Work, life, love, friends, family, world domination – it’s easy to feel like you have to be some kind of magical being to stay on top of it all. While there’s no surefire formula for success in every arena, the most exceptional leaders do tend to share a number of specific attributes.
Fortunately, these aren’t intrinsic qualities or unicorn traits – but rather deliberate approaches that each and every one of us can adopt. Our habits determine 95% of our behaviour – everything that you are today, and everything that you will ever accomplish, is determined by the quality of the habits you form.
According to Rebecca Klondinsky, founder of multimillion-dollar swimwear brand IIXIIST, attaining success has not been a matter of luck. It’s been a matter of taking the time to always learn your trade, applying knowledge, sticking with it (even in the face of adversity and potential failure along the way) and fostering the right habits into daily life that help you perform at the very maximum.
From starting the day with a good mindset, staying socially connected and not trying to balance it all, here Rebecca shares the habits she cultivates daily to improve success in personal life and career:
Start the day with a good mindset.
For power players, having a “me” moment first thing is a must, how you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. The physical and mental benefits of positive thinking have been documented by multiple scientific studies – it gives you more confidence, improves your mood, and even reduces the likelihood of developing conditions such as hypertension, depression and other stress-related disorders. For Rebecca, this includes meditation, journaling and pilates – all non-negotiables she accomplishes before ‘life starts’.
(Really) Know Yourself
“Without great solitude no serious work is possible.” —Pablo Picasso.
Our view of our inner self does not come naturally, it requires humility to bridge the gap between how we think we are and how we are in reality – which is where finding solitude can help.
Solitude equips you with knowledge and the necessary qualities to achieve personal development and success. Spending time alone for at least 20 minutes each day offers you the clarity and space you need to grow yourself independently. It gives you an introspection on who you are and what you want, and understanding your thoughts, actions and reactions gives you the power to have utmost control over your life.
Outside of her daily practice, Rebecca also regularly schedules in 2-3 days off-the-grid to clear her head and disconnect at Black Bird Byron Bay, the adult-only retreat with no phone reception or WiFi. Proper planning allows her partner to take on dad duties with her son, while the time she’s put into setting-up her business means she can step-back from time-to-time when needed.
Stay connected – socially.
It’s hard to keep up your relationships when you’re blazing your own path, but having a strong support system is important. Friendships not only make you happier, but they also make you more effective and efficient in business. Rather than treating close friends as distractions, view them as rewards; they provide motivation, simply by existing, on the days when your internal motivation is flagging.
True friends can offer you honest and helpful feedback, and can connect you to other entrepreneurs, experts, investors, resources or experiences that can help you grow. When time is short, focusing on the small gestures that take seconds is your best strategy – sending a ‘thinking of you’ text can make a big difference.
Become goal-oriented
Learning to become a habitual goal setter will enable you to work from a clear, written game-plan every day, you’ll start to know exactly what you want, a strategy on how to accomplish it, and you’ll be able to review and work on the goals as a daily routine.
The 80-20 rule is a good place to start in becoming goal-oriented. The principle states that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results, which can apply to any area of your professional and personal life. Before you begin work, always ask yourself, “Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?” The rule for this is: resist the temptation to clear up small things first. If you choose to start your day working on high-value tasks, you will soon develop the habit of always starting and working on high-value tasks.
Rebecca launched IIXIIST at the age of 24 while working in retail full-time and studying a double degree in forensic psychology, and has since transformed her business into a successful $7M a year powerhouse that maintains a 333% profit margin. Over her eight years of operating, Rebecca has built a dedicated legion of followers and bevy of celebrity customers such as Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Rihanna and more. IIXIIST is 100% sustainable and ethically made, giving the conscious consumer what they need – swim and loungewear made better.
