We all love a good origin myth. A child pianist prodigy. An app empire built on an A-student. A sports phenom in high school who ends up an Olympic gold medalist.
But organizational psychologist and Wharton business school professor Adam Grant says success isn’t only for the wunderkinds. Rather, it depends far more on what you do every day. It’s the daily habits we can’t see, but which add up over time, that run our lives.
In the interview with CNBC, he said that the daily actions we do repeatedly are more impactful than the occasional flash of effort. One more important thing he talked about is the process of learning, where he explained as follows,
“I’ve found that the learning process isn’t finished when we acquire knowledge. It’s complete when we consistently apply that knowledge.”
And that’s where your daily habits come in. Most people accumulate knowledge, but rarely apply it. Practice is what leads to mastery, not memorization. The gap between knowing and growing is closed one small habit at a time.
Grant, who has spent his career studying how people work, has found 11 small yet powerful daily habits that separate the high achievers from the rest of us. And they’re not what you would guess.
They’re not tricks or hacks, but rather thinking and behavioral patterns that are centered on thinking long term. Anyone can start moving toward his or her goals by adopting these habits.
1. They Accept Discomfort
Success lies outside your comfort zone. Grant’s premise is that if you’re going to develop, you need to attempt to get yourself uneasy. That stress is not failure; that’s what it means you’re developing. He holds firm that,
“If you are going to do it right, it’s going to have to feel wrong first.”
Discomfort, by the way, is actually a growth plan. The moment something becomes easy, you’re probably not learning. Becoming acquainted with being uncomfortable builds resilience and unleashes creativity you didn’t know you had.
2. They Create a Budget of Possible Fails
Trial and error is not just a method of education, but a necessity. Grant recommends having an “error budget,” a number of failures you can make in a day or a week.
Why, you might ask? Because thinking you’re going to screw it up makes you more open to taking a risk and learning from it, instead of being stifled by perfection.
It also makes failure an acceptable part of the process, instead of a threat. In the long run, the habit makes you emotionally flexible and confident in your choices.
3. They Ask for Advice, Not Feedback
Feedback looks backward, what did I do right, or what did I do wrong? Advice looks forward. Grant proposes flipping it by saying, “What’s one thing I could do differently next time?”
It has the effect of eliciting more useful advice and transforming critics into coaches. The change has the added benefit of making others more willing to assist you, for you are asking them to collaborate instead of criticize. What you receive is often a function of the question you ask.
4. They Know Who to Listen To
The web is noisy and fairly inaccurate. Grant advises that successful individuals understand how to filter. Who do you listen to? Above all, three things you need to look for:
- Credibility – They actually know their stuff
- Familiarity – They know you
- Care – They care that you win
These three are the triangle of credible input. Without all three, advice becomes misleading or even toxic. Curation of your influencers is one of the most undervalued success tricks.
5. They Strive to Be Excellent, Not Perfect
Perfection is a paralyzing myth. Establish high expectations, Grant advises, and also have an awareness of where “good enough” is also best. Channel your energy where it truly matters, and let the little flaws pass.
Excellence is maintainable, unlike perfection, which is draining. You can’t expand if you are too afraid to take chances. Master the difference between polishing your work and fretting over details that won’t make a difference.
At the end of each day, ask yourself: Did you get better by any metric? Did you make someone else better? Small wins are significant when they are part of a larger story. Reflection turns experience into progress.
6. They are Their Own Ultimate Judge
Outside validation is pleasant, but Grant encourages it to never be your guide. Ask yourself this question before you publish a piece of work: Would I be proud if this were the only piece of work the world ever got of me?
This kind of thinking fosters integrity and ownership. Waiting for others’ approval slows one down and makes one’s voice weaker. Outside validation is weaker when your own voice is strong.
7. They Practice What They Play
Repetition doesn’t have to be boring. When an NBA player sets strange challenges (as when Steph Curry attempts 21 points in one minute) or when medical interns improvise to add such nonverbal communication, deliberate play sustains motivation.
Play is serious business. When learning is fun and something like a game, people stick with it longer. Adding curiosity and creativity to procedures makes them more effective and more enjoyable.
8. When Stuck, They Step Back
Getting nowhere at all? Step back, don’t give up. Step back is strategic. Sometimes the most useful thing you can do is regroup, get a new plan, and begin again.
Progress isn’t ever in a direct line. Stepping back provides the perspective you cannot find working within the dilemma. Sometimes, with a fine adjustment in your direction, huge breakthroughs are possible.
9. They Teach What They Want to Learn
The most effective learners teach. Grant says that teaching a thing is learning it twice. This happens when you memorize something to teach someone else, so the result comes in a way that you retain information longer.
Teaching engages higher orders of thinking. It also enhances empathy and communication skills. Don’t wait until you’re a master; teaching accelerates learning.
10. They Root for Underdogs
Gifted children are great, but what about the late developers? Grant is passionate about establishing systems where the underrated and unnoticed are allowed to thrive. In school, business, or your neighborhood, be the defender of the people who never get their due.
A good system is one that makes success more inclusive. Talent awaits everywhere, but opportunity doesn’t. Leave space for underdogs, and progress becomes possible.
11. They Travel Through Time Mentally
If you find yourself stuck, do this: picture your childhood self looking at where you are now. Grant calls it “mental time traveling,” and it’s just such an engaging way to look at how far you’ve traveled. Reflection is not ego, it’s perspective.
It makes you notice struggles you’ve survived. It sparks gratitude, too, which becomes even greater motivation to keep going.
Proof of the Ideas
Grant’s ideas are not just sound theory but are rooted in reality and science. His application of behavioral psychology to business strategy has led Fortune 500 companies to rethink how they lead and develop talent.
His ideas are reshaping how people think about growth, from university lecture halls to corporate boardrooms. And it’s founded upon repeatable, actionable steps.
And if this list has you wondering where to start, Grant provides simple advice: select one habit that speaks to you and start there.
“Self-improvement isn’t about becoming someone else,” he explains. “It’s becoming more of who you are on purpose.” Select a habit that speaks to you for the season of your life. Start small, but remain consistent.
Introduce Daily Habits to Improve Your Life
No matter if you have to lead, create, or just feel like you’re progressing again, adding on even some ordinary routines to your life could be the difference in your path. The power of daily consistent effort compounds faster than we know.
It doesn’t have to be all; it must be something each and every day. And if nothing more, take away these words: Success isn’t being the smartest person in the room. It’s being present each day and putting in the work, especially when it’s hard.
That’s what separates the highly successful from everyone else. Even the most talented individuals won’t just be able to coast on talent. It’s daily habits that gain momentum. So go out there, do something new, break something on purpose, or get a little awkward today.
Your future self is already your biggest fan. It is the daily, mundane habits that build the legacy you leave behind. It is consistency, not intensity, that can lead to radical change. Make your daily habits your superpower for self-improvement.
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