If you look at the most highly successful women around you, you’ll notice that they share some things in common. This is good news if you’re looking to step up your game and maximize your potential because it means that we can all reach higher levels of success by modeling these behaviors and habits. 

Here are some of the top habits of successful women you need to develop to succeed at the highest level. 

They know what they want and are not afraid to go for it!

Successful women have many things in common. At the top of the list is that they know what they want. 

You can’t get anywhere without knowing where you want to go. 

If you feel stuck and need more direction and clarity, figuring out precisely what you want should be your number one priority.

If you want to discover how to do this, check out our clarity hub and grab the free Clarity Questions to get started. 

They set goals and take action! 

If you currently don’t set goals, then this is another essential step you need to take to get started on your journey to success.

One of the foremost habits of successful women is that they set goals and accomplish them. 

Your goals don’t have to be big. In fact, setting goals that are too big and that feel unachievable can hold you back from taking action. 

Instead, break down big goals into small manageable chunks and take some action every day, no matter how small. 

If you need help setting goals, download the Goal Setting and Acton Planning Cheat Sheet. 

Successful women don’t wait for anyone’s approval

Do you have dreams you’ve been putting off because you’re scared of what other people might think?  

Maybe you’re not happy in your job, and you want to find and do something more fulfilling or creative. 

Perhaps you want to launch your own beauty line, but you’re afraid it will fail, imagine the scandal! 

Either way, if you’re putting off your dreams because you’re trying to please others or live up to a version of yourself you think others approve more of, it’s time to stop. Stop waiting for other people’s approval and instead start living your life in alignment with your own values and priorities. 

They don’t let fear stop them from taking action

Another common habit of successful women is that they’re clear on what they want, and they don’t let fear stand in their way. 

While you might believe that your fears are a good reason to hold back, this is all a mind trick we play on ourselves.

If you need some inspiration to help you overcome your fears, then find out how this entrepreneur started a hosiery line with zero background or experience (She now lists Beyonce as a client) and how this inspiring role model gave up a well-paid, high-profile career at Google, to pursue her dreams.

They love to read 

Lifelong learning is another one of the top habits of successful women. Whether you enjoy fact or fiction, according to Healthline, reading has numerous benefits, including: 

  • Increased vocabulary and comprehension ( This, in turn, can improve your communication skills) 
  • Strengthens the brain
  • Aides sleep
  • Alleviates depression 
  • Reduces Stress 
  • Increase empathy 
  • Increases brain connectivity and prevents age-related cognitive decline. 

While you might not be concerned about cognitive decline right now, according to the CDC ( Centre for Disease Control & Prevention, US), things can start to decline at 45. 

They build connections with like-minded people. 

You can’t overestimate the value of building relationships and connections with like-minded people. 

The people you spend time with can hold you accountable, they can help you develop good habits and break bad ones, and you can learn from them as well as share what you know. 

What’s more, people open doors. The more connections you have, the more doors could be opened for you. 

They invest in themselves.

Another essential habit of successful women is that they invest in themselves.

While some people may raise their eyebrows at the idea of hiring a coach, this is not the case where successful women are concerned. Successful women are fearless in investing in themselves. All highly successful people have invested in themselves at one point or another.

Investing in yourself could include hiring a coach, having a mentor, CPD training, taking courses of interest, joining masterminds, and attending events. All these things are an investment in yourself. 

The investment is not simply financial, it is a time investment as well, but a commitment successful women know is well worth it. 

They invest 

As well as investing in themselves, successful women also invest. They think long-term and aim to build long-term financial security. 

According to one financial expert, investment is a must if you want to build wealth, as you can’t do it through savings alone. 

They are lifelong learners. 

You already know that successful women invest in themselves, but learning comes in many forms. 

Being a lifelong learner means keeping an open mind and knowing that valuable knowledge and inspiration can come from anywhere. 

What’s more, when challenges arise, seeing them as an opportunity for learning means every experience adds value.

For them, it’s about more than the money. 

Success and money are always interlinked in our society and are often even seen as interchangeable. But true success is about more than money alone.  

Having interviewed many highly successful women, I found they all have many things in common. Even though they have achieved financial success, their primary focus is on their mission, which is often to serve. 

This sense of purpose drives them to work hard, take action and keep going, no matter what obstacles they encounter. 

They have a desire to make an impact in the world. 

For successful women, their mission and purpose are often about something greater than themselves. Like Zarlasht Halaimzai, founder of Amna ( Formerly called Refugee Trauma Initiative), or Safia Minney, the CEO of People Tree, they want to make a large-scale positive impact in the world.

They support others 

When I launched the, She Owns Success podcast, one thing that struck me more than anything was how much successful women want to help and support others. 

I was extremely touched and surprised by how generous they were with their time, even though they had hectic schedules and didn’t know me or owe me a thing. 

No is just a “no for now.”

Whatever your mission, at some point, you will hear no. From the high-flying Sales Consultant to the high-level Sales Coach to the founder of an incredible Nut Butter brand, they have all been told no, many times.

But for these successful women, the no was temporary, and it certainly didn’t stop them.  

They are not afraid to fail. 

We already talked about fear. You could be afraid of many things. There’s the fear of looking stupid, losing money, and not being the selected applicant, but regardless of the fear on a surface level, on a deeper level, it’s often the same fear—a fear of failure. 

While this affects all of us at some point, the difference is that successful women don’t let it stop them. They never give in to this fear. Instead, they deal with it and continue to take action.

There are many ways to deal with the fear of failure.

Some of the ways of dealing with a fear of failure include: 

  • Practicing fear setting 
  • Learning to accept that failure is part of life 
  • Managing perfectionism
  • Working with a coach or even a therapist if needed!
  • Setting out to fail every day
  • Re-defining what failure means 

They focus on what’s important. 

Finally, one of the biggest habits of successful women is that they focus on what’s most important. Forget about the 80/20 rule; this could even be 90/10

The reality is that with so much going on and so much on our plates if you don’t prioritize what’s important, you might never get anything done. 

To go full circle, this all starts with getting clear on what your goals are. Once you know that, the next step is ensuring that everything you do moves you in the right direction instead of being a distraction. 

Remember, highly successful women are ambitious and want to achieve enormous goals, which naturally encompass many medium-sized and smaller goals. They simply approach it one small step at a time.