There is a wealth of research that indicates that certain habits can help increase your productivity, creativity, and/or drive. So, we thought we’d reach out to respected members of our community and ask them what habits they feel helped them succeed.

Lucas Lockwood | Actor

** If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you! ** Everyday we are faced with the option to stay comfortable or to do something that is challenging. With every challenge comes change and I’ve made it my life mission to always challenge myself. By living that lifestyle, will growth is bound to happen. 1- Faith 2- Believing in myself ( I am enough ) 3- Accepting the fact that the future I want is mine. (No one can steel it.) 4- Perseverance (In the right time it will happen) 5- Facing challenges face on. (I am a warrior, I will make it through this). Read more>>

Marcus Marcelli | Actor, Director, Screenwriter

I think my passion has helped me find my successful habits that have served me well in my acting career. I believe that my professional approach has been the key to my success; a lot of people call themselves actors without having any training or experience, well in this industry anything is possible, but I think being an actor means more than just being hired from a production. It is a life choice that requires training and consistency like any other discipline! Many times you are required to change your body, your accents, your voice, the way you walk or interact, most of all you are required to change your mindset and share a great deal of empathy with your characters. For as much of a genius you might be, these are all skills that one is not born with, it requires time and above all training, at school or on your own. Read more>>

Sagar Shah | Founder & CEO

One of the keys to my success is the routine of being an early morning riser. By lengthening the number of hours within a day, I had provided myself not only more flexibility in terms of a work schedule, but more importantly, was able to increase overall productivity and revenue. Along with having an international supply chain and dealing with customers from various time zones I was able to be more accessible and prompt in my communications, Whether it’s an unexpected 4 am conference call overseas or a late evening e-mail reply informing a consumer of the status of the order. The business is continually in motion and goals are being accomplished! Another key habit I learned to developed over the course of my career and was initially taught through reading books on Bridgewater Associate founder, Ray Dalio – “finding success in failure”. As an entrepreneur, you’re constantly having to maneuver through unchartered waters. Read more>>

Maryann Youssef | Senior Fitness Specialist

If I had to hone in one word that has helped me succeed, it would be discipline. I’ve learned over the years and throughout the ups and downs of life that discipline keeps me on track. While it can feel like discipline is the enemy of fun and enjoyment, I actually think it’s the path to feeling free and in control! Some days or obstacles are challenging; it can be difficult to ride the wave of motivation day in and day out. This applies to everything from exercise and diet, to studying for an exam – etc. Of course there are times I’d rather sleep in than workout! But feelings follow actions and I know if I can just stick to my schedule I’m going to feel much better off – and guilt-free. I write a to-do list at the beginning of every week full of appointments, meetings, and things I would like to get achieve on a given day. Read more>>

Jada Tradez | Artist, Performer, Writer, Composer, Dancer, and Multitalented Creator

Every day is a different experience for me, and I want to approach my day with an open mind. Not every day will be the same, but I find ways to keep it exciting and progressive. What makes me successful is my drive. I have a passion for creating and performing music. That means staying in the studio some days from 8 am to 8 am (Yeah, 24 hour days are no joke) or staying up late to write songs for other artists. I believe that’s why many people respect who I am. I am a straightforward, loving person with a talent that’s worth exploring. No lie. It’s cool to stay consistent and keep working, but don’t forget to have time for yourself—a moment to think and relax before making your next move. I have always believed that it’s essential to find balance in your life, eat healthy, work out, focus on your mental, and write things down to establish a plan. Outside of daily planning, I prefer to travel, which helps with my creative process. Read more>>

Benjamin Abiola | Multi-Hyphenate Creator

Creating! Creating gives me the power to build a seat and table for myself. Read more>>

Jennifer Grady | Founding Attorney at The Grady Firm, P.C. (Immigration, Employment, and Business Law)

The quality that has helped me succeed most in life is TENACITY. Since I was a child, I tried out for sports teams, leadership positions, contests, college, law school, the bar exam, jobs, and speaking engagements. While I was successful in many of these endeavors, it was balanced by the numerous times I was not selected or had to try applying more than once. When I was growing up, there were no “participation trophies”–if you didn’t win, you tried again next year! I think it is a fundamentally crucial piece of entrepreneurship to try ideas outside your comfort zone, not to take rejection personally, and to get up and try again until you succeed. Otherwise, it’s easy to quit and abandon your dream. You also have to have a clear vision of what you’re trying to accomplish and why. They say that “entrepreneurs are the only people who work 80 hours a week to avoid a 40-hour workweek.” Read more>>

2Floody | Rapper & Songwriter

Having an open-mind, being fearless, willingness to put as much time as possible into my craft and taking notes from those who are currently succeeding and have succeeded in my industry. Read more>>

Nev Neskoska | Songwriter/Producer

I was watching an interview of a music producer I admired many years ago. His number one tip when creating music was to keep pounding the idea out with a hammer the moment it comes to you. Don’t get distracted. Don’t take any long breaks. Sit down and let all the creative juices flow and very often you will end up with the close-to-final product that day. There’s something about the moment you first think of something that allows your mind to roam into a judge-free, “anything is possible” space. This is true for both lyrics and music in my opinion. Try it out next time!. Read more>>

Jen Van Horn | Character Animation & Motion Design

Without realizing it back then, the non-creative jobs I took just to “pay the bills” (sales, cold calling phone bank, design assistant, product shelf stocking, etc) ended up building my multitasking, organization, and communication skills, which are all a direct contributor to my success! Your career path may not be a straight line -lean into the adventure and learn from the “plot twists”!. Read more>>

Anthony Minassian | Photographer & Cinematographer

Habits are fickle things… Some can be incredibly beneficial, while others can halt any progress you have made in an instant. It’s important to be cognizant of the habits that ultimately make you. Take me for example, I am aware that I have the painfully annoying habit of saying yes to every opportunity that comes my way. While you could attribute that to one of the reasons for my accomplishments… It can also be said that the very same habit has put me in some incredibly difficult and uncomfortable situations throughout the years. You can not have success without first experiencing true failure, to which I am no stranger. As a creative, if you are finding every opportunity to avoid failure, you will not go very far in my opinion… You should get so used to failing that you welcome the idea of falling flat on your ass, because it is only when you have failed that you can truly know if your goal or aspirations are strong enough to keep pushing forward. This is where a second habit of mine comes into play. Read more>>

HJT | Publicist & Lifestyle Influencer

Well the mentality that I had and still have in everything I do is AMBITION. Then I proceeded to say YES to every opportunity, often times we get hit with major opportunities that we can be afraid of but I had to remember a book that I had read by Steve Harvey called Jump To Success. Read more>>

Judy Kang | Musician (Pro Cello Player)

Self love. Work hard & play hard, but always focus on divine self love. You always come first, recharge that way through life and hard times. Read more>>

Chris Cary | Manager of Jeris Johnson

Throughout my career in the music industry, there are three habits I have implemented into my work that have become the cornerstone of my road to success as a manager. The first habit, which I consider to be the most significant, is to always conduct myself and make my business decisions with honesty and integrity. I believe making principled and ethical choices while maintaining fair and conscientious business practices is the primary reason I have developed a positive and trustworthy reputation in the industry, which, in turn, has led to signing excellent talent. The second habit that has been an integral part of my success is never getting complacent. It is easy to become satisfied with mediocrity in this industry. Implementing a set of morning habits, such as waking up early, making tomorrow’s list, exercising, reading empowering affirmations, and strategizing my daily schedule before beginning a workday, has enhanced my drive and fed my ambition. Read more>>

Sakeenah Sievwright | Sweet Specialist

Creating successful habits both personally and professionally are a crucial part of what it means to actually achieve success! You have to COMMIT to the craft and the work required to meet the demand of the business. When you create successful habits, it really doesn’t matter what industry or role that you’re in, your efforts will give you some kind of result-either to move on or try again. One must be CONSISTENT in following through to completion. A lot of people have really great ideas, can make really great food or design many great things but those that stick with the task at hand, are usually those that become successful and have longevity in the business! PERSISTENCE is a crucial part of the success in business! There will be hardships and hurdles that may discourage you from reaching your goals but powering through despite any difficulties that come your way is what helps to make success that much sweeter! In the moment of a hollering 18 month old. Read more>>

Alex Feder | Music Artist & Professional Touring Guitarist

In the last few years I have benefited greatly from the “Bit by Bit” approach to getting things done. I have never had much success with approaching oversized, vague goals. For instance, if I say, “I am going to write an entire album this month,” that feels insurmountable and I usually end up writing…nothing. Or If I say “I am going to spend 5 hours a day playing the guitar for the next year,” I find that to be intimidating; when I inevitably miss a day or two, I end up abandoning the whole idea and feeling like a failure. I have functioned best by approaching things in actionable, bite sized steps. For instance, instead of trying to write that album, I can commit to spending an hour working on songwriting and not worrying about the outcome. Instead of committing to practice the guitar every day for a year, I can commit to practicing the guitar today, and I can worry about tomorrow when tomorrow is today. Approaching huge goals usually scares me off from getting anything done. Breaking it down feels more manageable, and my productivity has gone through the roof. Read more>>

Aditi Khosla | Nuke Compositor

Choosing happiness & focusing on the end-result have helped me get through a lot of the strife that this past year has brought.  The ups & downs of unemployment, fear of the virus, the growing weight of this global pandemic… it has turned many of our worlds upside down.  Even a regular day can seem hard to get through.   A lot of social media is telling us “it’s okay to have bad days”, and that does help to a certain degree.  But what do we do after we open the gates to all those bad-day feelings?  To those suffering from anxiety, I’ve learned that this acceptance of negativity needs to be taken with a grain of salt.  A huge grain of salt.  Yes, we should always be ourselves and acknowledge what we’re feeling but one of the most important things I’ve discovered is to look at what lies before and after the negativity inside us.  Instead of diving head first into my angst, it has helped me to ask myself. Read more>>

Jax Malcolm | Actor/Producer/ Philanthropist

In the last two years I have added meditation to my daily routine. I actually use the Calm App so I have daily meditations ready for me to use daily. Since adding meditation to my routine I have seen dramatic changes in my ability to focus on tasks and keep calm when challenges come my way. Read more>>

Adam Skeppar | Guitarist

I think a habit that has helped me succeed is to keep pushing even though things are tough, as well as realizing that something negative can be turned into a positive. It’s important to realize that during trying times alot of your best qualities are formed and that is truly when you are forming who you’ll be when you succeed. Another habit that I think is important is to try and be open minded, things don’t have to go exactly the way you think, there are different ways to get to where you want to be. If you can keep working hard while having an open mind and trying new things then I think that is very useful. Read more>>

Ryan Cassata | Singer-songwriter, Performer, Actor, LGBTQ Activist

The habits that help me succeed stem from my drive and motivation. I am constantly writing and recording. Being in the habit of creating as soon as I am sparked with inspiration has allowed me to develop and release more content. I have also been in the habit of taking almost every opportunity that has come my way. If I am presented with an opportunity, and there’s no huge reason to pass on it and no time constraints, I make it work. Opportunities lead to more opportunities and more success. Plus, it’s more fun because there is always an adventure. Read more>>

Yvonne Senat Jones | Actor

As an actor, your success is built on your relationships. I was advised to create an audition spreadsheet early on in my career. It includes the name of the project, the casting office, and a notes section where I would list the name of the assistant I read with and anything interesting we talked about. Then I would send a thank you card afterwards specifically to that assistant. Over time, they would bring me in over and over again until I eventually booked something, sometimes a year later!. Read more>>

Jules Dameron | Film & Theatre Director, Writer & Actor

If I’m being perfectly honest, I felt like I lived liked a kid before I started this business. I did not have good habits with my finances, my personal life balance and health. This business helped whip me into shape, mentally, and physically. It helps to keep reminding yourself how doing certain little tedious things ultimately helps your business take off. Systems need to be in place, scheduling needs to be in place, financial habits need to be in place. This is what ultimately helped our business. Read more>>

Amy Sullivan | Writer & Stand Up Comedian

I was always raised with the “work hard, play hard” mentality and I was also raised in a house of athletes. While I was always “the creative one”, the habits my parents set in me at an early age helped me establish myself in LA: get in a routine, take care of your body, first one in/last one to leave, celebrate your successes. My Dad told me early on to consider myself as an individual business and to advocate for myself, so even though I’m a writer/actor/comedian/whatever-else-I-am, I have always held a strong business acumen – it’s a good way to stay focused and to rise above the competition. When I started my ACTUAL business, it honestly started as a tax reason since so many of us in the writing world work as independent contractors, it just made sense for me to incorporate. But as soon as I named my company, I started to feel a sense of pride and ownership and I wanted to do more things under the umbrella of “Little Mischief” – the name alone is a daily reminder for me to work hard, play hard and have fun with it all. Read more>>

Shawn Atkins | Artist-Musician

Being on time. Read more>>