14 Brilliant Habits Of High Achievers Who Actually Work Less Than The Rest Of Us
Hard work and long hours isn't the key to success after all.
maxbelchenko | Shutterstock In a society that celebrates the grind of extended work hours, a few clever individuals have discovered the key to achieving success and happiness without compromising their well-being. What's their secret?
Here are 14 brilliant habits of successful high achievers who actually work less than the rest of us:
1.They celebrate micro-wins.
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It’s so easy to get wrapped up in worrying about the end goal, which can make you feel stressed or stuck.
But taking a moment to appreciate your small victories along the way can help keep your spirits high and your motivation shining bright!
Every significant achievement results from a series of small actions, and celebrating each little win means acknowledging every baby step taken in the right direction.
Highlighting your progress, no matter how small, will boost your confidence, spark your motivation, and strengthen the habits that brought you here.
2.They rest.
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The pace of modern-day life can make it challenging to prioritize rest. You likely have a never-ending to-do list, and there are only so many hours in the day, but you will be more productive if you allow adequate resting time.
Good sleep habits help improve your brain performance, mood, and health. This is because the brain has a drainage system that removes toxins during sleep.
Your brain's repair processes will be disturbed when you skip resting hours.
3.They prioritize their own identity.
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To succeed in your work life, you must prioritize your personal life. If you give yourself more time to focus on your identity and interests, you’ll have more mental clarity regarding your work and other responsibilities.
It’s impossible to work efficiently when your mind, body, and soul lack nourishment.
If you get lost during your work, you’ll lose yourself.
4.They delegate.
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Let’s face it — you can’t do everything yourself. If you tried to, you’d just go crazy. That’s why delegating specific tasks and responsibilities to others you trust is essential.
Feeling unsure about entrusting a task to someone else is natural, especially when you think you can do it better. However, by selecting the right individual, articulating the reasons for needing their assistance, and providing clear guidance, you can delegate tasks more effectively and reduce your own burden.
Dr. Scott Williams, a management professor at Wright State University, points out that delegating frees up your time and builds trust among your colleagues as they acquire new skills and knowledge that enable them to contribute more in the future.
Delegating tasks doesn't just apply to your work life; you can use it daily. For example, if you have kids, that only adds more responsibilities to your life. You can delegate some of these tasks to your partner, family member, or friends. Remember that it’s okay to ask for help.
5.They bookend their day.
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Getting caught up in your workday responsibilities is easy, and you might find yourself working longer than necessary to stay on top of things. However, this is how you lose yourself and struggle to maintain a healthy workflow.
TikToker Dean Fordham explained how bookending your day with specific and structured morning and evening routines allows you to prioritize your most important tasks when you know you'll be able to complete them.
This will help you to stop procrastinating, stay organized, and get your work done more quickly and effectively — without overwhelming yourself.
6.They accomplish the most critical work task first.
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Focusing on what is a priority will help you become more productive. “Pick your most important task. Get it done thoroughly,” Fordham explained in his TikTok.
“It doesn't matter if that's the only task you do that day.”
When you feel overwhelmed, prioritize the most important task first. The rest will eventually fall into place.
Remember that you’re just one person, and it’s unrealistic to complete items on your list at a machine-like pace.
7.They say 'no.'
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Saying "no" to someone can be challenging, but setting and enforcing boundaries is essential to avoiding feeling overwhelmed. While it's understandable to want to help and be involved at work, remember that it’s okay to say no now and then. Trust your gut when new opportunities or tasks come your way. If you're feeling low on time, energy, or motivation, it’s okay to decline.
Setting your boundaries allows others to respect and honor your needs. According to Frontiers in Psychology, published in the National Library of Medicine, setting healthy boundaries in personal and professional life is significantly linked to increased happiness, improved relationship satisfaction, reduced stress, and better mental health overall.
Setting boundaries shows self-awareness and enhances your relationship with yourself without sacrificing what matters. Prioritize yourself over everything else. Don’t give away your time for free; respect your time like you respect other people's time. Remember, you're not rejecting everything—saying no to the wrong things frees you to say yes to the right ones.
8.They take brain breaks every 30 minutes.
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A great strategy to improve your productivity and motivation is to take "brain breaks" every 30 minutes.
In this digital age, we spend our entire workdays staring at screens, so your physical and mental health needs to step away every so often.
Set a five-minute timer to walk outside, get some fresh air,, and disconnect from your work briefly. This is a great way to manage your stress and find your peace. When you return to work, you'll feel more relaxed and inspired.
“That break is going to replenish your brain’s capacity for attention, focus, and creativity,” Mari Carmen Pizarro explained in a TikTok.
9.They ask for help.
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You are not a superhero, and you are not a robot. You can't do it all, and that's okay! You're not supposed to.
Know when it's time to ask for help. When easily irritable and overwhelmed, finding support and assistance from others — your partner, coworker, relative, or friend — is invaluable and will relieve stress. Humans are social creatures who thrive in community.
When you ask for help, you build a community of people you can trust. These people can help you facilitate further development and maintain optimism when dealing with challenging situations.
Asking for help improves your resilience and allows you to overcome setbacks and grow.
10.They clarify expectations before getting started on something.
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Before you dig into your plans and projects, run them by your boss, colleagues, or clients. That way, you settle onto agreeable terms and have a precise idea of what to generate.
Openly communicating plans is key to achieving optimal results. Everyone stays on the same page when you explain your ideas and clarify expectations.
Clarifying expectations will also keep you focused, enhance accountability, and prevent you from getting off track or wandering away from tasks.
11.They use a 5-3-1 productivity strategy.
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In a TikTok, Isis Breanna explained the 5-3-1 strategy that helped improve her productivity while reducing her work hours.
The five stands for setting five significant tasks to complete each week, assigning one task per day. Restricting yourself from overworking by only focusing on five tasks per week can improve your productivity tremendously.
The 3 in this strategy stands for three minor tasks per day. This means achieving simple tasks that can be done quickly and efficiently daily.
And finally, the one stands for "one major win." Breanna explained that once you complete all your assigned tasks for the week, you celebrate this fulfilling win.
Not only is this a strategy that promotes better organization and productivity, but it can also lower your stress and overwhelm by preventing hyper fixation on everything that needs to be done simultaneously.
12.They set shorter deadlines for tasks.
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Procrastination presents a genuine challenge, making tasks even tougher when excessive time is given for their completion. This concept, known as Parkinson’s law, asserts that "work expands to fill the time available for its completion."
Essentially, the more time you have, the more demanding tasks feel, as the prolonged buildup inevitably leads to feelings of intimidation and stress.
That’s why setting a shorter deadline for yourself can be beneficial. Oddly enough, giving yourself less time to finish work can increase productivity and efficiency.
13.They follow the 80/20 rule.
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The 80/20 rule — also known as the Pareto Principle — states that 20% of your efforts will produce 80% of your outcomes.
This rule aims to identify and complete the tasks that have the most impact. This method lets you prioritize your most important tasks, increasing productivity and achieving more remarkable results.
This also means focusing too much on the smaller tasks will have the opposite effect.
14.They prioritize self-care.
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Lastly, but certainly not least, self-care is essential for maintaining a stable lifestyle and enhancing success. Practicing self-care doesn't just mean taking bubble baths and applying face masks.
There are so many ways to improve your health. Simple and necessary self-care practices include eating healthy, staying active, getting adequate rest, drinking lots of water, practicing yoga or other mindfulness techniques, and spending time with loved ones. It’s also important to acknowledge your life outside of work.
Incorporating these habits into your routine will do wonders for your success and well-being.
It’s not the quantity of hours worked but the quality of work that genuinely defines achievement. Work smarter, not harder!
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team, based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human interest, and spirituality topics.