How to Get Ahead in Life: 3 Things to Do Every Day

Reality TV and social media have pretty much ruined us for real life – they make success seem so easy and so instant. And while maybe some people really do get that lucky, for most of us, achieving our goals takes time and work. Luckily, there are some tried and true methods for how to get ahead in life that anyone can do.
Keep reading for three things you can do every single day to make progress on your goals.
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Follow a Routine To Reach Your Goals

High achievers love to talk about the things that they do every day to be successful. Their personal routines and rituals range from making the bed to laying on a bed of nails and everything in between.
We don’t necessarily recommend that you break out the nail gun. Still, there is something about doing certain tasks every day that is key to reaching your goals. Routines allow us to move about our day without expending a ton of thought or energy on what to do and how to do it. That means we put that time and energy into the things that matter.
Even better, your routines are great for your body, especially when it comes to sleep. By going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, the body learns when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. This helps ensure that we start each day well-rested and ready to face whatever comes.
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How to Get Ahead by Making Space to Learn

They say knowledge is power, and that’s especially true when you’re trying to make progress in some area of your life. Often, we get stuck because there’s something we just don’t know or understand.
Maybe we lack a particular skill or knowledge of how to navigate a certain industry or process. Maybe we do know our stuff, but we don’t have the lingo to discuss it effectively with others.
It’s not always easy to see how we need to grow, so humility and introspection are vital for understanding yourself and the areas that may need improvement. If you’ve ever gotten feedback on a project or in a performance evaluation, those remarks can offer key insight. Even your failures present an opportunity to learn: what went wrong, and what do I need to improve it?
The good news is that there are a million ways to learn, and only a few of them involve a classroom. Books, blogs, YouTube, and online courses all offer free or low-cost opportunities to expand your knowledge beyond traditional academic settings (although those are also a great option).
Another way to grow your knowledge is by engaging with other people. Both mentors and peers can offer their own unique wisdom, helping you see beyond your own experiences.
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Make Progress by Taking Regular Breaks

Remember that list of high achievers’ rituals we talked about? Funny enough, most of them didn’t have anything to do with work – at least, not directly.
What those folks understand is that getting ahead in life is a whole-life experience. And while it seems counterintuitive, the more you work on something, the less productive you may be. Our brains need breaks to stay sharp and focused, so for as intentional as you are with your hustle, you should be just as intentional about your rest.
That intentionality is critical to ensure that your downtime is as effective as your work time. While a week-long vacation would be nice (and you should totally take it, if you can), you should be taking time to renew your energy every single day. Take a post-lunch power nap or a midday stroll. Get coffee with friends or colleagues, or use a productivity technique called the Pomodoro method to build short breaks directly into your work time.
For more tips on how to set your goals and get ahead in life, check out How to Get What You Want!

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