines. What I
mean here is you need to add specific time to the daily routine, for example; by 6:30am I
will have my breakfast, by 7:00am I will need to be in my office. That's exactly what I
mean by being specific in your routine.

4. Put time for adjustment of routine: In your daily routine you need to create space for
yourself to add a little adjustments in case of any emergencies. Most times things don't
normally go as planned that is why you need to create a loop or space for any
emergency. Sometimes other things might come between you and your routine, things
like; doctor's appointment, social gathering, aside works etc. Just put small space in
between your routines for any emergency.

5. Test run your routine: Normally creating a daily routine and following them can be so
demanding. Now what you need to do is to do a test run on those listed routines for at
least 30 days and you need to follow them strictly. I know it may seem hard the first few
days but with time you will reap your reward.

What Is Time Management?

Time management is the strategy of planning out your available time and controlling
the amount of time you spend on specific or certain jobs in order to work more
effectively and efficiently. Effective time management comes easier for some people
than others, but everyone can develop the habit of managing time properly. Without
proper time management your well-being, your routine, your work may suffer
inadequacy.
Importance of Time Management.

Time management is important because it helps you control your routine and your
workday so you can build your life, business, career without compromising work-life
balance. Here are some benefits of time management.

 It improves your performance: When you have a schedule to follow, you will
likely find that you spend less time deciding what to work on or procrastinating
and more time getting down to important work. Time management can help you
focus on just the essential tasks ahead of you and avoid time-consuming
distractions. When you learn to block time out of your day for all your important
tasks, you’ll have a better idea of everything you need to accomplish and how
long each task should take.

 It reduces your stress: Good time management can help you prioritize your daily
routines and set aside the time needed for your most important tasks, so you
know exactly what you need to do and how much time you have available to
complete everything. Prioritizing your tasks and giving yourself enough time to
accomplish them can help reduce your stress levels.

 It makes you become efficient: When you understand how to manage your time
effectively, you’ll become more focused at work which allows you to accomplish
more with less time available. For example, instead of trying to work on a big
project when you have fifteen minutes free before a meeting, you can accomplish
a few small tasks in that time and save the bigger tasks that require more brain
power for when you have a large block of time free. You’ll be able to work more
efficiently to achieve more with less time.

 It boosts your confidence: When you manage your time properly and
successfully meet your deadlines, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and
confidence in your abilities. Consistently finishing your daily routines is a huge
motivator that can drive people to further improve their time management skills
and take on new work opportunities.
Time Management Skills You Need to know.

There are basic time management skills you need to know in order to work and carry
out your routine effectively. They are;

1. Planning Ahead: Planning out your time in advance is the most important
element of good time management.

2. Set your Priorities: Scan through and analyze every project you need to work on
to determine what tasks are the most urgent and important and make those your
top priority for the day. Leave less important tasks or projects that haven’t yet
become urgent for later, when you have more time available to focus on those
less crucial projects.

3. Eliminate Distractions: Distractions are the major time consumers or time


killers. When you have made your plans, set aside priorities, you will see that
distractions will be made obvious. Such distraction may include social media,
games, and gist with colleagues and so on and so forth. You can eliminate these
distractions by setting restrictions on your browsers which will stop them from
going into social media, you can ignore your colleagues and you can also take out
the gaming device.

4. Make Sure You Are Not Multitasking: Multitasking may seem like a good way of
getting extra work done, but in reality, it actually decreases your productivity.
Instead of completing multiple projects, you end up starting but not finishing any
of them. The best way to manage your time is to focus on a single task at a time
and give it your full attention while you are working on it, to avoid mistakes.

5. Reward Yourself: Rewards can be a great motivator for good time management.
Give yourself a small reward for every task you accomplish in the day. Rewards
keep you motivated on the job and can help you achieve a better work-life
balance.
Chapter two: Self Discipline, Self-esteem, Self-confidence, Personality

Self-discipline is the ability to push yourself forward, stay motivated, and take action,
regardless of how you're feeling, physically or emotionally. You are showing it when you
intentionally choose to pursue something better for yourself, and you do it in spite of
factors like distractions, hard work, or unfavorable odds.

Self-discipline is different from self-motivation or willpower. Motivation and willpower


contribute to it, as do persistence, the ability to follow through on your intentions, and
hard work.

Self-discipline is like a muscle the more you intentionally train yourself the more you
flex the muscle of self-discipline. Most times, people think telling them to be self-
disciplined is trying to restrict them from being free, but that is not it, self-discipline is
just you mastering yourself.

Any successful man on earth or any influential man is or must be self-disciplined,


because self-discipline is a habit of successful and influential people. It only takes self-
discipline to get things, work and jobs done.

Self-discipline is an essential quality, and it's a key differentiator between people who
are successful in life and those who aren't. Make sure that you develop it.

How to develop your self-discipline

I. Knowing your weakness: is good to know your weaknesses and know how to
overcome them. Most times people fail to look into their area vulnerabilities, but
you cannot master yourself or discipline yourself if you don't know where you
are weak and where you have strength. This will help you and encourage you to
be more positive and understanding what you need to change.

II. Study yourself: Self studying is another important area in mastering self-
discipline. When we study ourselves, we become experts or masters of ourselves.
This helps us train ourselves to know what habit you need to take up, habits you
need to drop and areas of your life you will need to work on, maybe your
relationship with people, work and health.
III. Reward your progress: Now after you might have finished studying yourself, you
will definitely notice your progress in your weak areas, what you will do next is
to take note of those little progress, do not ignore them and make sure you
reward yourself in each progress. You may buy yourself a gift as a reward for
your progress, this reward will serve as an encouragement to put in more work
in disciplining yourself.

IV. Commitment: For you to progress in anything you do or for you to progress in
the area of self-discipline you will need to be committed. Commitment is to give
your all, I mean giving your 100% in what you do. You cannot say you want to
improve in your self-discipline if you're not giving it your all, if you are not
committed you may end up not getting it done.

V. Paying Attention: This is a very important factor in order to ensure self-


discipline. Paying attention to every detail helps you monitor every tiny bit of
improvement and you will also take note of them and keep working with the
progress.

VI. Take away distractions: It is important you take away distractions. For example,
let us assume your smartphone gets in your way anytime you want to get
something done, what you need to do is to lock your smartphone away or maybe
keep it far from you, in this instance you have taken away the distraction. Just
know what takes your attention away from you, which is a distraction you need
to take it away.

VII. Lower your expectations: We know building self-discipline takes a lot of time
and it is a gradual process. There is this popular saying that goes this way "Rome
was not built in a day" this can also be implied in self-discipline. So don't expect a
huge progress immediately when you start up, this thing takes time to become a
habit. So lower your expectations a bit, but you should be expecting a little
progress as you build your self-discipline.

VIII. Avoid Comparison: Comparing your life with others will be a big
hindrance to you when you are building self-discipline. Just like I said earlier
building self-discipline takes time and it is a gradual process. In life your
progress and another person's progress can never be the same is either you are
ahead or the other person is ahead, assuming the other person is ahead of you
and you are measuring your progress with his. You may give up because you
think you are not making progress. Comparing your life with others could be
influencing your self-discipline in a negative way, making you paralyzed by self-
confusion if you keep comparing your goals.

IX. Always be positive: Generally bad thoughts or negative thoughts are inevitable,
but you need to keep on being deliberately positive. You can say things like, "I
can do it", " If they can do it I can do it", etc. keep on saying them and do not stop
being positive.

X. Do it daily: We all know the importance of repeated practice. The more we repeat
and practice a given task or habit, it will eventually make a habit out of it.
Moreover, repeated practice will not only help you make better decisions along
the way but if you tell yourself daily that you refuse to give up, you’ll start
narrowing the gap with your chances of relapsing back to your old way of doing
things.

XI. Motivate yourself: What you need to do is to keep pushing and encouraging
yourself to do more. Motivation is the need to do something or the willingness to
do something. You will need to find what motivates you or your drive to keep on
doing what you are doing.

Importance of self-discipline.

It is good you know the importance of self-discipline and how it will help you become
successful and influential.

1. Self-discipline helps you stay focused: Self-discipline allows you to stay focused
on your goals. It enables you to stay in control of yourself and of your reaction to
any situation.
2. Self-discipline is a greater predictor of success than IQ: A study found that highly
self-disciplined adolescents outperformed their more impulsive peers on every
academic-performance variable, including report card grades, standardized
achievement test scores, admission to a competitive high school, and attendance.

3. Self-discipline helps you make wise choices: From the food you eat to the amount
of exercise you do is dependent on how disciplined you are. Self-discipline will
help us make decisions that are good and favorable. It will make us evaluate our
options and make the right choice.

4. Self-discipline helps you have the sense of acceptance: Acceptance is the most
basic challenge people face. They fail to accurately perceive and accept their
current situation. Self-discipline will help you accept any situation you find
yourself in, you will not place yourself under unnecessary pressures and it will
prepare you for any situation too.

5. Self-discipline keeps you in good shape: Self-discipline keeps your body, your
mind and your life in good shape.

6. Self-discipline keeps you in order: Self-discipline helps you follow your routine
accurately. Following routines accurately improves orderliness and this helps
you become an orderly person.

7. Self-discipline makes you accountable: Self-discipline makes you become aware


of your environment and your situation. In this awareness you will take down
the little details and you can also account for those details when you want to
check your progress and how far you have gone in the long run. Self-discipline
helps you become very accountable in all you do.

8. Self-discipline makes you persistent: Self-discipline builds you and makes you
strong and persistent to keep pushing. Persistence allows you to keep taking
action even when you don’t feel motivated to do so, and therefore you keep
accumulating results. Persistence will ultimately provide its own motivation.

9. Self-discipline makes you hardworking: Self-discipline makes you work harder to


become better than you were before. Hard work is what many people try to
avoid by doing what is easiest. But a strong challenge is commonly connected
with strong results. Self-discipline makes you take on these challenges in order
to become better and better.

10. Self-discipline keeps you in high spirit: self-discipline makes you happy when
you have accomplished the task and that will make you want to do more tasks.

11. Self-discipline gives you capacity: as you undergo self-discipline training you are
building capacity and ability to do more. You will have the capacity to do more
and better than you were.

We have seen the importance of self-discipline and how important it is to become


successful or influential in life, work and relationship.

Self-esteem.

In psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall subjective


sense of personal worth or value. In other words, how much you appreciate and like
yourself. It involves a variety of beliefs about yourself, such as the appraisal of your own
appearance, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors.

Self-esteem includes all of the various beliefs that people hold about themselves
including those related to how they look and feel, as well as how they feel about specific
attributes or abilities ("I am a great writer," "I'm a terrible actor," I'm not good in
mathematics,"etc.). Other terms that are often used interchangeably with self-esteem
include self-worth, self-regard, and self-respect. Self-esteem is our opinion of our self
and our worth. It’s our perception of our value as a person, particularly in regard to our
work and achievements, our purpose in life, how we relate to others and our ability to
stand on our own feet. Your self-esteem can either be healthy or unhealthy and I will
show you some signs of healthy and unhealthy self-esteem.

There are common ways to tell if you have a healthy self-esteem. You have a healthy
self-esteem if you are most likely to;

a) Avoid dwelling on past, negative experiences.

b) Know your needs.


c) Feel confident.

d) Have a positive outlook on life.

e) Say "no" when you want to.

f) See overall strengths and weaknesses and accept them.

There are also common ways to tell if you have an unhealthy self-esteem. You will need
to work on yourself if you are displaying these signs of an unhealthy self-esteem. They
are;

a) You believe that others are better than you.

b) You find expressing yourself and your needs difficult.

c) You focus on your weaknesses.

d) You frequently experience feelings such as shame, depression, or anxiety.

e) You have a negative outlook on life.

f) You have an intense fear of failure.

g) You have trouble accepting positive feedback.

h) You have trouble saying "no" when you are supposed to.

i) You struggle with confidence.

Unhealthy self-esteem is so detrimental to anyone who wants to be successful. If you


want to be a success you will need to work on your self-esteem. Most times people
mistake being shy or timid for low or unhealthy self-esteem but it is wrong. Being shy or
timid doesn't mean you have a low self-esteem, you can be shy but you still think highly
of yourself.

How to work on your self-esteem.


As noted above, improving your self-esteem takes practice and intention but is well
worth your efforts, as there is a clear link between high self-esteem and quality of life.
There are ways in which you can work or build a healthy self-esteem and I will be happy
to walk you through that part.

1. Become more aware of your own thoughts and feelings. Learn to identify the
negative, distorted thoughts that are hurting your self-worth.

2. Challenge negative thoughts. When you find yourself engaging in negative


thinking, try countering those thoughts with more realistic, positive ones. This is
very important because words and thoughts have a way of building or ruining a
person. That is why you need to counter those negative thoughts with positive
thoughts and words that have been said to you with positive words.

3. Treat yourself with kindness. Focus on using hopeful statements and try to focus
more on the positive aspects of situations. Practice forgiving yourself for past
mistakes and move forward by encouraging and accepting yourself.

4. Work on yourself. If there are things about yourself or your life that you don't
feel good about, consider what changes you can make. Then, make a plan to put
those changes into action.

5. Accept compliments. Notice the urge to deflect praise and instead, hear it and let
it in. Interestingly, research shows that difficulty accepting compliments is
directly correlated with low self-esteem.

6. Recognize the importance of healthy self-esteem. Once you begin to see how
your view of yourself impacts life satisfaction and well-being, you may be more
motivated to alter your thinking and value yourself more.

7. Talk to a professional. Problems with self-esteem can also contribute to or be a


symptom of a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression. Talk to your
doctor or therapist about your treatment options, which might include
psychotherapy, medications, or both.
Importance of healthy self-esteem.

When you value yourself and have good self-esteem, you feel secure and worthwhile.
You have generally positive relationships with others and feel confident about your
abilities. You're also open to learning and feedback, which can help you acquire and
master new skills. The following are the importance of a healthy self-esteem;

a) Assertive in expressing your needs and opinions.

b) Confident in your ability to make decisions.

c) Realistic in your expectations and less likely to be overly critical of yourself


and others.

d) More resilient and better able to weather stress and setbacks.

e) Being Ready and Willing to Help Others.

f) Embracing New Challenges.

g) Having Good Communication Skills.

h) Understanding Your Value.

i) Having High Motivation.

j) Good Mental Health.

Self-esteem affects virtually all facets of life. Maintaining a healthy self-esteem is not
being proud or blowing your own horn, but it is accepting and appreciating who you
are. If you want to be a success, if you want to be successful you will learn to keep your
head high and accept who you are and also work on yourself so you can become what
you want to be.

Self-Confidence.

Self-confidence is an attitude about your skills and abilities. It means you accept and
trust yourself and have a sense of control in your life. You know your strengths and
weaknesses well, and have a positive view of yourself. You set realistic expectations and
goals, communicate assertively, and can handle criticism.

On the other hand, low self-confidence might make you feel full of self-doubt, be
passive or submissive, or have difficulty trusting others. You may feel inferior, unloved,
or be sensitive to criticism. Having high or low self-confidence is rarely related to your
actual abilities, and mostly based on your perceptions. Perceptions are the way you
think about yourself and these thoughts can be flawed.

How to increase your self-confidence.

 Recognize and emphasize your strengths. Reward and praise yourself for your
efforts and progress.

 When you stumble on an obstacle, treat yourself with kindness and compassion.
Don't dwell on failure.

 Set realistic and achievable goals. Do not expect perfection; it is impossible to be


perfect in every aspect of life.

 Slow down when you are feeling intense emotions and think logically about the
situation.

 Challenge making assumptions about yourself, people and situations.

 Recognize that past negative life experiences do not dictate your future.

 Express your feelings, beliefs and needs directly and respectfully.

 Learn to say no to unreasonable requests.

 Identify and avoid ‘frenemies’. Are there certain people in your life that
constantly judge and compare, and just bring out your competitive streak (and
not in a good way)? It's okay to limit contact with these individuals or, if possible,
avoid them completely.

These are ways in which you can boost or increase your self-confidence.
Benefits of self-confidence.

Having self-confidence can bring many benefits at home, at work, and within your
relationships. Here's a look at a few of the positive effects self-confidence can have on
your life.

1. Openness to try new things: When you believe in yourself, you’ll be more willing
to try new things. Whether you apply for a promotion or sign up for a cooking
class, believing in yourself is key to putting yourself out there.

2. Better resilience: Self-confidence, or believing in yourself, can enhance your


resilience, or ability to bounce back from any challenges or adversities you face
in life.

3. Better performance: When you feel confident in yourself, you’re able to devote
your resources to the task at hand. Rather than waste time and energy worrying
that you aren't good enough, you can devote your energy to your efforts. So
ultimately, you'll perform better when you feel confident.

4. Improved relationships: Having a healthy dose of self-confidence can help keep


your relationships happy and healthy. One reason is that people with self-
confidence tend to set strong boundaries, prioritizing their own needs and
emotions. Having self-confidence not only impacts how you feel about yourself,
but it helps you better understand and love others. It also gives you the strength
to walk away if you're not getting what you deserve.

5. Less fear and anxiety: when confidence is high, you can accept, adapt, learn, gain,
and benefit from any situation in life. In this way, you naturally replace fear and
anxiety with greater confidence in yourself and your capabilities.

6. More energy and motivation to act: the more confident you are that you can
achieve things you want to achieve (like personal goals or dreams), the more
motivated and energized you are to take action to achieve them.

7. Greater success: in case it’s ever been a mystery why self-confident people tend
to be more successful, now you know! Each of the benefits above help you
achieve things you want to achieve faster and more easily, which means you will
enjoy more success in life.

You have seen the benefits of self-confidence and how important it is to become a
success.

Personality.

Personality is defined as the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional


patterns that evolve from biological and environmental factors. While there is no
generally agreed upon definition of personality, most theories focus on motivation and
psychological interactions with one's environment.

Personality on the other hand can affect the way we see things, understand things and
the way we interact with each other. Personality is the characteristic patterns of
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that make a person unique. It is believed that
personality arises from within the individual and remains fairly consistent throughout
life.

Explanations for personality can focus on a variety of influences, ranging from genetic
explanations for personality traits to the role of the environment and experience in
shaping an individual's personality.

We need to have a good personality. A person who people enjoy their company, a
person who is likeable and pleasant is a person that has a good personality. For you to
be successful you need to develop a good personality.

Characteristics of Personality.

So, what exactly makes up a personality? Traits and patterns of thought and emotion
play important roles as well as the following fundamental characteristics of personality:

1. Consistency: There is generally a recognizable order and regularity to behaviors.


Essentially, people act in the same ways or similar ways in a variety of situations.
2. Psychological and Physiological: Personality is a psychological construct, but
research suggests that it is also influenced by biological processes and needs.

3. Behavior and actions: Personality not only influences how we move and respond
in our environment, but it also causes us to act in certain ways.

4. Multiple expression: Personality is displayed in more than just behavior. It can


also be seen in our thoughts, feelings, close relationships, and other social
interactions.

How personality affects work.

Your personality will determine how well you do in a job or how poorly you will treat a
job. Personality affects all aspects of a person's performance, even how he reacts to
situations on the job. We are going to see how some personalities affect your work.

 Extroverted and Introverted: An extrovert or an outgoing person will not find it


hard to work in a position where he/she will be interacting with people,
socializing and knowing people. An introvert will have difficulty working in such
a position. You will see the success of an extrovert in that position will be much
greater than that of an introvert. Likewise, an extrovert working in a place where
he will sit down at a place all day and an introvert doing the same you will also
see the success of an introvert will be greater than an extrovert.

 Attention to detail: Some people are wired to pay attention to every detail and
this helps them see the bigger picture from the scratch. When you have this
personality, it affects how you will work, because you will work towards that
bigger picture.

 It motivates you or wears you down: Some people have this self-motivation
personality and some always look down on themselves. When you have a self-
motivating personality, you tend to work better. While the other will not work
how he/she is supposed to work.

 Your personality will determine how you will treat people: Some people their
personality is not very good. For example, a rude person will always be rude no
matter where he/she goes. Your personality will determine whether you treat
people right or not.

How to work on your personality.

We are going to look at the various ways in which we can work on our personality. It is
essential you know how to work on your personality. If you don't have a good
personality, the chance of becoming successful is very slim.

a. An Introvert should get social: An introvert normally likes staying on his own, l
mean he/she enjoys their own company. What you need to do if you are in this
category is to try and leave your comfort and get to know people, startup
conversation and enjoy people's company. There is no way you can build contact
or network if you are always boxed up or if you are always on your own.

b. An Extrovert should try to stay put: Just know when to remain calm and stay on
your own. It is not always necessary to talk and interact with people, sometimes
to learn to be more conservative. This will help you think, meditate and you will
also see areas of your life that need improvement.

c. Have a good reputation and integrity: It is important that when you make
promises to people, you fulfill them. Honesty and truthfulness are essential
qualities for an effective and good personality. You can only earn respect and
admiration of others if you extend the same feelings towards them. If you have
integrity and respect, then your personality will shine among many others.
Respect others and yourself so that you have an excellent life.

d. Read more and expand your interest: The more you read and cultivate new
interests, the more interesting you are to others. When you meet new people, it
allows you to share what you know and to exchange your views with them.

e. Have a positive attitude and outlook: Who wants to be around people who are
negative, complain a lot, or have nothing good to say? In fact, most of us run
when we see them coming. Instead, be the kind of upbeat person who lights up a
room with your energy when you enter it. Do it by looking for the best in people
and things. Smile warmly, spread good cheer, and enliven others with your
presence.

f. Try to be fun and see the humorous side of life: Everyone enjoys the company of
someone who makes them laugh or smile, so look for the humorous, quirky side
in a situation, there always is one. Comic relief is a much welcome and needed
diversion at times. When you can add fun and lightheartedness to an otherwise
dull or gloomy setting, others will naturally be attracted to you, not to mention
grateful.

g. Be supportive of others: Being supportive is probably the most endearing quality


you can integrate into your personality. Just as you welcome it, be the support
for others when they need it. We all love a cheerleader in our corner; someone
who is encouraging, believes in us and helps pick us up when we're down. This
makes teamwork and partnership very sweet and beautiful.

h. Be a good listener: Always listen to people, pay attention to every word they are
saying this will make them feel loved and important. People will always want to
be with a person who listens to them.

i. Be sacrificial: learn to sacrifice for people. This thing has a long way in building
your personality. A selfless person is what people need mostly and people look
down on this. In order to have a good personality most times you go out of way
to do things for others and also help them get what they want.
Chapter three: Goals, Setting goals, How to achieve goals.

In this chapter we will be talking about goals, how to set goals and how you can achieve
your goals. You need to understand what a goal is, how you can set them and you can
achieve them if you really want to be a success. Being successful is a deliberate step
people take. In order to take those steps that you need to know what a goal is, how to
set them and how to achieve them.

What is a goal?

A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people
envision, plan and commit to achieve. People endeavor to reach goals within a finite
time by setting deadlines.

A goal is roughly similar to a purpose or aim, the anticipated result which guides
reaction, or an end, which is an object, either a physical object or an abstract object,
which has intrinsic value.

Goals enable us to achieve focus in life by helping us to determine what we want. They
keep us motivated and propelled, constantly putting us in a state of action. Goals, when
properly conceived and pursued can help us to maximize the one and only life we have
to live.

Most times people think goals are dreams, but now they are different terms and they
cannot be applied in the same way. Dreams are aspirations fueled by desires. They exist
in the realm of imagination and often give us inspiration. Whereas goals are action
based. Goals stretch us and help us to achieve results. Our dreams can only be actualized
by setting realistic goals and working diligently to achieve them.

Goals help you to understand and quantify the steps you will have to take in order to
actualize your vision. Having a broader life vision will help you to achieve more goals.

Setting Goals.
How can I set these goals? This question is common among people who want to become
successful and influential. I will be willing to show you how to set your goals properly.

1) Set goals that motivate you: When you set goals for yourself, it is important that
they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and
that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or
they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the
work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals. Set
goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without this type of focus, you
can end up with far too many goals, leaving you too little time to devote to each
one. Goal achievement requires commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of
success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude.
When you don't have this, you risk putting off what you need to do to make the
goal a reality. This in turn leaves you feeling disappointed and frustrated with
yourself, both of which are de-motivating. And you can end up in a very
destructive "I can't do anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.

2) Set Goals in writing: The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and
tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word
"will" instead of "would like to" or "might." For example, "I will finish 50 books
this year," not "I would like to finish 50 books this year." The first goal statement
has power and you can "see" yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks
passion and gives you an excuse if you get sidetracked.

3) Set SMART Goals: You have probably heard of smart goals in one way another,
but have you applied. S-specific, M-measurable, A-attainable R-relevant and T-
time bound.

a) Set specific goals: Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or
generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient
direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as
you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to
end up.

b) Set measurable goals: Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals
so you can measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as
"To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been successful? In
one month's time if you have a 1 percent reduction or in two years' time
when you have a 10 percent reduction? Without a way to measure your
success you miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you have
actually achieved something.

c) Set attainable goals: Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set.
If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize
yourself and erode your confidence. However, resist the urge to set goals that
are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can
be anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that
carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you
hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to
"raise the bar" and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.

d) Set reliable goals: Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life
and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop the focus
you need to get ahead and do what you want.

e) Set time bound goals: Your goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that
you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a
deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that
much quicker.

4) Make an action plan: This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get
so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along
the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you
complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal.

5) Stick with it: Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity, not just a means to an
end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available
to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term,
but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make
sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.
How to achieve goals.

Undoubtedly, achieving any goal requires acute self-discipline. It involves a conscious


awareness of our actions and the ability to overcome some of the bad habits that might
be holding us back. Instilling self-discipline into our lives is no easy task. It requires an
unwavering attention to our actions and an unrelenting drive for wanting to achieve
something big. The same way you set those goals you also actually achieve them in a
similar way. These are steps you need to follow if you want to achieve those goals.

a) Be specific about the goals you want to achieve: Most people don’t know what
they want to do with their life, and even after thinking hard, they don’t come up
with something they really want to do. Think well and decide what you really
want to achieve. It must be important for you.

b) Draw a plan of action: After setting your goals, your next line of action should be
considering how to execute them.

c) Make a list of steps: List the steps you need to take, such as signing up for a
course, studying, reading, developing the required skills, looking for a job, and
other steps you need to implement that will take you closer to achieving your
goal.

d) Be active and don't be passive: Take action and follow the steps on your list.
Don’t just wait for things to happen.

e) Read and listen to advice: Read books or articles about what you want to achieve.
Meet people who can help you, and listen to their advice, but use your common
sense and reason before accepting anything.

f) Make alternative plans: If a certain plan doesn’t work, look for an alternative one.

g) Examine your goals periodically: Some goals aren’t worth achieving.


Circumstances and people change. Some goals lose their importance. It is a good
idea to re-examine your goals regularly and weed out the worthless ones.
h) Be affirming yourself: Affirm with faith and feelings that your goal has already
been achieved. If you don’t undo your affirmations with doubts and lack of belief,
they will be accepted by your subconscious mind, which will then provide you
with ambition, motivation and opportunities.

i) Visualize your goals: Visualization will also affect your subconscious mind, which
will keep you motivated, focused on your goal, and more aware of ideas and
opportunities.

j) Take action: Don’t just affirm and visualize and do nothing. Take any action that
is required to bring your goal into fruition. Follow your intuition, new ideas, and
opportunities that present themselves, and accept help from other people.
Chapter four: The right attitude to work, Work ethics.

In this chapter you will know the right attitude to work, work ethics and the importance
of having them. For you to be successful you will need to have the right attitude to work
and good work ethics. You will also learn how you can improve your work ethics.

The right attitude to work.

The word attitude can be described as the feeling and thought someone has towards an
individual or something. The right attitude to work will now be the right way or the
right thought someone or people treat their work or task. Here are the right attitudes
people who want to be successful most possess.

1. Professionalism: The ability to do the work well, as well as respect for your own
and other people's work, is a primary positive mental attribute.

2. Diligence: Whatever knowledge, professionalism or skills a good employee may


possess, it is diligence that affects the quality of his duties. Recently, an
interesting trend has been observed in the labor market: it is challenging to find
hardworking subordinates. Such a person sees the goals precisely, respects his
work, and strives to achieve high results.

3. Responsibility: The ability to be responsible for every action and decision you
take is a good attitude towards work and it will help you make wiser decisions.

4. Self-improvement: Regardless of age, if a person is committed to self-


improvement, self-learning, development. This will make you adjust to any
situation and you may encounter along the run.

5. Loyalty: You must be loyal to yourself and people you are working with in order
to achieve good success.

6. Ability to get on well with people: This is a good quality to possess if you want to
be successful. For you to be successful you will need people to help you walk that
part and if you cannot get along with people you will not go far.
7. Punctuality: You must always come to work and also complete your job or task
on time. If you want to be successful you must be a reliable person, people will be
able to know you are always punctual when it comes doing your work and
getting work done.

8. Honesty: A person who wants to be successful must be an honest person at all


time

9. Trustworthy: Being trustworthy is a very good right attitude to work. It will


make people rely on you at all times. This will also make you reach your goals
faster.

10. You must have leadership skills: You must possess leadership skills. A leader is a
person who sees things ahead of orders, a person who knows the end from the
beginning, a person who directs the part of others, a leader is an example to
others. So, you will need to have this skill and quality for you to succeed.

11. Respect for people: You must know when you are about to enter people's
boundaries and not enter it, you must respect their choices too.

12. Commitment: You must be committed to what you do for you to be successful.
Commitment is giving your hundred percent and your total attention in what you
are doing.

Work ethics.

Work ethic is an attitude of determination and dedication toward one’s job. Those with
a strong work ethic place a high value on their professional success. They exhibit moral
principles that make them outstanding in any position. If you have a strong work ethic,
you believe in the importance of your job and typically feel that hard work is essential to
maintaining a strong character.

Work ethics will help you know how, what and when to do or take action in your place
of work. Work ethics will show you the proper way to treat people or your colleagues in
your place of work.
Examples of work ethic skills are;

 Reliability: A person with a strong work ethic is very reliable. You can expect
these individuals to be on time for shifts and meetings. They meet their
deadlines and offer quality work.

 Dedication: Part of a good work ethic is commitment and dedication to the


job. He/she knows how to focus on tasks without being distracted. The
person usually works until they finish their duties.

 Discipline: Discipline is an essential part of showing a good work ethic. Highly


disciplined person shows determination and commitment to the job. He/she
strives to meet or exceed expectations and seek opportunities to learn new
skills and improve their performance.

 Productivity: A strong work ethic translates to outstanding productivity. For


example, productive employees often have a higher output than their
counterparts. They complete projects early and do more than the minimum
requirements.

 Integrity: Professional integrity means holding oneself to high moral


principles. Those with a strong work ethic also have outstanding integrity.
They’re honest, polite and fair to others.

 Cooperation: A good work ethic is something that a person often spreads to


those around them by cooperating willingly on projects. They show good
teamwork and readily assist others when needed.

How to improve work ethics.

There are ways in which you can improve your work ethics. If you think your work
ethics are not good enough you can try the following ways;

i. Prioritize your professional responsibilities: Maintain good attendance, return


promptly from lunch and arrive for meetings early. Strive to make personal
appointments that don’t interfere with your work schedule and only take
personal calls on your cell phone when you’re at lunch.

ii. Act as a good ambassador.

iii. Seek professional development: Independently seek ways to improve your work
performance, such as taking night classes, attending weekend seminars or
reading industry publications.

iv. Review your work: Submit thorough work that you have double-checked for
quality and consistency. Manage your time properly so you can deliver projects
early and give each task the time and attention it requires.

v. Show respect to others: Speak politely to and about others in the workplace.
Keep your interactions professional to show your respect for others.

These are basic ways in which you can improve your work ethics. Knowing good work
ethics and the right attitude to work without practicing them in your everyday life is not
a great idea.

For you to be successful you need to take these right attitudes and these work ethics
into action in your life, business and work.
Chapter five: Network, Creating Network, How to Manage your
network.

This chapter will be looking at what network is, how you will create network and
management. It is important you know what a network is and how to create them too.
There is this popular saying that people normally say "your network will determine
your net worth". So you need to create a good network of people so you can be
successful. One of the habits of success is creating a network that will help you be your
best, do your best and remain the best.

Network.

They are a set of human contacts known to an individual, with whom that individual
would expect to interact at intervals to support a given set of activities. In other words,
a personal network is a group of caring, dedicated people who are committed to
maintain a relationship with a person in order to support a given set of activities.
Having a strong personal network requires being connected to a network of resources
for mutual development and growth.

Networks are intended to be mutually beneficial, extending the concept of teamwork


beyond the immediate peer group. The term is usually encountered in the workplace,
though it could apply equally to other pursuits outside work.

However, despite its off-putting connotations, networking is actually about building


long-term relationships as well as a good reputation over time. It involves meeting and
getting to know people who you can assist, and who can potentially help you in return.
Good networking has a basis of trust and support.

Characteristics of Network.

A network must have the following characteristics;

i. Purpose: A network can be established for learning, mission, business, idea, and
family or personal reasons.

ii. Structure: A network is a group of interlinked entities that form a cluster. Most
social structures tend to be characterized by dense clusters of strong
connections.

iii. Style: The place, space, pace and style of interaction of the networks give an
understanding of the style of the networks.

Importance of Network.

1. Strengthens business connection: Networking is about sharing, not taking. It is


about forming trust and helping one another toward goals. Regularly engaging
with your contacts and finding opportunities to assist them helps to strengthen
the relationship. By doing this, you sow the seeds for reciprocal assistance when
you need help to achieve your goals.

2. Getting fresh ideas: Your network can be an excellent source of new perspectives
and ideas to help you in your role. Exchanging information on challenges,
experiences and goals is a key benefit of networking because it allows you to gain
new insights that you may not have otherwise thought of. Far from it being a
nuisance, most people love being asked for help. It's flattering and makes them
feel useful. If you’re struggling with a decision, challenge or new direction, calling
up a trusted former colleague, mentor, teacher or friend to organize a coffee can
be beneficial to both of you, as they will in turn think of you when next they have
a challenge.

3. It raises your profile: Being visible and getting noticed is a benefit of networking
that’s essential in career building. Regularly attending professional and social
events will help make your face known. You can then help to build your
reputation as being a knowledgeable, reliable and supportive member of your
profession by offering useful information or tips to people who need it.

4. Get access to Job opportunities: Expanding your contacts can open doors to new
opportunities for business, career advancement, personal growth, or simply new
knowledge. Active networking helps to keep you top of mind when opportunities
such as job openings arise and increases your likelihood of receiving
introductions to potentially relevant people or even a referral.

5. Gaining more knowledge: Networking is a great opportunity to exchange best


practice knowledge, learn about the business techniques of your peers and stay
abreast of the latest industry developments. A wide network of informed,
interconnected contacts means broader access to new and valuable information.
The opportunity to gather new information is an often-overlooked benefit of
networking, as it’s not the most obvious one, but it also offers career progression
and development.

6. You gain career advice and support: Gaining the advice of experienced peers is
an important benefit of networking. Discussing common challenges and
opportunities opens the door to valuable suggestions and guidance. Offering
genuine assistance to your contacts also sets a strong foundation for receiving
support in return when you need it.

7. Build confidence: By continually putting yourself out there and meeting new
people, you’re effectively stepping outside your comfort zone and building
invaluable social skills and self-confidence that you can take with you anywhere.

8. Gaining a different perspective: It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of


your professional realm and end up in a rut. By talking to others in your field or
people with expertise in a particular area, you can gain insights that only come
from viewing a situation with fresh eyes. Asking for opinions from contacts you
trust or admire can help you see things in a new light and overcome roadblocks
that you might not have known how to circumvent otherwise.

9. Building long lasting relationships: Of course, the point of networking is to


develop and nurture professional relationships, but some of the strongest and
most long-standing friendships are born from work connections. Your
networking contacts are probably like-minded people with similar goals as your
own, so it’s not unlikely that your professional support network will spill over
into your personal friendships.

10. You will always get an answer to any questions: As long as you have a strong
network of professional connections, you can be confident that someone within
your sphere will be able to answer even your toughest questions. And, if there’s
no definitive answer, you’ll have a solid sounding board to bounce ideas off and
put into action step-by-step plans to tackle bigger problems.

How to create a network.

i. Stay on top of mind: Always be the best version of you or try to be the best
version of you all the time.

ii. Expect nothing in return: Everything you do for people in your line of work or
in business should not always be transactional. Be selfless and do not expect
them to return favors by doing so you will retain some relationships that will
help in future. People have cut off some people because their favor was not
returned and they lost a relationship that would have made them for life.

iii. Make the relationship meaningful: Always define your relationship. Every
relationship or friendship should not always be for gist, laughing, partying
and all that. You need to make meaningful ones, relationships that will help
you with business ideas and contracts too. Relationships are not always for
relaxation.

iv. Focus on transparency: Always come out clean to them. Do not hide your
intentions or try to disguise your motive. This often ruins important
relationships.

v. Make sure they know what is valuable to you: It is very important you tell
them things you value and you keep on reminding why it is valuable to you.
Your network is supposed to know things you take seriously and things you
don't. Since it is a mutual beneficial relationship they will also value what you
value.

vi. Show appreciation: Many people always get this part wrong. Showing
appreciation might not necessarily mean sending gifts, although you can send
them gifts too. I will advise to always say thank you whenever someone or
person does something for you, even if it is as insignificant as picking your
pen that fell on the ground to show some appreciation. When you people see
they are appreciated they will be more than willing to do more.

How to manage your network.

A. Prioritize: Make sure you make a list of people you want to prioritize in your
network. There may be people who you enjoy at their companies and they are
not so important to you concerning business. You need to make a list of your top
priority and another list for the others.

B. Show them you care: As simple as it may sound, your email, phone calls, text
messages will make them feel cared for and important. You will show them you
care about them and you value the relationship.

C. Offer to help: Another way to remain in good standing with your contacts is to
look for ways you can be helpful to them. Always be ready to help them tackle
any challenge they are facing. For example, if one network needs a small business
idea, be willing to assist the person with ideas.

D. Do not brag: Although it’s good for your network to know about your
professional successes and promotions, you don’t want to gain a reputation as a
braggart.

E. Do not force friendship: If there is someone from your past that you want to keep
up with and you’ve tried multiple times but the other person just doesn’t seem to
have that same desire, it’s probably a sign to give up. Do not become overly
concerned with connections that are not mutual because, just as with other
relationships, seeming desperate only makes you less desirable.

F. Regroup from time to time: Every four months or so you need to look at your list
of contacts and ask, is it still accurate? Who should I add? Who is no longer quite
as relevant? Then from there you can regroup and start again.

We have seen how we can manage our network or contacts effectively and this will help
you become successful.

Chapter Six: Psychology of Success

Psychology of success determines the behavior and habits we choose in order to achieve
success. If you want to master the psychology of success, I commend you to follow this
practice;

1. Become conscious of why you do what you do: We all come into our careers or
life situations for a reason. We learn our roles in our families of origin and often
recreate patterns until we work through them. Give yourself permission to let go
of old behaviors that are no longer working for you.

2. Open yourself up for prosperity: Cognitive psychology suggests that our thoughts
precede our feelings and behaviors. Be mindful not to constrain yourself with
self-limiting beliefs.

3. Develop your vision: As in sports psychology, positive visualization increases the


likelihood of success. Ask yourself, if you had a magic wand, what would you
want? Aim high. Look for how your strengths and gifts can benefit others,
creating the type of "win-win" scenario that the universe will gladly support.
Consider creating a vision board.

4. Bring your attention to your present: Honor the past, learn from it, and let it go.
Don't obsess or worry about the future. Discover the power of mindfulness
practices such as deep breathing and meditation, which keep you firmly
grounded in the present moment.

5. Silence your inner critics: Pay attention to your self-talk and notice if you have
negative thoughts that are likely rooted in the past. Separate from negative
beliefs by "zooming out" and looking at situations from an objective and neutral
place.
6. Practice positive thinking: Understand that positivity attracts positivity through
the laws of attraction. Choose to be your best cheerleader rather than your worst
critic.

7. Discover the power of intentions: Identify the primary intentions of your life,
write them out, and live by them

8. Appreciate that personal and professional progress is not linear: We all go


through setbacks. It's how we respond to those setbacks that determines if we
are going to endlessly cycle or stagnate or grow and develop. Cut yourself some
slack and recognize we are all human and are works in progress. Learn from
mistakes, be resilient and forge ahead.

9. Love yourself: Practice self-compassion and self-care. Establish work/life


balance and a positive support network for yourself. Demonstrate this self-love
by making a commitment to achieving your greatest successes in life.

Success is to live your life openly, honestly and courageously in a manner that is
aligned with the highest good of self and others and to the greatest extent
possible.

Importance of psychology of success.

Psychology of success has its importance in our lives and business. Let’s look at
the importance of the psychology of success.

i. It makes you have a positive mindset about yourself.

ii. You become intentional about becoming successful.

iii. You will have a clearer objective

iv. You will grow your capacity intentionally.

v. You will be more deliberate with your actions, activities and your life.

vi. It keeps your mental health stable and in order.


Chapter seven: Healthy Living.
Healthy living is a lifelong effect. You must have a healthy lifestyle so that you will live
healthy. Being healthy includes healthy eating, physical activities, weight management,
and stress management. Good health allows people to do many things.

A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-
being. Most times people ignore this part in the process of chasing success but you
cannot do well in life if you don't have a healthy lifestyle. You might have heard people
say "health is wealth". The statement is very true it only takes a healthy person to get up
from his bed and pursue his goals. You cannot accomplish so much in life you don't have
a healthy lifestyle. So it is important you learn how to live healthy and also practice
them.

How to live a healthy life.

There are various ways in which one can live a healthy lifestyle and they are;

1. Drink more water: Most of us don’t drink enough water every day. Water is
essential for our bodies to function. Do you know over 60% of our body is
made up of water? Water is needed to carry out body functions, remove
waste, and carry nutrients and oxygen around our body. Since we lose water
daily through urine, bowel movements, perspiration, and breathing, we need
to replenish our water intake. Furthermore, drinking water helps in losing
weight.

2. Getting enough sleep: When you do not rest well, you compensate by eating
more. Usually, it’s junk food. Get enough rest and you don’t need to snack to
stay awake. Also, lack of sleep causes premature aging and you don’t want
that.
3. Meditate: Meditation quietens your mind and calms your soul. Meditation is a
mental exercise that keeps your mental health stable and balanced.

4. Exercise: Movement is life. Research has shown that exercising daily brings
tremendous benefits to our health, including an increase in lifespan, lowering
of risk of diseases, higher bone density, and weight loss. Increase the activity
in your life. Choose walking over transport for close distances. Climb the
stairs instead of taking the lift. Join an aerobics class or a dance class. You can
also pick an exercise you like. When you enjoy a sport, you naturally want to
do it. Exercise isn’t about suffering and pushing yourself; it’s about being
healthy and having fun at the same time. Adding variation in your exercises
will keep them interesting.

5. Eat fruits and vegetables: Fruits have a load of vitamins and minerals. Do you
know that oranges offer more health benefits than vitamin C pills? As much
as possible, consume your vitamins and minerals through your diet rather
than through pills. I eat a variety of fruits every morning and they energize
me. Satisfy your palate with these nutritious fruits: Banana, Papaya, Kiwi,
Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Watermelon,
Honeydew, Peach, Apple, Grapefruit, Mango, and Orange. Vegetables are the
source of many nutrients and minerals like folate, vitamin K, folate, vitamin A,
manganese, and potassium, not to mention dietary fiber which is important
for good gut health.

6. Cut down on processed foods: Processed food is not good because (a) most of
the nutritional value is lost in the creation of these foods, and (b) the added
preservatives are bad for our health. Many processed foods contain a high
amount of salt which leads to higher blood pressure and heart disease. In
general, the more ingredients a food has on the label (ending with ‘ite’ or
‘ate’), the more processed it is.

7. Love yourself: Self-love is a crucial part of living a healthy life. When you have
a negative self-image, it naturally weighs down on your mental outlook and
health.
8. Purge negative people out of your life: Positive mental health is part of a
healthy life. You don’t need toxic people in your life. If you feel that a friend is
overly critical or negative, let him/her go.

9. Purge negativity from yourself: You don’t need negativity from yourself
either. Listen to the thoughts that come up and get rid of your negative
thoughts. One great way to remove your negativity is to brain dump when
you feel frustrated. Brain dump is the act or an instance of comprehensively
and uncritically expressing and recording one's thoughts and ideas.

10. Improve your posture: Having a good posture improves your breathing and
makes you look smarter and more attractive.

11. Avoid emotional eating issues: Do you eat when you feel stressed, bored, or
frustrated? Emotional eating is eating to fill an emotion rather than real
hunger. However, emotional eating will never make you feel happy because
you’re trying to fill a void that has nothing to do with food. Food doesn’t give
you love or happiness; it’s just food. Get to the root of the issue and address it.

12. Stop eating when you feel full: Many of us rely on external cues to tell when
we’re full, such as whether everyone has finished eating or whether your
plate is empty. These are irrelevant: you should look at internal cues, such as
whether your stomach feels full and how you feel. Don’t eat just because
there’s food on the plate.

13. Cut down on sugary drinks and foods: Sugary food consists of your candy
bars, pastries, chocolate, cookies, cakes, and jelly donuts. Not only do they not
fill you, but they trigger you to eat more due to the sugar rush. Eating once in
a while is okay, but not daily. Go for healthy snacks instead. Sugary drinks are
unfortunately sold everywhere today, namely in the form of soda and sweet
drinks. These drinks are unhealthy and cause weight gain.

14. Don't drink alcohol: Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it drains water from
your body. Not only that, but alcohol is repeatedly proven to have negative
effects on our body and health, impacting the proper functioning of our brain,
liver, lungs, and other major organs. If you drink alcohol regularly, it’s time to
cut it out, or at the very least, reduce your consumption.

15. Learn to say no: Don’t eat just because you’re out with friends or because
other people offer you food. Simply say no and say you’re not hungry if you
don’t feel like eating.

16. Eat what you need: It is better to eat less and in line with your energy needs,
rather than eat excessively and work off excess calorie intake through
exercise. When you eat excessively, you strain your digestive system by
making it digest more food than you need, and when you exercise excessively,
you strain your body.

17. Stop smoking: Smoking is detrimental to health, severely increases the risk
of lung cancer, kidney cancer, esophageal cancer (of our gullet), heart attack,
and more. Smoking “lite” cigarettes do not decrease health risks either. If
you’re a smoker, quit not just for yourself, but for your family and friends. If
you don’t smoke, stay that way and don’t start.

18. Get regular checkups: Some diseases don’t show up as symptoms until it is
too late. Get regular blood tests for blood sugar, vitamins, and minerals, along
with urine tests.

19. Practice good dental hygiene: Good dental hygiene makes you a lot more
desirable and it is linked to better health. Brush your teeth twice a day, rinse
your mouth after each meal, and floss after each meal if possible. Use a
fluoride-free toothpaste to protect your gum health.

20. Hang out with friends: You’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most
time with, so the more time you spend around healthy people, the better it is.
Dine with people who are health conscious and get workout buddies. This
makes healthy living more fun.

These are ways in which you can live healthy. Living healthy is not just knowing what
you are supposed to do but is by knowing and what you are supposed to do.

When you practice these things well, you will notice how healthy and active you will
become. You need your health so you can perform well and give your hundred percent
to become successful.
Conclusion.

We started off by looking at the concept of habit generally and we understood what
habit is all about. We also know that habit can be formed by the repetition of voluntary
action. We also understood habits can be carried consciously or subconsciously. For
example, brushing your teeth, the way you eat etc. these are habits that have been
formed in your subconscious.

We also talked about how habit is formed and we also talked about how long it takes to
break a habit and we say it takes up to sixty-six days to break a habit and most times it
takes longer than that.

We looked into the habits of success such as daily routine and time management, self-
discipline, self-esteem and self-confidence, goals, setting goals and achieving them,
network, creating a network and managing network, psychology of success and healthy
living.

In our daily routine we said that daily routines are those tasks or activities we do daily.
We looked at the stories of some successful men and we saw what their daily routines
looked like. We saw the importance of this daily routine and how it has in grooming
them for success. We also learnt how you can create routines like; writing them out,
being specific, structuring our day, putting time adjustments to the routine and test
running the routine.

In time management we said that time management is the strategy of planning out our
time and also knowing and using the amount of time required to complete a task. We
also talked about the importance of time management. We know when to do proper
time management. It will help us get a step ahead in completing our goals.

In self-discipline we saw that self-discipline is the ability to push yourself forward, stay
motivated, and take action, regardless of how you're feeling, physically or emotionally.
We looked at the importance of self-discipline and we discovered self-discipline will
make you stay on top of your game, you will be more focused and clear minded, self-
discipline will make you stay determined and not to give up, you will keep pushing until
you get there.

In self-esteem we discovered self-esteem is the way you feel about yourself and we also
noticed the way you feel about yourself will determine how far you can go. We also
looked at healthy and unhealthy self-esteem. In the book, we saw how we can build a
healthy self-esteem.

In self-confidence we understood that self-confidence is an attitude about your skills


and abilities. It means you accept and trust yourself and have a sense of control in your
life. You know your strengths and weaknesses well, and have a positive view of yourself.
We also looked at the benefits of self-discipline and how it can help you become
successful. We also talked about personality and how our personality affects our work.
We also discussed how we can improve our personality. A good personality attracts
people and if you want to be successful, you need to have a good personality.

In Goals we discussed what goal is and made it clear that a goal is different from a
dream and most people mistake dreams for goals. Dreams are just aspirations fueled by
our desires. I also talked about how you can set these goals of yours; write them down,
set specific goals, set measurable goals, set attainable goals, set reliable goals, set goals
that are time bound, set goals that motivates you e.tc. Then we also talked about how
you can achieve them and I will just narrow it down a bit; be specific, draw a plan of
action, make a list of steps, be active, read and listen to advice and make a plan B.

In network, we also discovered we need people if we really want to be successful and


we also know that for you to be successful you need to create a good network. In this
book we saw how you can create a network of people and not only had we also talked
about how you can manage that network. To create a network there are various steps in
which we can follow and they are; stay on top of your mind, expect nothing in return,
make relationships meaningful, focus on transparency, make sure they know what is
valuable to you, show appreciation. We can also see how to manage our network such as
prioritize, show you care, do not brag, and offer to help, do not force friendship, and
regroup from time to time.

We also looked at the right attitude to work and we said that the right attitude to work
is the right way people treat their work. We looked at some of those right attitudes to
work such as; commitment, punctuality, honesty, diligence, responsibility,
professionalism etc. and we also looked at work ethics and how important it is to have
good working ethics if you want to be very successful.

We also talked about living a healthy life. It is very important we take care of our body
and work to improve our health. We said that healthy living is a lifelong effect. You must
have a healthy lifestyle so that you will live healthy. Being healthy includes healthy
eating, physical activities, weight management, and stress management. Good health
allows people to do many things. So we also looked at some ways we can live a healthy
life. Ways like; exercising the body, avoiding sugary foods and drinks, meditating, eating
fruits and vegetables, cutting of processed foods, stop smoking and if you have not
started you should stop it, hangout with people that have a healthy lifestyle, know when
to say no, do not allow external factors decide when you should stop eating etc.

This book generally will give you an oversight on what you need to do, why you need to
do it and how you will do it. This book the habit of success will allow you walk miles in
the shoes of successful people and it will also guide you in the part of success. Just like I
said earlier in the book "Rome was not built in a day". The habit of success will not just
kick off overnight it will require your dedication, your time, your commitment and your
strength to get you what you want. You will need to practice these things you are seeing
in this book in your everyday life for it to work out. You have understood that habit is
the repetition of voluntary actions and you cannot form this habit of success; you are
not repeating them. Although there are some things you will unlearn during the course
of reading this book. You will unlearn procrastination; laziness and you will learn to
take action and carry out your tasks respectively.

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