Over the last 10 years
as a freelance copywriter and entrepreneur,
I've developed seven non-negotiable habits that I
think have pretty massively impacted my success.
And in this video, I am sharing them all with you
including the most important habit
that you ever need to learn in business.
Keep watching.
Hey, posse.
What's up?
It's Alex taking a bit
of a twist this week with a more personal video
on the seven smart habits that have massively contributed
to my success over the last decade.
And not just my success in business, but my happiness
my fulfillment, my relationships, and my work life balance
although I'm still kind of working on that one. Now
before we get into it, make sure to like
and subscribe to my channel below
for more business, mindset, and success videos like this one.
And of course, don't forget to hit that bell to
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You don't wanna miss it.
Now, adopting new habits
and routines can be pretty tricky for most people.
Luckily, I'm here to tell you
that all of these seven habits are relatively simple.
I am not gonna ask you to join the 5:00 AM club
or journal three pages every single day.
These are all practical and sustainable habits
that I have implemented some daily, some quarterly
and some I have stopped doing for weeks on end
and then start it up again because hey, nobody's perfect.
These work for me most of the time, but we're all different.
So give them a try
before you decide whether or not you wanna go.
All in, all right now, let's not waste any time.
Moving on to number one on my list, slow mornings.
So it only makes sense that number one
on my list is the first thing I do each and every day
which is to have a nice, slow and intentional morning.
Well, most of the time. I'm a big believer
that the way you start your day sets the tone
for how the rest of your day will go.
Which then sets the tone for your week, for your month
for your year, and then basically your entire life. It's science
So if you wanna be successful, then you better
take a good hard look at your morning routine.
And I know I'm not the first person to say that.
So are you starting each day stressed out
because you spent the first 20 minutes scrolling the news,
checking your inbox, and checking Facebook?
Hey, no judgment.
We have all been there
and I have definitely fallen down into the bottomless pit
of scroll land more times than I wanna admit.
And we both know
that that is no bueno for our mental health.
But as much as possible, I like to ease into my mornings.
So my set point for the day is slow, steady
and mindful and not rushed or stressed.
So for me, this means I put my phone on do not disturb.
I go to the kitchen and make myself a cup of coffee.
Then I usually spend about 10
or 15 minutes either sitting in silence or connecting
with my husband and my dog while I sip my coffee.
Sometimes I meditate, sometimes I do breath work
sometimes I do tapping.
Whatever I feel called to do.
I don't try to force it.
Sometimes I just listen to the birds
or I watch the fireplace depending on the time
of year and just mentally prepare for the day ahead.
And this allows me to regulate my nervous system,
calm myself down from anything that feels hectic
or stressful, and focus my energy on the work ahead of me.
Then I go to the gym.
I try to do that at least two or three times a week.
For me, work doesn't start until
after I've taken this time for myself in the morning.
And trust me, even if all you have is five minutes,
I really think it'll make a difference.
I always recommend you take some time
for you first thing in the morning.
Now, this routine alone, of course, won't change your life
but let's move on to the second habit that I
have adopted that has been a game changer for me,
Audio Books. So a few years ago I noticed
that I had really started slacking on my reading.
When I first started learning
about copywriting and marketing and branding and business,
I could not get enough of books.
I literally devoured every single book I could
possibly get my hands on
and not just marketing or business books either.
I would read personal development books, mindset books,
history books, recipe books, persuasion books. You name it,
I was into it.
But as the years went by and my business started growing,
I started consuming less and less of them.
Which is totally fine.
I really don't believe you always have to be constantly
filling your brain with more and more information, right?
In fact, I definitely think that you should take some breaks
from constant consumption from time to time.
But I'm also not saying that you should never pick
up a book ever, because that's really easy to do when you're
in hustle mode and building your business.
I found myself in that mode for a long time.
I'd pick up a book before I go to bed
and literally I'd be asleep
by the time I was done the first page.
I was guilty about it.
I judged myself for it.
And despite my best intentions
I was having a really hard time getting through any book
even like a fiction book
that was a great story.
Until I made the switch to audio books.
And honestly, that was life changing.
Now, instead of trying and failing to push
through yet another book usually right before bed,
I can listen while cooking dinner, folding laundry
or while I'm on a long drive or flight, or even just
on my daily walks with my dog. I've been able to
consume so much more content and books this way
and I've gotten a lot of inspiration from them
and they have definitely become an embedded part
of my regular routine.
And not just books either.
I love listening to podcasts all the time.
All right, so next up
on my list, number three, step-by-step goal setting.
So another habit that I think could completely
change your life has to do with the way you set goals.
And this can be applied
to your business goals, your personal goals,
your New Year's resolutions, you name it.
The basic idea is this, at the beginning of each year
or month or whatever, you set your big goals, right? Now
we all usually do that already, but the problem
with this is sometimes our goals are so big
that we don't know where to start.
Buy a house, plan a vacation, get into great shape.
Okay, but how?
So the idea here is to actually break
down each big goal into smaller,
more granular goals that need to be accomplished
in order to make those big goals happen.
Then make each smaller goal a weekly, a monthly
or a quarterly goal, depending
on how quickly you wanna get there.
Then sit down and do a quick review
of them every single week.
Yes, every week.
That is what keeps you accountable.
I like to do it on a Sunday afternoon.
So for example
if you wanna plan a vacation sometime in the next year,
smaller weekly goals might look like research destinations,
pick your dates, book your flights and hotel
and then pack and have fun.
Now, that's of course a very simple example
but I promise it makes it so much more likely
for you to actually accomplish it and make the time for it.
Of course, pivot and adjust them as necessary
because your goals may change throughout the year
and that is totally fine.
But, but, but, but here is the best trick.
Rather than stating lofty goals
like get more clients or spend more time with friends,
I like to make sure my goals are super actionable
by answering the question
what does done look like?
So instead of just saying
I wanna spend more time with friends as an example
which is honestly not a very trackable metric.
Instead, you could say
I wanna take two trips with my friends this summer
which is much more specific, detailed
and really easy to track.
Either you did or you did not take two trips
with your friends that summer, right?
This one, simple change
to your goal setting strategy makes your goal so
much more concrete, easier to measure
and of course easier to see through to completion.
And I'm telling you, ever since I implemented this routine
in my personal life and in my business
we have accomplished so much more.
It's honestly mind blowing.
So what does done look like?
All right.
Now moving on to number four on my list, time blocking.
The key to being successful no matter what you do
is to find out when you do your best work.
Is it morning, afternoon, evening, or late at night?
And then time block your day accordingly.
So this is how I time block my day.
I block time for creative time,
time for handling project and admin tasks, and time for meetings.
Three very different activities in my business.
And because I know that I produce my best work
in the mornings, that is what I dedicate to being creative.
So the mornings are typically when I get the most
writing done,
I do content creation and
of course training inside my programs.
After my creative time, I usually take a break for lunch.
Then as I move into the afternoon
I start on the more left brain tasks.
So that's when I'll do any editing
or responding to social comments and emails or admin tasks
like sending invoices or paying bills.
And then lastly, I schedule any meetings
for the last few hours of my day as much as I possibly can.
Everyone has a different time when they work best.
So start to experiment with your workflow and take notice
of when you're at your best and then adjust accordingly.
Okay, next up.
Number five, do delegate, defer, and delete.
Okay, that's like four in one.
So if you spend all day putting out fires
then you're just not gonna be very successful.
I have been there myself more times than I can count.
Success comes from dedicated and focused attention
not hectic and chaotic reaction.
That's why it is so important to take a proper assessment
of everything on your plate so
that you can better manage your time
and be way more efficient in your business.
So I like to implement a practice based
on the four Ds of time and management.
Do delegate, defer, and delete.
So ideally, I try to sit down
on a quarterly basis and take an inventory
of every single task and to do on my plate.
Then I go down the list
and I label it as either delegate, defer, do, or delete.
Where of course do is a task that only I can do
and I really should prioritize that one
ASAP. Delegate is a task that's important
but it could be outsourced
or delegated to make my life so much easier.
Defer is a task that's low priority and can be moved
to another day or week when my plate is less full.
And finally, delete is a task that I'm doing
and I don't even really know why I'm doing it.
So I can just drop that completely
because there's no point in delegating it either.
And I always find
at least a few tasks that I can delegate, defer, or delete
and this always frees up my time to focus
on the things that truly need my attention
and will move the needle most in my business.
All right, number six, networking.
I can't not talk about how important this is.
This was one of the very first habits that I
implemented when I first started my business
and it has absolutely changed the trajectory of
my life and has really contributed to my success.
Now, I'm sure you've heard the saying that you
are the sum of the people around you.
So if you wanna be a great copywriter
go to copywriting events and masterminds and
hang out with the people there.
The same goes for marketing, branding, business, finance
and literally anything else.
Over the years, I have probably attended hundreds of events,
masterminds and conferences.
I've had the opportunity to meet with so many
incredible people face to face
and that is so much better than online.
We're talking people like Marie Forleo
Frank Kern, Jeff Walker, and Brendon Burchard.
And as my career grew and developed,
my networking took on a whole new level.
I was getting access to circles
that I couldn't even imagine I would be in
where suddenly I wasn't just attending these events
but I was being invited to speak at these events.
And now I'm able to network
and collaborate with even bigger names
and incredible people in the industry.
And none of this would've happened
if I didn't first step outside my comfort zone
and start going to events and start talking to people.
Yes, it's uncomfortable, but honestly, it's one
of the biggest reasons why certain people are successful
and others are not. It's because they're stepping
outside their comfort zone in the name of growth.
They're meeting new people, they're making referrals
and they're building their businesses.
And speaking of discomfort, that brings me
to the most important habit that you will ever learn.
Number seven, having hard conversations.
Mm, yep.
I don't care what you do.
Having hard conversations is a skill you definitely
wanna learn to be successful. Whether it's talking
about money or setting proper expectations
or communicating a boundary that has been crossed,
people don't always see eye
to eye on everything, and that is okay.
We are not mind readers, and this means
that having difficult conversations is often
the only way to truly grow and thrive in your business
or help in life and relationships in general.
So if you wanna grow your business and build a team
this is something you absolutely have to master.
In fact, one of my favorite quotes
of all time is by Tim Ferriss.
He says, "A person's success
in life can be measured by the number
of uncomfortable conversations he or she's willing to have."
And in my experience, I can tell you
that no truer words have been spoken.
So make this a habit in your life.
Instead of stewing over something for days,
harboring resentment, or allowing someone else to walk all
over you, get in the habit
of approaching them and having an adult conversation.
One that is not rooted in blame
but rather rooted in problem solving.
Every single conversation should be approached with a
how can we fix this together mindset?
And I promise you that nine times outta 10
what starts as an uncomfortable conversation
ends as a giant relief and a fresh perspective.
I hope you guys love this one
and hopefully you'll try out a few of these for yourself.
Comment below and let me know which one you are implementing
in your life and business first
or what you do to stay on track.
I will see you next time with a brand new video.
Until then, I'm Alex. Ciao for now.
All right, guys.
If you enjoyed that video, make sure to check
out the next one from me right here
and you can click right here to get a free gift.
All right, real talk.
If I had to start my freelance business
from scratch with no skills, no connections, no clients
and no clue what to do, here is exactly what I would do
in my first year to hit six figures.
Stay tuned.