Achieving Success By Building Good Habits.

If there was one single thing that separates high achievers from the rest then that would be having a good daily routine. Almost everyone already has a usual morning routine of when to wake up, get ready for work, eat breakfast, drop the children off and go to work. What a lot people don`t have in their daily routine is time set aside for personal development and growth. Usually they come home from work exhausted and relax, cook dinner for the family then end up watching TV or some other activity to free themselves from the stress of the day. By the time they want to get something done, such as preparing for an exam or doing exercise it`s already late you need to sleep for fear of being a zombie at work tomorrow.

Does this sound familiar? It if does then I`m sorry to say but it`s the prime example of a bad daily routine.

Now I`m not asking you to spend all of your waking time doing something productive. Everyone needs time to wind-down and relax from time to time. What I am asking for is for you to free up 30 minutes to an hour a day, preferably before dinner. Instead of watching that episode of the Simpsons with your children, turn the TV off and do homework with them. Instead of putting your feet up after work and drinking wine put your running shoes and jog for 20 minutes. A small change like this can have a big impact on your daily life and those of your children.

Change isn`t easy, so starting small is the best way. That extra 30 minutes to an hour spent teaching your children each day, be it yourself of via private tuition, can have a huge impact on their grades. Also, it reinforces into them the importance of having set scheduled times for daily activities. After a while it becomes second nature and the study skills stay with them for life. Similarly, for yourself, taking that 20-30 minute run daily or even reading a book or studying will have a big impact and soon become second nature.

As you may have noticed, I have mentioned multiple times having exercise as part of your daily routine. I can`t actually stress this point enough. Exercise is very important. You will look better, feel more energetic, sleep better and be overall healthier. This will show in almost all of your daily activities. The key to a healthy mind is a healthy body. I also insist that you get your children exercising if they aren`t already active. Sign them up to an after school sports club, martial art or even just exercising with you.

Now if you`ve read this far I`ll assume you agree with what I`ve said so far and are serious about change. Well then I don`t want to waste anymore of your time so I`m going to mention some of the best stuff I use daily to enrich my life to give you an idea of where to start off if you haven`t already got one.

- Interested in learning a new language? Search the Google Play or Apple App Store for an app called Duolingo. Short basic lessons in French, Portuguese, German, Italian and Spanish for when you have 5 - 10 minutes spare.

- No time to work-out but you want to get seriously fit? Try either the Focus T25 workout or, if you have more time, Insanity workout by Sean T. Cheaper than a gym membership and you can do them in the comfort of your own home. You have been warned though, they are not easy!

- Looking to learn a new skill or revising for exams? Get a 2nd hand textbook from Amazon.co.uk, they can be quite cheap, and a timer of some sorts such as your phone or watch. Set an hour countdown and just work through the book for an hour each day. No stopping early!

I hope that this had been an interesting and impactful read for you and with you the all the best with your new personal or family routine.