Success is different for everyone. Your version of success may be drastically different from mine — and that’s good. Success is truly an art of the individual. And thing is, success is not complicated. It’s simple. It’s just not easy.

Our success in whatever areas of our lives we choose comes down to a few things, and one of the majors is discipline.

• What are the things you do daily that charge you up?
• What disciplines carry you forward on your journey of continuous growth?
• What disciplines, what habits, do you have?

In the end, these are what define us: not what we do sometimes, but what we do every day. Our disciplines, our habits, make us who we are. There’s no way around that.

Disciplines vary depending on what you do. But there are some that, I find, are more general. The ten below are ones that I think are universal, that can help anyone in any path of life. I’ve been doing my best to install them in my own life, and put them forth here in hopes that someone may find them useful.

You’ve probably seen these elsewhere. That’s because they’re very common, and effective, daily disciplines. If nothing else, let this be a reminding session.

Photo by Katie Burkhart on Unsplash

#1 — Daily Exercise

Everyone says it, and it’s true. Daily exercise is one the best things you can do to charge yourself for further success. Why? Because your mind and body are linked, and a healthy mind needs a healthy body, and vice versa.

There are many proven benefits to this. The bottom line is that when you exercise daily, you create success in your very biology — in how you feel every single day.

Develop the discipline of daily exercise — no matter how small.

#2 — Meditation

Meditation is exercise for your mind. However you do it, for there are so many ways, having a daily discipline of meditation and mindfulness fosters so many proven benefits:

• Reduced stress and anxiety
• Improved emotional health
• Enhanced self-awareness
• Stronger focus (and focus is more important than raw talent nowadays)
• More creativity
• Enhanced memory
• Improved cardiovascular health
• Stronger immune system
• And so on . . .

The bottom line is that meditation brings us closer to our ideal selves, pulling us back from the destabilizing chaos of our daily lives. Here’s a quick guide.

(I use Insight Timer. It’s a free meditation app)

#3 — Keeping a Journal

There comes a point when you must take all of that whirling chaos in your mind and deposit it on to paper. And the moment you do that, you open a door to so many possibilities. I find that the more I journal, the more I understand myself and life, and the more focused I become. It’s a wonderful discipline — and, dare I say, an art.

Learning to think on paper frees up so much mental energy — energy that you can bring to bear on crafting your own personal, unique success.

Here’s a simple guide to keeping a journal, by Zen Habits.

Photo by Brad Neathery on Unsplash

#4 — A Nightly Gratitude Routine

As a society, we’re not grateful enough.

Gratitude is not in vogue — because gratitude doesn't sell. But being grateful plants the seeds of a life of joy — and a life filled with joy enables us to do things miserable people cannot possibly do.

Simply this: every night, before you go to bed, write down in your journal three things you’re grateful for today. Then read them over. That’s it.

I’ve been doing this for a few weeks, and it’s amazing how just a small habit of being deliberately grateful can change the color of each new day.

If you’re curious: The Science of Gratitude

#5 — A Hug

Never let a day pass without expressing love in some way. True, unconditional love.

Loving others, and expressing it fearlessly, adds a color to your days that cannot be described on paper. The power someone feels after a loving embrace is one of life’s treasures — and is a fire that ignites so much passion that in turn fuels higher achievement.

The more we love, the more we are loved. And a life ripe with love is one so much more enabled to grow and flourish than one left in a decay of selfishness or hate.

Be it your mom, or your dad, or your significant other, or your brother, or your sister, or your friend, or your cat, or your dog, give someone a hug — love, and be loved.

#6 — Eat For Success

You are what you eat.

We all know why we should eat healthy. This one’s obvious!

Having a healthy diet doesn't just help your body, but it also instills a boost in your own self-esteem — the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you’re treating your body, your most valuable possession, with the respect and dignity it deserves.

Photo by Levi XU on Unsplash

#7 — Water

“The solution to pollution is dilution.”

As tacky as it sounds, it’s true. Drinking sufficient amounts of water is part of a healthy, productive life.

I pour a jug of 2 liters every morning, so I know how much to drink and can track it easily. However you do it, drink enough water, and see how it changes not only how you feel, but how you live in general.

#8 — A Schedule

“The things that get scheduled are the things that get done.” ~Robin Sharma

I’m not saying be extreme and try to account for every single minute — I tried that once, and it almost drove me insane. Simply decide what you want, and write it down: your goals, your plans, your objectives, and so on.

Have an idea. Better yet, know your week in advance. It saves you so much mental energy if you go into the day with a plan, instead of wracking your brain trying to formulate one as you go. Indeed, the things that get planned are the things that get done.

Designed days lead to a designed future.

Photo by Sasha • Stories on Unsplash

#9 — Find Your Flow

Flow states are when serious magic happens. It’s when you trasncent everything outside of what you’re doing, when nothing exists but the present and what you’re focused on — in short, a flow state is when you’re at year highest level of performance.

How do you enter that state? It’s different for everyone. But finding a way to enter flow on a daily basis, as a discipline, connects you with your inner genius.

I like to write fiction, and I find that Flow occurs for me when I work in a quiet room, with my desk lamp on, and a good song on repeat — it all becomes background, and the music inspires and nurtures creativity.

Find your flow, and exploit it daily.

#10 — Commune With Nature

Human being weren’t meant to live in jungles of stone. On the contrary, it is essential that we connect with nature as often as we can.

Taking the time to disconnect from the chaos of this world and plant ourselves in the natural world is something that so many of the greats do.

Nature is part of us, and we’re part of it. And I find that even ten minutes spent in the presence of some trees, or some birds singing overhead, can bring with it a peace of mind and body that you carry with you even as you plunge back into the day.

No matter where you are, find a way to connect with nature every day.

Conclusion:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~Will Durant

These ten disciplines can be done no matter what your path is, but they are but a handful of countless others. The bottom line is this: find the disciplines that grow you, and commit to them every day.

Your disciplines are what will carry you beyond your wildest dreams. Excellent disciplines, repeated daily, can give us more clarity, more focus, more energy, and more joy — and these, in turn, are fuel to enhance what we already do.