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3 Ways Elite Leaders Optimize Their Mindset and Develop Sustainable Success

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The hot and cold approach doesn’t work long-term, but it’s familiar. Someone has a revelation and gets committed to changing their life — they commit to working hard. After a few months, the shine and excitement wear off, and the real growth work begins. It’s at this point that a lot of success-seekers stop doing the work.

If you’re going to experience exponential growth in your life, you’ll need a sustainable path to success. There is no finish line, and becoming an elite leader means you set goals that feel impossible. If you’re hitting every one of your goals, you’re not swinging hard enough. Becoming an elite 1% action-taking leader means employing and implementing optimization strategies that lead to growth and success. Here are three techniques elite leaders use to do the work and develop lasting success.

1. They make their personal growth a primary priority

The call of the world and the things on your to-do list can easily dominate your time. It’s not uncommon to go throughout your entire day and realize you haven’t worked on any of your goals. You’ve spent a whole day doing things for others. Elite leaders understand that to have enough energy and capacity to help others, they must first be complete. They become elite by making their goals, desires, and ambitions the primary priority each day. 

Elite leaders start their days working on the personal habits that help them get closer to their goals. They start each day focused on themselves so that they can fill up their self-care gas tank. It’s from this whole place that they can be better for others in their life. 

Stop letting clients, family, friends, and strangers on the Internet drain you. If it’s been weeks since you spent any time working on what lights you up, it’s time to make a shift. The journey to creating success should be filled with many fun YOU moments. Other people’s priorities and demands of your time and energy don’t have to be something you follow if you don’t want to. Be sure to take care of your needs and goals first, and then think about helping others.

“The swiftest way to triple your success is to double your investment in personal development.” – Robin Sharma

2. They cultivate self-motivation and use it to do the work consistently. 

Life would be fantastic if things magically worked out as planned as soon as we started pursuing our goals. Often, challenging circumstances arise, and it’s at that point, we need the motivation to stay focused on the path to success.

Elite leaders understand that motivation has to come from within. While there can be a catalyst of motivation in your life — the long-term driving motivation comes from a commitment to doing the work no matter what. Don’t put your motivation in the hands of other people or external circumstances. Success requires that you stay hungry, you do the work even when you don’t feel like it, and you use each experience along the way to fuel your fire. 

If you can’t learn how to tap into your internal sources of self-motivation, you’ll get stuck when your eternal motivation sources aren’t available. Become an elite leader by being your motivation source and consistently doing the work even when you’re not feeling one hundred percent. 

3. They use progress as a measuring stick of success and confirmation of their path.

When you think about what success means, your mind defaults to the end result. You think about the weight loss, better relationships, more sales, a better job, and all of the fun accomplishments you can achieve. However, if you measure success simply by the end result, you’ll end up frustrated because major goals take time to accomplish. As you do the work and don’t get to the results soon enough, you’ll get tempted to quit. 

You should consider measuring success by the progress you make as you put in the work. Have you lost ten pounds of your forty-pound goal? Celebrate! Have you gotten three new clients in your business? Cheer. Progress is what our subconscious craves more than the result. It shows us that we’re getting closer to those significant goals. Elite leaders celebrate the process and use it to build up their self-motivation. 

“Failure is success in progress.” – Albert Einstein

It’s a great time to pursue success and become an elite leader at what you do and want to accomplish. The path to success starts with your mindset. Optimizing your mind gives you all the fuel you’ll need to take action. Don’t settle for a good enough life. Shatter the barriers in your mind and claim the wonderful life that you deserve.

Jason Portnoy is a serial entrepreneur, podcast host, and founder of one of the premier digital marketing agencies. Before creating magic for other brands, Jason launched True Rivalry in 2012. He leveraged social media and digital marketing to grow True Rivalry into a presence in over 250 retail stores across North America, with celebrity fans and appearances on TV shows and movies. Jason knows digital marketing and he's passionate about helping businesses get results. He's an award-winning digital marketing agency owner. Join him at jportnoy.com.

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Did You Know

How to Turn a Simple Link-in-Bio Into a Powerful Brand Hub

Transform your forgotten bio link into a high-impact gateway that fuels engagement, clicks, and conversions across every social platform.

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Social media is one of the greatest marketing tools in 2025. According to a recent study, some 86% of marketers globally use platforms like Facebook and Instagram for advertisements, while 94% use it for content distribution.  (more…)

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Personal Development

These 11 Habits Will Make You More Productive, Successful, and Confident

Boost your focus, confidence, and results with 11 powerful habits successful people use every day.

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how to build self-confidence through action
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Successful people love to help beginners. They have an incredible work ethic and rarely complain. As a result, others naturally look up to them and want to follow in their footsteps.

But here’s the truth: there’s no success without sacrifice. You’ll need to give up comfort, excuses, and sometimes even social approval to accomplish your goals.

Value comes from solving problems, and these 11 powerful tips will help you become more productive, successful, and confident, starting today.

1. Take Short Breaks After Finishing a Task

Psychology shows it’s important to reward positive behaviour.

After completing a big task or finishing a book, take five minutes to walk, stretch, or simply breathe. This quick reset helps your brain recharge and strengthens focus.

Many great writers swear by morning walks, solitude, and reflection can unlock creativity.

But if you refuse to take breaks, don’t be surprised when burnout hits. Your brain needs recovery time just as much as your body does.

2. Schedule Your Most Important Tasks First

Multitasking kills productivity. If you want to get more done, try time blocking, a method where you dedicate set periods for specific tasks.

Productivity expert Caitlin Hughes explains, “Time blocking involves scheduling blocks of time for your tasks throughout the day.”

For example, if you’re a writer:

  • Research your topic at night.

  • Write your first draft in the morning (don’t worry if it’s rough).

  • Edit in the afternoon, great writing comes from rewriting.

You can’t buy more time. Use it intentionally and without regret.

3. Eliminate Distractions from Your Workspace

Focus is the foundation of success.

According to Inc. Magazine, it takes an average of 23 minutes to recover from a distraction. That’s nearly half an hour of lost productivity every time you check your phone.

Put your phone away. Close unnecessary tabs. And yes, limit your Netflix binges.

Meeting deadlines consistently is one of the fastest ways to stand out and earn respect.

4. Take Full Responsibility for Your Life

Entrepreneur Derek Sivers once said, “Everything is my fault.”

This mindset doesn’t mean self-blame; it means self-ownership. Stop pointing fingers, making excuses, or waiting for others to change.

If your habits (like smoking or drinking too much) hold you back, it’s time to make better choices. Your friends can’t live your dreams for you; only you can.

5. Invest an Hour a Day in Learning New Skills

Knowledge compounds over time.

Whether you read books, take online courses, or practise a craft, consistent learning gives you a competitive edge.

I used to struggle with academic writing, but I improved by studying the work of great authors and applying what I learned.

Your past doesn’t define you; your actions do. Every new skill adds another tool to your arsenal and makes you more unstoppable.

6. Develop a Growth Mindset

Psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck introduced the concept of fixed vs. growth mindset.

  • A fixed mindset believes success is based on natural talent.

  • A growth mindset believes success comes from effort and learning.

Choose the growth mindset. Embrace challenges. See failures as feedback. In today’s fast-moving digital world, adaptability is your biggest advantage.

7. Learn Marketing to Reach People Who Need You

I once believed marketing was manipulative, until I realised it’s about helping people solve problems.

If your work provides genuine value, marketing is how you let others know it exists. Even Apple spends billions on it.

Don’t be ashamed to promote your skills or business. Without visibility, your ideas will never reach the people who need them most.

Creative professionals who understand marketing and sales have an unfair advantage.

8. Ask Your Mentor the Right Questions

Good mentors can fast-track your growth.

While mentorship often costs money, it’s one of the best investments you can make. Great mentors don’t care about titles; they care about your progress.

If you don’t have access to a mentor yet, books are your silent mentors. Read the best in your field, take notes, and apply what resonates.

9. Build Confidence Through Action, Not Affirmations

Author Ryan Holiday once said, “I don’t believe in myself. I have evidence.”

Confidence doesn’t come from shouting affirmations into the mirror; it comes from proof. Doing hard things, keeping promises to yourself, and following through.

When you consistently take action, your brain gathers evidence that you can handle whatever comes next. That’s real confidence, grounded, earned, and unshakable.

10. Focus on Your Strengths

Your strengths reveal where your greatest impact lies.

If people compliment you on something often, it’s a clue. Lean into it.

A former professor once told me I was creative, and that simple comment gave me the confidence to go all in. I studied creativity, applied it daily, and turned it into my career advantage.

Double down on your strengths. That’s how you build momentum and mastery.

11. Identify and Challenge Your Limiting Beliefs

Your beliefs shape your reality.

For years, I believed I couldn’t be a great writer because of my chronic tinnitus and astigmatism, sensory challenges that made concentration difficult. But over time, I realised those struggles made me more disciplined, observant, and empathetic.

Your limitations can become your greatest motivators if you let them.

Avoid shortcuts. Growth takes time, but it’s always worth it.

Final Thoughts

Becoming productive, successful, and confident isn’t about working harder than everyone else. It’s about working smarter, consistently, and intentionally.

You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Start small: take a break after your next task, schedule your priorities, or spend one hour learning something new.

Every habit you change compounds into long-term success. Remember, true change comes from practising new behaviours.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
Image Credit: Midjourney

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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Success Advice

What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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