8 simple things successful people often do.

In reality, innate talent contributes only a small part to a person's success.

As a career counselor with 10 years of experience, Dr. Ciera Graham-Graves (USA) has observed that the most successful people achieve their goals because of what they strive to do, not because of who they are.

If you have some personal and professional goals you want to achieve this year, here are 8 things extremely successful people do daily that Dr. Graham-Graves recommends adopting.

To achieve success, you need to be clear about your goals and constantly monitor and evaluate the work needed to achieve them.

In his speech to Stanford graduates, Steve Jobs said he often asked himself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I'm about to do today?" When the answer was "no" for too many days in a row, he knew he needed to change something in his life.

If you find your habits don't align with your future plans, adjust your behavior accordingly.

Successful people understand that success requires more than just hard work and sacrifice. They know physical health is key.

Those with regular exercise habits can maximize productivity because they have more endurance and energy to complete challenging tasks. If you're busy, try incorporating 20-30 minute morning workouts to improve health, reduce stress, and build discipline.

Leaders use a lot of cognitive energy, from absorbing and decoding information to using knowledge and skills to make decisions. Therefore, successful people know the importance of investing in mental health to reduce stress, ensure mental clarity, and focus on what's important.

Meditate for 10-15 minutes each morning to cultivate calmness, focus, and serenity. To bring mindfulness into your life, try daily journaling, eliminating distractions, or practicing mindfulness and meditation.

A tactic successful people use is questioning the current state and whether they can do anything to create change.

Successful individuals not only embrace new ways of doing things but also lead change in their companies and organizations. Make a list of things you want to change in your organization and start thinking about specific adjustments needed for improvement. When implementing changes, communicate the "what" and "why" to stakeholders.

Leaders who explain the purpose of change and connect it to organizational values can generate support, encouraging their teams to embrace change.

According to leaders like Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates, reading is essential for learning new things and thinking differently. Buffett estimates he spends up to 80% of his day reading, Gates reads 50 books a year, and Winfrey has her own book club.

Reading helps increase cultural awareness and can boost vocabulary, language comprehension, and empathy. Whether you prefer self-help books, autobiographies, or literary novels, try incorporating at least 30 minutes to an hour of reading into your day to expand knowledge and keep your mind sharp.

Maximizing productivity and time is crucial for success. Daymond John, founder and CEO of hip-hop fashion brand FUBU, says he can use his time best at any moment, such as writing emails on planes instead of in the office or delegating meetings to team members.

Follow the 80/20 rule to maximize your time and boost productivity. Block 20% of your daily time to focus on highest-priority tasks. Even if you can't complete a task, you'll still dedicate 90 minutes to a top-priority item.

Facing many small decisions daily can cause emotional and mental stress, leading to fatigue. To avoid the burden of choice, leaders often eliminate the number of decisions they have to make.

American swimmer Rebecca Soni, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, says she plans as much as possible the day before going to bed to avoid decision fatigue.

"Making choices like what to wear and what to eat in the morning helps me reduce decision fatigue throughout the day," she says.

To improve your decision-making process, list all the small decisions in your life and try to make as many of these in advance as possible.

One lesson we learned during economic downturns is the importance of having multiple income sources. Tom Corley, an accountant and financial planner, surveyed 233 wealthy individuals, mostly self-made millionaires, about their daily habits.

He found that 65% of them had at least three income streams before earning their first million dollars. "Diversifying income sources allows people to weather economic downturns that are bound to happen," he said.

Start thinking about activities you enjoy and how you can monetize them. Make sure you understand the market, consumers, and competitors. Developing new products or creative ideas that differ from competitors is key to success.

CREDIT: Thanks to Hoang Phan (According to pce.uw.edu)