5 Personal Habits to Support Your Career

Some people try to separate their work lives and their personal lives, avoiding outside friendships with co-workers, and striving to leave work at work, without spending their evening and nights attached to their laptops.

This approach certainly has its benefits and it’s unhealthy to spend all our time chained to the demands of email and sales spreadsheets.

Of course, we know this separation is rarely clear and our personal lives and habits can have a tremendous impact on our success at work.

Here, then, are five personal habits to cultivate that can benefit your career and lead to greater success:

Get sufficient sleep. Of the habits to focus on here, this is perhaps the most important. If you’re not getting enough sleep you will have difficulty implementing the additional habits, you will struggle focusing on the job, and may be more irritable with your colleagues and customers. Most people need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night so make that your goal.

Avoid alcohol on work nights. Contrary to popular belief, drinking alcohol does not help you sleep. It might help you fall asleep easier but alcohol makes it more difficult for you to get into deeper levels of sleep, preventing your body and your brain from getting the rest the need. You might, of course, experience a hangover the next day at work depending upon how much you drank the night before. Perhaps it’s better to leave that trip to the local brewery or glass of wine after dinner for the weekend.

Get up early. One habit that highly successful individuals often advocate is getting up earlier. This affords you an opportunity to get focused on the important goals of the day, spend some time in meditation or prayer, and get in some exercise and a healthy breakfast.

Be attentive to the good. It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of paying attention to the good in your life, avoiding the steady stream of negative news and complaining co-workers, and keeping your focus on the positive.

Make time for physical activity. Think creatively about your physical activity and do things you enjoy. Your exercise doesn’t have to be at the gym. Maybe you prefer to go for a swim, or perhaps your routine involves an evening walk with the dog. If you can bike to work that’s great. But the important thing is just to ensure that you’re able to get in some fairly strenuous physical activity three-to-five times a week. You’ll notice that staying active will make it easier for you to get good sleep and avoid unhealthy habits.

There are many other personal habits that can benefit your career but starting with these five is a great place to start.