For success, every student needs to develop these 5 habits

One of the most famous and prolific inventors of all time, Thomas Edison remarked that “Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration”.

We all understand that hardwork is essential for being successful, but is it enough?

The expert shares some time tested and research backed behaviours and habits for students to be successful.

Spending time with worthy mentors and picking the right role models is the single biggest predictor of success. This is even more crucial in the social media age when an influencer or a tiktok star that is famous can easily seem like the best role model for young minds. There is nothing wrong in pursuing fame but good mentors and the right role models are crucial in developing a healthy perspective on the correct priorities in life.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has often stated that what separates successful people from others essentially comes down to a superior Emotional Intelligence or high EQ. What is a high EQ and how can students hone this? Emotional intelligence involves the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. It’s a critical skill for any leader because it enables them to establish trust, build strong relationships, and foster a positive work environment.

The famous ‘Marshmallow Test’ conducted by Stanford in 1972 was a landmark study which analyzed how children who had the ability to delay gratification were predicted to have better outcomes in their academic accomplishments and other life goals. Even though subsequent studies have come up with slightly different predictions but all the studies do make one thing clear: if you want to succeed at something, at some point you will need to find the ability to be disciplined and take action instead of becoming distracted and doing what’s easy. Success in nearly every field requires you to ignore doing something easier (delaying gratification) in favor of doing something harder.

Participating in sports when young is strongly correlated with several beneficial outcomes for later on in adult life. Improved team work, social skills, greater self control and a greater sense of personal responsibility and accountability for friends, colleagues and family are some of the salient advantages. Research has also shown that participation in sports has a very strong positive impact on the mental health of students. Adolescents who play sports are 8 times more likely to be physically active at age 24 than those who do not play sports. In addition to the benefits on mental health playing sports is also helpful in developing empathy, grit and a strong work ethic.

Waking up early is a powerful habit and really helpful for predicting success. Starting your day early and benefitting from some undistracted time helps you set yourself up for success. Our brain is most calm, focused, and productive when we wake. Beginning your day early and with an hour to yourself helps you start off on the right foot to enjoy a more energized and productive day. It is easiest to develop this habit when one is younger and students can greatly benefit from this.

All the 5 strategies listed above have symbiotic relationships with each other, i.e. focusing on one of them makes the other ones automatically easier to follow. Student who can develop these habits will not only give themselves the best chance to succeed but also to be happy in life.