Recurring theme!

5. Develop an Early and Consistent Wake-up Routine

While recent studies have suggested that enjoying eight hours sleep each day may actually be counter-productive to your levels of mental agility, it is still important that you develop a consistent cycle of sleep. This enables you to become an early riser who wakes up at exactly the same time each day, which makes it far easier for you to optimize your time and develop a productive schedule. So while the rest of the world is still snoozing in bed, you can be taking decisive action towards empowering your body and mind for the day ahead.

It's more important to be consistent than to be early.

I put consistently early in the top left quadrant.

Top left quadrant?

You know, the Quadrant. Best option is assigned top left. Second best, Not Early but Consistent, top right. Third, Early but Not Consistent, bottom left. Worst option, Not Consistent and Not Early, lower right. The Quadrant.

I always thought we wanted to be in the upper right.

Oh wait, even those two quadrant maps aren't the same. Confusing!

11. Commit Your Goals to Paper

Believe it or not, the power of the to-do list lies in subtle psychology. Often applied to short-term goals or daily tasks that require completion, this type of list provides an actionable schedule for individuals which enables them to mark their progress as they proceed. This can provide reassurance that you are achieving your goals and being productive within a given time frame, and committing your long-term goals to paper may help you to remain focused and motivated during more difficult times.

7. Make a Commitment to Achieve Every Single Day

Although waking up one morning with a proactive and positive outlook is to be encouraged, it means little if you are unable to commit to this every single day. Recommitting to your routine and the pursuit of your goals is crucial to achieving success; otherwise, the pressures of everyday life can divert your focus. While this requires tremendous drive and strength of character, it will ultimately empower you to be successful over a prolonged period of time.

exercise is so important, but we make it into such a big deal.  my solution: private dance parties!  i like to crank a favorite song and rock hard for 3-5 minutes at a time.  if i have more time, i can rock longer!  but every day gets at least one private dance party.  :)

That's a good tip! Always the same song, or pick a different song every time?

different songs!!  sometimes i'll get on a kick and love a certain song for a while, but i have to mix it up!

Do you have a top 10 list? Are your jams more dance music or rock music?

dance music, with the exception of "i believe in a thing called love" by the darkness, which is rock.  :)

calvin harris

daft punk

foster the people

justin timberlake

michael jackson

All three of those remixes are fabulous!

i can really get down to calvin harris!  and that remix of bounce is the best!

It really is. I can't believe I had not heard it before!

15. Be Prepared to Make Sacrifices

On a similar note, you may well be forced to make sacrifices in your quest for success, as any goals that are worth achieving are unlikely to be easily obtainable. The so-called ‘law of sacrifice’ states simply that you cannot obtain something that you want without being willing to give something up in return, so you must therefore be prepared to sacrifice a life of excess and material possessions in order to be successful in your career.