6 Thinking Habits of Successful People
We think (no pun intended) that thinking is just a given thing and that our individual thinking process cannot be altered.
But the truth is, you aren’t stuck with the brain you were born with.
When you understand and develop the habits of intentional, purposeful thinking, you can transform your life.
This is what most people don’t understand:
We can control our thinking and practice thinking intentionally to create a purposeful life.
Let’s dive in to the six thinking habits of successful people.
6 Thinking Habits of Successful People
Find Your Thinking Place
I’ve discovered over the last few years that for me, my porch is my thinking place.
Even during autumn, as it starts to cool down, I will sit out on my porch, watch the sunset, and think, journal, and read. It is only when the temperature dips below 40 degrees that I will not go out there on a near-daily basis, as often as I can.
Find a thinking place that gives you joy and energy.
It matters.
Everyone’s thinking place is different.
Some people (like me) benefit from being outside.
Others need to be in the center of a noisy coffeehouse for their best thinking or a spacious closet at home.
Find what works for you and stick with it.
You’d be amazed at the increase in your productivity and the ideas pouring out of your brain.
One thing that might keep you from finding your thinking place is a cluttered, messy home. If this is the case, you may want to deep clean and declutter first before selecting your thinking space.
Physical clutter becomes mental clutter in the brain and prohibits quality thinking.
Once your house is clean and clutter-free, you’ll be amazed at the areas of your home you suddenly want to spend more time in, and that will help you choose your thinking space.
Related:
- Thinking for a Change: 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work
- How Successful People Think
- 10 Ways to Declutter Your Life
- 7 Decluttering Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Make Time Every Day
Every morning after I make my coffee, I begin what I call my morning routine.
This consists of reading the day’s entry from the current devotional I’m going through, journaling my gratitude, ideas, prayers and other thoughts, reviewing my goals planner, and reviewing my daily planner.
I do this every single morning without fail.
Even if I’m on vacation, I bring the necessary materials with me to engage in this practice.
It is the most important piece of my daily routine.
Some of my best ideas are formulated during this time, and I jot them down in my journal or planner.
When you get in the habit of spending even as little as 20 minutes a day thinking, you’d be pleasantly surprised at the results that follow.
Most people will claim they don’t even have 20 minutes to spare in their day. It’s just a flimsy excuse as to why you can’t be bothered with personal growth.
There are people out there succeeding at what you want to do and they’re making time for personal growth on a daily basis.
If you want more for your life, you need to get in the habit of spending quiet time daily to think.
It doesn’t matter if it’s first thing in the morning, the last thing you do before you go to bed, or on your lunch hour.
Find the time in the day that stimulates your thinking the most.
Those 20 minutes a day (or however long you spend) add up. 20 minutes a day is 10 hours a month of thinking.
Related:
- 5 Things Successful People Do Before 8 AM
- How to Create Your Perfect Daily Routine
- 3 Morning Routines You Need to Stop Doing
- How to Create a Morning Routine
Find Your Process
Everyone’s process for thinking is different.
Immanuel Kant stared out his window at a stone tower to think, and when trees grew high enough to start blocking his view, he chopped them down.
Beethoven poured cold water over his head to stimulate his thinking.
Poet Friedrich von Schiller’s thinking was stimulated by the smell of rotting apples, so he kept them on his desk.
Compared to those guys, my process is much simpler.
I basically brew my coffee and sit down at my desk in my home office with my purple ink gel pen in hand and grab my goals planner, daily planner, journal and devotional.
For you, your best thinking might entail sitting down at a computer or staying under the covers.
Everyone is different.
I immediately associate my morning cup of coffee with thinking, so that alone gets me excited about my morning routine.
Whatever stimulates your thinking, find your process and stick with it.
Related:
- Grow You (best virtual life coaching)
- Journal Prompts
- Do’s and Don’ts to Improve Your Daily Routine
- Make Today Count: The Secret of Your Success is Determined by Your Daily Agenda
Capitalize on Your Thoughts
When ideas strike, write them down asap.
Keep a small pad of paper in your purse or use the notes app on your phone.
You know the For Dummies line of books on the market?
Chances are, you can find a For Dummies book on nearly any topic under the sun in 2022.
But did you know the first Dummies book was titled DOS for Dummies, released back in 1991?
The title came from a comment made from the editor’s uncle that nobody wanted to write a book on DOS for “us dummies.”
Lo and behold, the extremely successful Dummies series was born-all stemming from one innocent bystander’s comment.
How many times have you thought of a good idea or someone in passing mentioned something to you that was a good idea, but because you weren’t able to write it down then and there, the idea was lost?
I can only imagine what each of us could have achieved if we capitalized on our thoughts as they were happening.
Related:
- 3 Ways to Expand Your Thinking Capacity
- How Successful People Think Workbook
- 4 Keys to Cultivate Abundance Thinking
- How to Close Your Identity Gap
Act Quickly
“Every time a person puts an idea across, he finds ten people who thought about it before he did-but they only thought about it.” ~Author Alfred Montapert
When a great idea crosses your mind, you have to act on it quickly.
Not only do you need to write the idea down, but you need to pursue the idea before you start losing momentum.
Related:
- 7 Reading Habits of Successful People
- How to Make Better Decisions
- The High-Performance Planner
- The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live them and Reach Your Full Potential
Improve Your Thinking Every Day
The more thinking you do, the better you become at it.
But there are a few things you can do that can help improve your thinking:
Focus on the positive
Worrying and focusing on the negative actually deters good thinking.
Think on positive, uplifting things.
Doing so will help you move in a positive direction.
Collect Input from Resources
I believe this is why reading books, listening to podcasts and attending conferences excel personal growth.
When I read a non-fiction book, I’m never without a highlighter. While listening to podcasts, I’m taking notes in my notebook. When I’m at a conference, I’m taking notes.
The more good ideas you’re exposed to, the better your thinking becomes.
Spend time with good thinkers
“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” Jim Rohn
Who are you spending the most time with?
Their thinking will rub off on you, so consider who you’re spending the most time with and if their thinking benefits you or not.
Are they helping you to discover new ideas or are they perpetuating a limited mindset?
Related:
- The Best Personal Development Books for 2021
- How to Change Your Identity
- 5 Reasons Why Toxic Friends are Holding You Back
- How to Develop A Positive Attitude
- Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create A New One
Before You Go
You’re not stuck with the brain you were born with.
Practice thinking intentionally.
Put into practice the habits above and I think you’d be surprised to see what inspired, new ideas you come up with.
What are your best thinking practices? Let me know in the comments below!
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Hi Lisa,
I have been reading your posts every Monday for over a year, and wanted to say how much I appreciate your valuable and encouraging input. I have several journals and one is for each Monday’s summary of your writing. Thank you! Blessings, Kim
Thank you so much Kim! 🙂 You just made my day. Thank you for reading! I appreciate you. <3