It takes work to change yourself for the better. Seeking happiness, success, greater productivity and ambition is an active process. While positive thinking is a key tool in manifesting what you want, you'd be incorrect to think that that's what will directly lead you to what you want from yourself and from life. In order to see real change, you must take action and maintain a positive attitude throughout the journey. Author Annie Dillard says, "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." It is the daily habits that we incorporate into our lives that determine our success and shape our lives as a whole. If you have a vision for the future, you must act in the present and do the very things that will produce the change you wish to see. If you don't know where to start, here are some of the habits successful people have developed and that have proved to benefit them.

You want to start the day by waking up early. Successful people realize that time is money, and in order to maximize their productivity, they understand the importance and benefits of waking up early. Doing so provides you the opportunity to achieve more in a day and can even lessen the likelihood of procrastination.

To have a productive day, it's important to organize your day. The most successful people in the world always have a plan for their day and their week. It is an effective way to prioritize and get things done faster and more efficiently. To add, it enables you to divide your time evenly and helps you maintain a balance between work and play.

It is also essential to develop a routine. Having a routine or daily ritual sets the tone for the day. A daily routine is especially easier to follow when you wake up early. Engaging in a morning routine activates your mind and body and allows you to prioritize your health, which is of paramount importance. You don't want to be working hard at your own expense, because nothing is worth it if you aren't physically and mentally healthy. Always focus on doing the things that serve your mind and body best.

Knowledge is power, and successful people realize this. To increase their knowledge, they read a lot. Reading exposes you to new worlds and ideas. It expands your outlook on life and may inspire you to bring about valuable change.

Successful people know how critical it is to limit social media use. Scrolling aimlessly on Instagram should not take up hours of your day. It is a complete waste of time, unless you're looking at pages and content that adds to your knowledge base and can help you to grow.

Social media can offer you the opportunity to educate yourself, which is something you should strive to do everyday in order to be successful. Be interested in different things, and be committed to learning something new everyday. Being versatile and having a fair understanding of various subjects is an appealing feature that will inevitably make you more aware and intelligent.

Learning a new skill makes you more knowledgeable and versatile as well. If there's something that you have always wanted to do, take the opportunity to do so. Don't ever limit yourself when it come to trying new things, and never let the fear of failure, rejection or criticism deter you from doing things that make you happy and help you grow.

A lot of people don't try and learn something new, because they are afraid of taking risks and facing challenges. Taking on challenges is an inevitable part of becoming successful. Instead of avoiding a challenge, face it. It is through challenge and hardship where we learn the most about our strengths and ourselves. When we take on a challenge, we expose ourselves to uncomfortable situations and each time, we become better at managing them.

As you see embark on your journey to success and start becoming successful, stay humble. Don't show off and don't brag. That's a poor attitude to have. Truly successful people know who they are and are confident enough in themselves that they don't have to prove it to others by elevating themselves through their pretentious words. No one actually likes people like that, and more often than not, success rarely lasts long for these types of people. Staying humble allows people to see that you are a hard worker who's not afraid to take risks and is confident in their abilities to bring value to themselves and to others.

You have the power to change your life at any point. All it takes is action. The best way to bring about the future that you envision for yourself is to start now through habits that you could progressively incorporate into your daily life. By developing positive habits that work towards your goal and through staying persistent, you'll be able to achieve anything you want.