Nothing feels like success. And the only thing better than one – is more. To bring more successes into your life, there are two things to do. First, celebrate your success. Second, set yourself up for future successes.

You probably celebrate big successes. What you likely haven’t taken the time to acknowledge are your smaller, daily successes. By noticing these achievements, you build your confidence and enthusiasm. You can set yourself up for future success by incorporating Casey Imafidon’s 10 Little Things Successful People Do Differently into your life.

1. They Strive for Consistency – Imafidon says having a schedule allows successful people to focus on their goals. Routine may sound boring, but it’s what gets most things done smoothly. Although most of our routines are imposed, we still make choices about when we check email and when we do lesson plans. To the extent possible, choose tasks that work with your body cycle. Are you more alert in the mornings or evenings? Use your lower energy times for the activities that need less focus.
2. They Set Daily Goals – It’s not just having a to-do list. It’s knowing what the high priority tasks are. Imafidon refers to Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express, who identifies three goals for the day. When you know what you want to achieve for the day, you feel success as each is completed.
3. They Nurture the Right Relationships – We are supposed to get along with every staff member as part of making the library a safe, welcoming place for all, but it’s important to ensure we have strong relationships with key stakeholders. According to Imafidon, “successful people look for support and find people they can connect with….” This builds advocates and helps make you and your program successful.
4. They Display High Emotional Intelligence – You need a high EI to forge those “right relationships.” You also need it to understand what can help others and therefore result in them recognizing how important you and your program are to their success. I have often said, “I am a connector. I connect people to ideas and information. I connect people to people who can then help each other. And I connect ideas to ideas, seeing how they link to form new ideas.”
5. They Take Action – Simply put, successful people are willing to leave their comfort zone to get things done. The bigger your comfort zone, the more opportunities for success.
6. They Practice Positive Self-talk – Beating yourself up for a perceived or past failure will not contribute to your success. It will only make you less willing to try something else. It’s almost impossible to get something positive done with a negative mindset. Imafidon recommends having an affirmation-like phrase like “today is going to be a great day” when you need to make a shift.
7. They Stay Healthy – When you don’t feel well, you don’t do well. What is your daily diet like? Healthy or harmful? We all know the positive results of eating healthy, being active, and getting enough sleep.
8. They Meditate – Imafidon says Meditation increases focus and productiveness. Our brains need downtime. Putting in more hours does not translate into more getting done. If you have trouble meditating, try a walk or a few minutes listening to quiet music. Remove yourself from your workspace.
9. They Act on Small Improvements to Their Goals – As the old riddle goes- “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” A big goal usually seems almost impossible to achieve. Break it down into small bites. Achieving success one bite at a time motivates you to continue until you finally reach that big goal.
10. They Wake up Early–It’s not only the “early bird catches the worm,” it’s also using what, for most us, is the most productive part of our day. You can get so much done before the usual distractions begin. See if you can get to your library before anyone knows you’re there (consider not turning on the room lights) so you have time to get yourself prepared. Then you can turn them on to connect with the early-bird teachers who also want to get a head start.

Every success matters – and the daily ones may matter more because without them, it’s hard to keep moving forward on the bigger projects. Celebrate yourself when you can and notice your achievements. Wishing you all much success.