What does the 1 percent do with their time compared to the 99 percent? originally appeared on Quora – the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
Answer by Andrew Ferebee, seven-figure entrepreneur, high performance coach, and podcaster, on Quora:
After interviewing more than 400 experts (about 90 percent of whom are part of the 1 percent) and building a seven-figure business myself, I’ve realized that there aren’t as many commonalities among high performers as you might imagine.
Sure, most of them have some sort of mindfulness practice, exercise, and practice gratitude, but the specific habits vary wildly from person to person.
However…
What almost everyone in the 1 percent has in common is how they don’t spend their time.
Here are the seven things that the 1 percent don’t do.
(Please note that these are not universal statements; there are plenty of people among the 1 percent who follow these bad habits. However, their success is in spite of their bad behavior, not because of it.)
1. They don’t watch TV for more than 60 minutes a day.
I love Breaking Bad and Narcos just as much as the rest of you.
But spending more than an hour a day in front of the television isn’t just a waste of time; it’s complete madness.
The average American watches five hours of TV a day. That’s 77 days a year!
Imagine how much you could accomplish with an extra 77 days added back into your year?
It’s impossible to always be productive, and watching television to unwind and relax after a long day of work is more than acceptable.
But spending almost 25 percent of your waking hours plopped down on the couch watching other people become successful is one of the most wasteful activities you can engage in.
I’ve never met a successful person who watched five hours of TV a day.
If you are currently wasting your days in front of the boob tube while claiming you want to be successful, you need to take a serious look at how you are spending your time.
2. They don’t drink to excess on a regular basis.
Successful people know how to party.
In fact, when you are part of the 1 percent and you have the money to blow, epic parties become a natural byproduct (just think about Dan Bilzerian).
However, I don’t know any successful people who drink to excess on a daily or even weekly basis.
Just about every successful person I know will throw back shots of tequila and get wild on the dance floor from time to time.
But it’s the exception, not the rule.
3. They don’t spend most of their money on consumption instead of creation.
Successful people spend their money on things that make them better. They spend money on their business, on their personal growth, and on their passions.
Unsuccessful people feel the compulsion to buy products and things that they don’t need.
Their houses overflow with crap they purchased from Walmart and useless gadgets that they wasted their money on.
Successful people spend money intentionally and focus most of their income on things that assist in creation.
4. They don’t overeat and consume processed foods.
How you fuel your body will determine how well you can show up in business and in life.
If you are eating clean foods you will feel better, have more energy, and look younger.
If you are constantly stuffing your face with processed garbage, then you can’t expect your brain to function at optimal levels or your life to work out the way you want.
Unhealthy eating habits lead to all sorts of issues with confidence, depression, and long-term chronic health problems.
All the successful people I know take care of their bodies and pay special attention to how they fuel their proverbial engine.
5. They don’t blame others for their failures.
You will never meet successful people who blame other people for their failures.
And you will rarely meet unsuccessful people who take ownership for their lives and responsibility for their lack of success.
If you want to join the 1 percent, then quit complaining about how Donald Trump, Congress, your parents, your boss, and the world are all trying to screw you.
Instead, focus on how you can succeed regardless of external circumstances.
Other people have had it worse than you and built an incredible life.
Take responsibility for your life, and you have the power to achieve whatever you want.
6. They don’t gossip and waste time talking about other people.
I’ve yet to meet a successful person who was willing to waste his or her precious time and mental energy gossiping about other people.
Sure, he or she may mention a mistake that some peer has made to use as an example or to express frustration with the state of things.
But I’ve never heard a successful person sitting at the water cooler saying, “Oh, my god! Did you see what Sally was wearing yesterday? Did you hear that Jake is cheating on his fiance?”
It just doesn’t happen.
You have enough stuff going on in your own life. So stop focusing on other people and focus on yourself.
7. They don’t spend time worrying about other people’s opinions.
Whether they are a part of the 1 percent or not, the most successful people in the world (subjectively) don’t care about other people’s opinions.
Sure, they take advice from mentors.
But they don’t let their family, friends, or society determine what they will do with their life or what makes them happy.
They march to the beat of their own drummer and chart their own path through life.
And as a result, they get to experience something that’s an anomaly in the human existence.
They truly live.