source

We all have our various habits, the ones we love, the ones we can’t do without, the ones we don’t really love doing and the ones that kills us.

Habit, an act acquired by experience and regular performance, is known to satisfy our psychological cravings like nose picking, finger biting, smoking, overeating, chatting etc.

Idiosyncrasy, also called mannerism, is a behavioral attribute peculiar to an individual like gesticulating while speaking. Mannerism is also part of habits.

Habits may begin as a reaction from events that occur in an individual’s life like an accident or a traumatic event, which then continues at other times and reproduces stimuli from the original event.
The influence on habit is determined, not only by the cause of the behavioral attribute, but also by the punishment or rewards the behavior brings. An action rewarded after been performed is on its way to becoming a habit. Research from Duke University shows that

Habits accounts for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any day.

Habit has formed a lot of fulfilment in people’s lives and at the same time destroy many. It is a two sided weapon.
Habits is what makes a man, from the great and influential men you see, to the mediocre, the wealthy and the poor, the healthy and the overweight, the knowledgeable and the ignorant. We are all products of our habits.

Modelling

Having a model for life is what helps us accomplish at much as they do and become what they become. Let’s take a look at some great, influential and wealthy people and their daily rituals.

Bill Gates

Bill gates, with a worth of $85.2 billion and been the wealthiest man on earth, it will be good to learn from his daily custom.

-He skips breakfast.
-Check the headlines every morning.
-He specifically reads The New York times, The wall street Journal and The Economist.
-Plays tennis to cool off the body.
-His schedules are broken up for every five minutes interval. Every moment is carefully planned.
-Loves eating cheeseburger.
-Keeps track of writing down his plans and ideas in notes.
-A voracious reader who set aside time to read books.
-Sleep for 7 hours every day.
-Washes dishes every night.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk, the man behind the Telsa and Space X.

Source

-Wakes up 7am and only sleeps for 6 hours a day.
-Skips breakfast just like Bill Gates.
-Loves to use the shower.
-Works for 85-100 hours a week and spends 80% of time on engineering and design.
-Like Bill Gates, his schedules are broken up for every five minutes interval.
-Forgoes most calls, to keep track of work.
-Hits the gym, once or twice a week to remain in shape.
-Reads books as well.

Oprah Winfrey

Source

Oprah Winfrey, a media proprietor and a woman of influence
-Starts her day with a meditation for 20 minutes.
-Exercises on treadmill for at least 15minutes.
-Tunes herself in by preparing a meal, taking a walk or listening to music.
-Eating a healthy meal full of protein, fiber and carbohydrates.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama, the former president of the United States, while in the white house.

Source

-He starts his day as early as 5 am, which allows him to prioritize time for exercise.
-He doesn’t drink coffee, instead he takes green tea, orange juice and plenty of water.
-He stayed current by reading The New York times and watching ESPN.

Steve Jobs

Another intriguing figure is Steve Jobs, the man behind the world famous Apple. There is one thing He does every morning to start his day. He wake up, make his bed, take a shower, look at himself in the mirror and ask,

If today was the last day of my life, would I be happy with what I’m about to do today?

Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg, the youngest billionaire and facebook founder. On an average day,
-He wakes up at 8 am and immediately checks Facebook, messenger and Whatsapp.
-After the updates, He exercises. He exercises about three times a week.
-He puts 50 – 60 hours a week on Facebook.
-At free times, Mark reads as many books as he can. He once challenged himself to read a new book every two weeks.
-Every night, he takes his daughter, Max to bed with a traditional Jewish prayer.

Pope Francis

The last on my list is the respected religious leader, Pope Francis.

-He wakes up 4:30am, with the next two hours in prayer, meditation and scripture reading.
-After a 1 pm lunch, He takes a siesta for about 40 minutes before resuming work till evening.
-In bed by 9 pm, he reads for an hour and sleep for about 6 hours.

Conclusion

You could see how exceptional people do things and what they do in common. Their time, resource, consistency, dedication and discipline.
From the regular exercises to the planning of their lives, the way they keep growing to their personal relationships despite been busy.
A man once said,

…watch your habit, they become character and character becomes your destiny.