The 5 Most-Cited Habits of Successful People

…and how they apply to life insurance sales

1. Organization

No one is surprised that organization is often cited as a crucial habit for successful people—and not just because they have more going on than the rest of us. Being organized makes you more efficient. It also puts you in control; of your time, your space, your possessions, and your emotions. As a preneed or final expense life insurance salesperson, you can create positive organizational habits by creating to-do lists; setting daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals; and by organizing your work-time priorities.

2. Relaxation

Notice that “relaxation” is separate from “personal care,” because successful people make time for both. Relaxation could look like daily meditations or affirmations, or it could be as simple as having a set time when your phone is turned off or when you don’t answer emails. Successful people work hard during work hours, but also have off-hours that they deem important as well. Explore a new hobby (Meryl Streep likes to knit) or join a yoga class. Richard Margolin, co-founder and chief technology officer of Robokind, recommends you fold origami. Having some activity that helps you unwind is key to avoiding work burn-out.

3. Taking Action

It’s no mystery that successful people do not procrastinate. In fact, James Clear, author of the best-selling book Atomic Habits, has found a pattern in many of the successful people he has met and interviewed. He says that successful people take action before they feel ready to do so. “If you’re working on something important, then you’ll never feel ready. A side effect of doing challenging work is that you’re pulled by excitement and pushed by confusion at the same time.” As a life insurance salesperson, taking action permeates every element of our jobs. From making cold calls to setting up an informational event to speaking at a conference: success cannot happen if you don’t first make the leap or take the risk that’s in front of you!

4. Personal Care

Sometimes highly-motivated, success-driven people think the only way to achieve their goals is to sacrifice everything on the alter of success. Give up friends, give up hobbies, give up learning or vacations or sleep so that every waking hour can be dedicated to work. This line of thinking has not been found to lead to success. “Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, put it succinctly when asked what daily habit has had the largest positive impact on his life. Musk said simply, ‘Showering,’” says Investopedia. Healthy diet, personal hygiene, exercise, and time off all have incredibly positive impacts on work performance.

5. Positive Attitude

Let us end with another idea from James Clear: “the chosen” are the ones who choose themselves. You define what success looks like for your life, and then you go after it with an attitude of belief and abundance. Optimistic people are more patient, more grateful, and more charismatic than pessimistic people. When you are selling life insurance, you know that your personality and your attitude are key factors that clients consider as they make decisions. And more than that, the secret is out: success comes to people who already believe they are successful.