You know that woman in your life who always seems to crush her goals? She’s not superhuman. She doesn’t have more hours in her day or some magical secret the rest of us missed out on. What she does have are daily habits—simple, consistent practices that keep her focused and moving forward even when life gets messy.
The truth is, success in your career, your business, and honestly your whole life doesn’t come from luck. It comes from what you’re willing to do over and over again, even when it’s not glamorous. These five habits are the ones I’ve seen over and over in successful women who not only set big goals but actually reach them.
1. Treat Goals like Appointments
If you’ve got a goal you’re serious about, stop leaving it floating in the land of “someday.” Put it on the calendar. Literally. Treat it with the same weight you’d give a doctor’s appointment, a client meeting, or picking your kid up from school.
Block off the time—whether it’s 30 minutes a day to design your website, an hour a week to pitch investors, or a standing check-in with your career coach. The point isn’t how much time you carve out, it’s that you carve it out at all.
Dreams don’t move forward because we think about them. They move forward because we show up for them, over and over again. Schedule it. Write it down. And most importantly, don’t break the promise you’ve made to yourself.
2. Keep Goals Visible
If you want to stay on track, you’ve got to keep your goals where you can see them. Out of sight really does mean out of mind—and with all the noise, distractions, and responsibilities pulling at you every day, it’s way too easy to forget what you’re working toward.
So put those goals front and center. Write them on your bathroom mirror, slap them on sticky notes around the house, make them your phone screensaver, or plaster them on a vision board that stares you down every morning. The method doesn’t matter—the reminder does.
Because the truth is, success isn’t just about setting a goal once. It’s about creating constant nudges that pull your attention back to what matters most. Keep your eyes on the prize—literally.
3. Surround Yourself With Ambitious People
You’ve heard it a million times: you are the company you keep. And it’s true. If you want to level up, you’ve got to spend time with people who are already living at the level you aspire to. Take a hard look at your circle—are the people around you lifting you higher, or keeping you stuck where you are?
Think about it: if you were training for the NBA, you wouldn’t hang out with folks who never touched a basketball. You’d find teammates who push you, coaches who challenge you, and mentors who’ve already walked the path you’re trying to take. The same goes for your goals.
Get in rooms with people who are going places. Learn from them, lean on their energy, and let their ambition remind you what’s possible. Iron sharpens iron—so make sure you’re surrounding yourself with people who help you shine.
4. The Willingness to Fail
If you want big goals, you’ve got to be willing to look a little silly along the way. Falling down, making mistakes, starting messy—it’s all part of the process. Successful women know that failure isn’t the end of the road. It’s just feedback. Every stumble is teaching you what works, what doesn’t, and how to do it better next time.
You don’t get excellent overnight. You get excellent by being brave enough to be bad at something first. So stop waiting until you’re perfect, polished, or ready—you’ll be waiting forever. Show up, try, learn, adjust, repeat. Every imperfect step is still a step closer to the finish line.
5. Regularly Reassess Progress
High-achieving women don’t just set goals and hope for the best—they check in with themselves along the way. Whether it’s once a quarter, at the halfway point of the year, or even monthly, they pause to reflect: Am I actually moving closer to what I want?
Look at how you’ve been spending your time. Are your daily actions aligned with your big vision? Are you prioritizing what matters, or just staying busy? Because here’s the truth: thinking about your goals doesn’t make them happen. Talking about your goals doesn’t make them happen. Only consistent action does.
And if the actions you’re taking aren’t working? Adjust. Refocus. Realign. Successful women aren’t afraid to pivot, because they know the goal is progress, not perfection.
For more advice on the mindsets successful women possess to reach their goals, check out The Rachel Hollis Podcast.
