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If you want to achieve success, you can’t get there through willpower, positive thinking, or motivational seminars. Those things are great – but if you rely on them, they’ll fail you in the end. Here’s the one thing you need to do…

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Want success? You can’t get there through willpower, positive thinking, or motivational seminars. (Click to tweet.)

Whatever success means for you, success habits are what pull you there. (Click to tweet.)

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97 Replies to “The Most Important “Success Tip” You’ll Ever Get”

  1. you mentioned your daily habits of hydrating stretching meditating… but you said nothing of your daily habits around your business success…
    not much help to us who are stuck, after hydrating meditating and stretching. lets hear something about business success habits..or does your staff do all of that????? how about a video about your budiness habits….

    • Great stuff Jeff and perfect timing for me. Just getting started today at re-engineering my morning routine with the idea that i can get massively better results with a few morning well thought out habit changes. The idea that has stuck on my head is something Dan Sullivan said, ” you’e just 20 new habits away from doubling your revenue”. Its not directly a revenue thing for me, but a live transformation thing. Thanks again.

      p.s. would love to hear about your afternoon routine.

    • Thank you – I needed this so much today. I have a morning ritual, which when I honour it, works so well. Feeling stressed and I do not. Thinking that I should be addressing other things, the needs of others, and I do not. Always the result is not good for me or others.
      Your word today reminds me of the value of habits to be honoured.

    • Well have you heard that you have to work on yourself and the business improves? Work on yourself stop being so pre-occupied!

    • Could not agree with you more
      Use will power to apply and STICK to productive habits…

    • Thx Jeff for sharing yoir personal Habits. Business Hanits you can learn from going to school or online. Personal habits a create the person that you are

    • @Brigitte: thanks for you comment. There is so much in your comment that I could shoot a whole series of videos to answer you… but I’ll keep this short:

      I publish a video here each week – and there are dozens and dozens of them on this blog about creating business success. Here’s a playlist of 31 videos with lessons learned from 20 years in business: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJy86ffG9Hc&list=PLwGsKFM2lnRkArbGblvFnF9AUQq0pFqL3

      • I was wondering about “daily habits” after your daily health routine…that starts you off into your business productivity…whats the first thing you do???? check your calendar…to do list…check messages…check in with staff…?????? Brendon Burchard says dont check email or social media…. what gets you going in high productivity mode….DAILY…

    • IMO you also need to have a open-mind and let go fear and paranoia of your head (I mean, not you, but us people in general)

      I’ve never thought it would be possible to travel half the world with almost no money being a latin america. But I searched for solutions and I was open for everything that could happen. Sounds cliché, but when you are open and checking the big picture, it all happens naturally.

      Jeff Walker and other guys are inspiring me to find the greatest version of myself.

      You asked his business success, but as he says he doesn’t work… He lives! It’s all about making the money work for you (youtube money, book money, your services money, courses money, traffic of website money etc)

      I hope you find your path and be successful

      🙂

    • If you just followed Jeff’s free content and applied some of it to your own lifestyle or business, you’re already well ahead of the pack.

      Try this link Brigitte. There’s plenty of golden ideas in here that Jeff shares. Amazing value.

      It’s gotta be a progressive application towards your goals. Persistence and resilience always wins in the end.

      https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwGsKFM2lnRkArbGblvFnF9AUQq0pFqL3

    • i think that’s the point…these ARE business habits !…they are essential to the success of his business..it’s just these habits go right at the start of his daily business activities..

  2. Great video, Jeff, about success habits–and here I am watching it at six in the morning, having checked my emails a few minutes ago (actually, I’m leaving the house shortly). I’ve done a bit of habit change, and need to do more. Keep up the good work!
    Al

  3. These are all very good points Jeff. I’ve been working for a long time on doing what you suggest. I know what you’re saying is right. I have a lot to do over the next year and beyond that, and focus and productivity is very important. With that I will get the job done. Without that I won’t. This fits in right alongside what I’m trying to do. Thanks.

  4. Hi Jeff,

    Before anything, I must say THANK YOU, your PLF materials, the books/videos are astounding!
    I am really grateful to all your staff.
    I am an entrepreneur from India – an idea to invoke the creative side of mankind.
    Wish you have a Merry Christmas and a great New Year ahead!

    Have Adda! Have Fun!

  5. Hallo Jeff,

    thank you so much !

    we all have read abo his in some ways, but…
    …but never I´ve experienced it in such a clear
    and focused kind as in your video message !

    TANK YOU AGAIN!

    Erich (Austria)

    PS: I like also your house and place where you are
    living – have been there during my 1 year stay
    in the US in 1985 !

  6. Hey Jeff, Love your stuff. I bought into Brandon Burchard Expert Academy and need to apply this before moving to the next training. But something deep inside tells me it needs to be your work..
    Your videos are very sharing, caring and valuable. Reassuring. Thank you for your wisdom.

  7. Hey Jeff,

    Great video. You are right that having a positive mindset etc. isn’t the be all and end all. Whatever you are doing (or trying to do) you MUST take ACTION.

    I think this is where rituals, habits etc. come into play because they take all the positive energy you are trying to nurture and allows you to focus it on action to move you and /or your business forward.

    And with the end of the year looming and the “ritual” of the broken New Years resolution, this is a timely message.

  8. Hi Jeff,
    That is great advice! As I struggle with being as competent with my days as I can. This is the first video I’ve watched from you and I really enjoyed it. I would like to know what you do exactly in the mornings that sets your tone for the day.

    Thank-you, for sharing!

  9. Thanks for reminding me that the road to success is mostly about focusing on habits. It´s not a complex thing, it´s just a step by step process of integrating them into your day. Simplify rather than trying to do to many things at once. Onwards Jeff

  10. It’s a wonderful habit to wake up check the phone for such positive message. Your video just created a folder for me. Thanks

  11. Thanks for the great video Jeff. I agree that a morning ritual is key to starting the day in a conscious and intentional way. I am a holistic nutrition, eating psychology counselor and mindset coach and I teach the importance of this to all of my clients.

    I have a ritual in place for personal habits in the AM but can’t wait to also hear about some of the business habits you’ve implemented… That will be super helpful to me!

  12. Thank you for bringing the importance of the right habits into focus, Jeff. I’m going to make it a habit to work on my habits now!

  13. Good message. As they say
    “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”
    “Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practised every day.”

  14. Success by hydrating? Is this a joke? Something is missing in your video right?

  15. Affirming video because I know other “greats” like Marie Forleo who swear by this morning ritual too and when I do any part of this ritual (like meditating), it makes enormous difference.

    So can you give a few sample habits BESIDES the morning ritual that have contributed to your success?

  16. Thanks Jeff,

    You keep me on track with your snippets of wisdom and encouragement for being a successful entrepreneur

  17. What a wonderfully said reminder. Thanks Jeff! What’s the best way for me to reach out to potentially discuss this more with you on my podcast (Luminary Business)?

  18. I just happened to watch this, and it makes total sense to me. I’ve been in a rut of late and I was looking at how I can get my energy back up to have more business success. Definitely a change of habit is the answer. . Not looking at my phone first thing, get active asap and use my mornings to thank God for my blessings and meditate on my visions! Thanks Jeff

  19. Does he even read these comments at all? Lol. I’m wondering whether he will answer the questions here. In my opinion, Jeff only cares about sales. I totally agree with what Brigette said.

    • Been following Jeff for 3 years and NOT as a client. Free emails. Free videos. Free everything. He didn’t even know my name less than a week ago. It’s really frustrating to fail or be struggling in our business. I have failed a LOT. It’s also easy to fall into that thinking of, “yeah, he has time to meditate because he’s rich…” but then I remind myself that Jeff struggled just like all of us. He puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else and ties his shoes the same way. The only difference is that he has learned to be a successful internet businessman. And now he teaches that to others. I finally joined PLF this past week. First time I ever bought anything from Jeff Walker- and the training is better than a masters in business. Jeff cares deeply about others. If you can’t see that, it’s a great loss! Wishing you and Bridgette the best and hope you can find the solutions you are looking for.

  20. Great advice….taking action and actually DOING I find really hard. Good intention just won’t cut it!
    I need to TAKE ACTION

  21. Maurice Waswa

    Reply

    Thanks Jeff for the videos. They have reinforced the need to get committed to daily success rituals to become more productive and successful. Be blessed.

  22. Great reminders, Jeff. In my opinion it is more important that we work on modifying our habits rather than particular tasks in our businesses.

    The habits will ultimately drive outcomes. Just keep doing the things that are important and the outcomes will happen.

    Shawn

  23. Hi, Jeff! Thanks for your work!!
    Could you please. e more specific about what you do each morning, I mean the whole process (what you do and how) so as to create something like that myself? I would really appreciate it!

  24. Hey Jeff, thank you for this. I used to meditate daily and exercise too. I’m still stuck but will begin again this morning with my meditation. Thanks for the reminder.🌷

    Lateefah

  25. I’ll add my “thank you’s” to the list of many. It’s good to be re-minded about the power of habits and how they unconsciously guide our behavior. The trick seems to be to bring these to our conscious level and retool them to our mindfull purpose. Kathleeen

  26. OK — LONG post here…I have a morning and evening ritual that keeps me grounded and on task. For those of you that are not “stuck” let’s help the ones that are by sharing what you do to get you back on track or to keep you from sliding into the ditch.

    First off I have an awesome calendar — Its a MasterMind Journal/Calendar. A friend and business collegue introduced this to me a few years ago and I love it. You set up yearly goals and break this down into monthly goals and then weekly goals. Each week there is a daily calendar and on this you make your to do list to achieve the weekly goals that roll up into the monthly and then yearly. Each day as well as each month has an inspirational quote.

    MORNING RITUAL
    6:30 wake up and quick shower
    this is only a 5 minute warm shower to wake me up — it’s my morning coffee
    6:40 exercise
    I do a 20 minute hatha yoga sequence – find something you love to do and that gets the body moving.
    7:00 meditation
    I use Tony Robbins “priming” which is 3 minutes of breathwork, 3 minutes of thinking and feeling grateful, 3-5 minutes visualizing my future. I visualize a stream/highway that runs from my heart out into the Universe and back into my heart. I think, feel, visualize what I see in my future and send this out onto this highway. I visualize my desires coming back to me into the heart from the Universe.
    7:15 shower, dress, healthy breakfast
    After I shower I dress for work – no pajamas, sweats, etc., I style my hair, make up, etc. This makes a HUGE difference for me. If I look sloppy I have a sloppy day. If I look sharp I stay sharp all day. Breakfast is always something healthy like a smoothie with lots of vegetables, or stir-fry vegetables with an egg.
    8:00 Look at my to-do list/calendar and start my ‘work day’

    EVENING RITUAL
    9:30 Look at my calendar for the next day and do any prep work needed, get organized for tomorrow
    10:00 Brush Teeth & wash face
    10:15 Epsom Salt Bath
    10:30 Read or listen to music
    11:00 Breathwork & meditation
    11:30 Lights out

    Each work day is different for me. I teach private and group fitness classes. I have organized these so that my classes are in the morning of Mon, Wed and Fri – my afternoons are spent on projects . Tues and Thurs. mornings are spent on projects, my afternoons I have private sessions with clients. I work basically with blocks of time. I always have one primary project and then one or two small projects. This keeps me focused and on task – too many projects and nothing gets accomplished. For example, right now my primary focus in creating an online course, my small project is creating an audio book for a non project organization.

    If I feel stuck I meditate and listen to the mind and what it is saying. Usually there is negativity that is coming up. When I become aware of negative thoughts, emotions I replace it with the visualization exercise I do in the morning. I also take breaks and brisk walks during the day. I get most creative when I take a nature walk, so if I can’t figure something out, need to problem solve I usually take a break, go to a park and walk.

    Find out what works for you, what motivates and inspires you and gets you moving forward. To me this is the key to not only forming habits and rituals, but it will keep you on track so that you can acccomplish what you set out to do. We each have unique gifts and talents and by staying on task we have the opportunity to share this with others.

    BTW – the MasterMind Calendar (I’m not an affiliate, nor do I get anything for mentioning this)
    can be ordered at: https://qnet.e-quantum2k.com/~whitlock/Custom/006452/RETAIL/cgi-bin/qnet-main.cgi

  27. Shamaine Robinson

    Reply

    Thanks Jeff. Love the bit about will power and only having some much. The key being to use it to create habits. I am going to implement that into my day

  28. Thanks for this Jeff – I’ve been wondering what’s been missing … it really stuck with me when you said “Have habits that pull you towards success”. One simple change I’ll make is not checking facebook for at least an hour. It is a huge time waster! I knew it, but never thought it could impact my success – but now I see that it CAN!

  29. Thanks Jeff, for your insight and getting to think about habits, I know this stuff, but haven’t applied. Thanks for great reminder.

  30. Thanks. Love it. Habit. Powerful simplicity. Habit application starting now.

  31. Love your videos! Since I have stopped watching TV & going on
    Facebook I have been more focused &gotten much more done ! It helps to make a list the night before on what you want to accomplish
    Thanks again for your advice

  32. Hi Jeff – great video, as always. Quick question: I have a morning ritual where I tell myself ten times that I’m “going to have a good day”. When I do this, as part of my meditation, I end up having productive and good days at work. Isn’t the “willing oneself into a positive mental framework” a habit that can, over time, be helpful for one’s productivity throughout the day? Looking forward to your response, and happy holidays to you and your family.

    • @Aaron: yes… absolutely. And in this case you’ve created a habit that puts you in a positive mental state… that’s awesome!

  33. Jeff, you are so right. Over the years (I’m 64) like everybody I have developed some good and some bad habits, had to restart after having lost track of some good ones and have suffered through the recurrence of some of the bad far too many times. Awareness that something has become a habit is key. I noticed a profound difference in my own life and habits when my life theme switched from Do -> Have -> Be to Be -> Do -> Have. That required coming to terms with how my habits were used to reinforce my theme. It also helped to discover that my WHY is to serve others. Meditation and prayer coupled with journaling and exercise truly is amazing. For some, the word ritual is too aligned with religion. If you find yourself in that camp, look it up in a good dictionary. Thanks again, Jeff, for being who you are and for sharing your authentic self with us.

  34. Very valuable advice. As a single mom, I know I would drown without my healthy eating habits or my house cleaning habits. And as you get control of each area of your life, you move on to the next and establish more habits. At least that’s how I do it.

  35. J. Nicci Tina Free

    Reply

    Jeff – I love you, man, and what you’re saying here. I meditate EVERY day now – AM and PM. It’s changed my life over these last several years. I have a water bottle that’s always within reach. I fill it and fill it and fill it. Any day that I don’t go outside and move is a day that I’ll end feeling off my game. My phone’s rarely seen the upstairs of my house. It’s plugged in downstairs. Now that I have that kind of stuff sorted, I can focus on building better business habits. Thank you for your inspiration and direction there, too. Did I mention? I love you, man. — J. aka: Nicci Tina Free

  36. Great points Jeff, I agree 100%. If you have not seen “Groundhog Day”, you need to take a couple hours aside and watch it. You will like it! 🙂

  37. Thank you, Jeff. The idea of using willpower to creat habits rather than to make massive changes in my life is a HUGE breakthrough! It’s like eating your frog 🐸 (or elephant 🐘) one bite at a time. What a mindshift! Thank you. Am writing my list of habits I want to incorporate and will now apply my willpower and positive thinking to accomplish those instead!!! THANK YOU! 😊

  38. Your thoughtful and genuine self comes through in all these videos.
    Thanks!

  39. John Michael

    Reply

    Wha da ya MEAN you haven’t seen Groundhog Day ?? I can’t believe I worship you !
    Handle it !
    Thanks for the great coaching ! 🙂

  40. It seems to me that the point of this post is to start your day taking care of your self and get focused. Free your spirit and free your mind and your business day will be much more productive

  41. Thanks Jeff, I needed that. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life after I quit my job and am going to start working according to my own schedule.
    Thanks again
    Doug

  42. Thank you! Recently have had issues to concentrate and focus at meditation time. Looking at my mails at first thing in the morning can be a huge distractor. Hopefully your advice will help me. Regards

  43. Absolutely agree with you Jeff! Habit to get up each morning with a purpose is the number for me to get anything you want in life! I’ve been applying for several years now and the results is really astounding!!!1

  44. Alison Shortridge

    Reply

    Dear Jeff

    I couldn’t agree more. Since I was 16, when I became a Christian, I have spent the first part of my day reading the Bible and praying. Because I was the eldest in a family of four, prayer time was difficult (no peace and quiet) so I started the habit of taking the dogs for a walk before school so that I could have that time alone with the Lord Jesus Christ. Later the venue and circumstances changed, but not the habit. When I got married and started having my six children, once again I needed “peace and quiet”, so that early morning walk stood me in good stead. I am now 68 years old and help to run a homeschooling curriculum providing service, Theocentric Christian Education. I am really busy, but that habit has stayed with me all these years. Without the Lord, I could never have accomplished what I have. I am so grateful to Him for leading me to spend that time with Him every day before the day’s business begins!

    God bless.

    Alison Shortridge

  45. Jeff, just “found” you back after years ignoring your posts… You were probably one of the first “marketing advisors” who got me on their list. Sent over right from Tony Robbins, i think. And finding lots of nice Material again, including that PLF stuff. Which must be around me for 10 years now…

    Anyway, “Willpower is limited, use it to set yourself up as best you can!” is just a great, fantastic, … concept! However, in my darker days, not even “forming productive habits” would have been in reach. What I needed, was “form productive beliefs”, partly by ignoring the world around that had developed some seriously negative momentum. And little steps from “ignore the evening news” to “divorce my wife” were what I could do and what changed my direction in a way to even start moving towards productive habits!

    So, Jeff, thanks again for getting into this area too – might well be another serious step for me!

  46. Wow! You’ve never seen Groundhog Day yet. It’s a classic from Bill Murray! It’s funny and has some great hidden meanings throughout the movie. Great video by the way! I think the key is to create new habits that break old habits that pulls us toward the things we want most. This applies to everything in our lives, not just business building.

  47. Jeff Walker, In listening to just the very first video “The Most Important “Success Tip” You’ll Ever Get” in this playlist on your blog, I find myself saying “my most productive habit change may be to stop spending so much of my time watching these videos”.

    Problem is that your videos have so much useful, helpful stuff in them that it is really hard to not want to watch the next video that comes up and there seems to be a constant stream of them. You are just way too prolific with your video production young man!   Talk about staying just one step ahead of your audience: You’ve done that in spades.

  48. What you say is true but being someone who is practiced at being negative, positive thinking does help me. It’s helped pull me out of believing I don’t deserve to be successful, all that stuff I know many of us get stuck in. It is all good. I have a positive attitude towards developing good habits!! Thanks, Jeff!!

    • @Crystal: Don’t get me wrong… positive thinking is INCREDIBLY important. It’s absolutely critical. But the way to get to consistent positive thinking is to make it a habit… and to make the things that support that frame of mind a habit.

  49. Thank you Jeff for that message. I really enjoyed your message about setting good habits. I always get a lot out of you videos but I don’t always have time to watch all of them. Thanks again. Cheers Linda.

  50. Great video! I couldn’t agree more about the power of habit. A friend steered me toward a book and an app, both called The Habit Factor about six months ago – pretty much a tool for building habits exactly in the way you’re talking about – and it’s been shocking how it’s changed my productivity. Thanks for posting this.

  51. This is a great short little video. What Jeff says makes perfect sense! It is about habits. Too often we wake up and just ‘act busy’ without actually doing anything productive. I learned this a couple of months ago from Eben Pagan. Ever since, when I wake up in the morning, I drink two glasses of water and I immediately start doing what is most urgent: creating content for my business and building my list. – that is because I realise this the time of the day when I have most energy. Reading emails, checking news etc is not productive and I have relocated these activities to the later part of my day. It works for me. (PS: sometimes – in a weak moment – I read news etc before working – but I know that this saps energy and concentration out of my system – so need to avoid at all cost). All the best, Bart

  52. Motivation gets you going, but habits keep you going toward success! Thanks for the reminder today Jeff! Love what Michael Hyatt says, Success doesn’t happen in a day, but daily.

  53. Just letting you know I’m showing this video to my high school classes. It’s a great, basic, doable, graspable concept that students can take hold of. High school students want to succeed, they want to be positive, they’re fighting to stay idealistic and at the same time shape livable ideals, and they’re looking for any way to help them to do that. I as a teacher always wish there were something more I could do. Sometimes I know, sometimes I don’t, and sometimes I wish I didn’t know what these bright, wonderful young people face when they leave the doors of the school. But maybe a simple habit – maybe just the simmering idea of a habit – can lead them to a better place; maybe it will focus them on that bad habit that is holding them back. Maybe, as it often is, it will just be a seed that you plant that will sprout later, when it’s time.
    Thanks.

  54. Jeff,

    I feel like I am getting to really know you and I really love what you are doing and who you are.
    Thank you for doing the work and having the drive to be in a place where you can do what you do.
    It might sound over the top but man I really really am so thankful to have found you and your work.
    thank you,
    Ralph Havens

  55. Thank you so much for sharing all this Jeff. I’ve been listening to the 30 days for 20 years in business and now come to your site. This is really inspiring stuff.

  56. True words, great video, Jeff. I’m right there with you. Morning ritual has made a world of difference.

    And the business succeeds when we wire in our own peace, certainty, passion, and any other feelings we need… first thing in the morning. “I have all the love and significance I need, within me now!”

    Now go put Groundhog Day on your Netflix queue – or stream it. Now go put Groundhog Day on your Netflix queue – or stream it. 🙂

  57. Guess i needed to hear this because Tony Robbins told me that earlier. Time to add a few new rituals. Thanks for punctuating the suggestion

  58. Samuel Ason

    Reply

    Hello Jeff,
    Your messages are refreshing and educative. More grease to your elbow.
    Keep it up.
    Samuel

  59. I would say you need both success habits AND the tenacity / mindset to achieve your goals.

  60. The is the one best message, which i had
    motivation also helps in overcoming the fears of life. This post has some of the finest motivational. So, read on to explore the world of wisdom in order to get motivated.

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