10 Success Habits Practiced by Global Celebrities

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A single new habit can break the chain of stagnation, routine, and restlessness.
This practical guide presents case studies of unique daily habits practiced by globally successful individuals.

1. Bill Gates — Reads 50 books a year during his “reading vacation”

Microsoft founder Bill Gates is known for his habit of taking a break from his busy schedule twice a year for what he calls “Think Week,” a reading retreat. He secludes himself for a week in a quiet place, away from family and colleagues, reading as many books as he likes and refining his ideas. Thanks to this practice, Gates is said to read about 50 books a year, and he states that “continuous learning through reading” is the secret to his success. Indeed, Gates applies the knowledge gained from reading to his business strategies and philanthropic endeavors, consistently driving innovation with foresight.

Key Point: By intentionally carving out time to absorb vast amounts of new knowledge and deepen his thinking, he cultivates long-term vision and critical thinking skills, ultimately paving the way for success.

— Reference : inc.com / qz.com

2. Elon Musk — Maximizing Productivity Through Rigorous Time Management

Elon Musk, the entrepreneur who leads Tesla and SpaceX, is known for establishing his own rules for how to use time. He works 80 to 100 hours a week and sleeps only about six hours a day, but he pursues thorough efficiency in his work. For example, he imposes rules on his employees, such as avoiding unnecessary meetings and phone calls as much as possible, and allowing them to leave meetings early if they feel they are not necessary. Musk’s email stating, “You should walk out of meetings where you don’t add value. It’s rude to waste time,” is famous. Through this thorough optimization of time, he has achieved high productivity and success by simultaneously managing multiple companies and innovative projects.

Key point: His resolute stance on protecting his own time and that of his organization enables innovation and the achievement of goals.

— Reference : businessinsider.com

3. Mark Zuckerberg — Wears the same outfit every day to avoid cognitive fatigue

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is famous for wearing the same outfit every day: a gray T-shirt and jeans. This stems from his belief that “he doesn’t want to use his brain’s resources on trivial choices,” preferring to “focus his energy on more important work rather than waste time and willpower on small decisions like clothes or breakfast.” This habit of simplifying daily routines to avoid what psychology calls “decision fatigue” was also practiced by former U.S. President Barack Obama and Steve Jobs. Zuckerberg himself states, “I don’t want to waste energy on trivial things and neglect my work.” This strategy for avoiding decision fatigue allows him to focus on essential tasks like Facebook’s management decisions.

Key Point: By reducing minor daily choices and conserving focus for critical decisions, he enhances both productivity and decision-making ability.

— Reference : theweek.com

4. Sheryl Sandberg — Leaves work on time every day to ensure time with her family

Sheryl Sandberg, who served as COO at Facebook, has publicly declared her habit of “leaving the office at 5:30 every day,” breaking Silicon Valley norms. Since her children were born, she has consistently prioritized “always having dinner with her family,” a rule she upheld even during her time at Google. Initially, she reportedly worked extra hard—sending emails in the early 5 a.m. hours and working late into the night—out of consideration for her colleagues. However, she now confidently declares to both colleagues and the public, “I leave work at 5:30.” She credits this habit with allowing her to cherish time with her children while maintaining her physical and mental health and focus, ultimately boosting her work efficiency. Research actually shows that parents eating dinner with their family every day contributes to children’s happiness and improved academic performance, while also boosting productivity and mental health for adults.

Key Point: This courageous approach to time management—one that doesn’t glorify long working hours—is an excellent example of how sustainable work practices can lead to better outcomes.

— Reference : inc.com

5. Oprah Winfrey — Writes five items in her daily gratitude journal

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has maintained the habit of keeping a “gratitude journal” since the 1990s. It’s a simple practice of writing down five things she’s grateful for each night before bed. Oprah states, “This is the most important spiritual practice that has changed my outlook on life.” Though she temporarily stopped due to busyness, she realized that neglecting this gratitude habit diminished her inner richness, prompting her to resume it. Oprah asserts that “gratitude is the powerful energy source that builds a better life and the foundation of all blessings.” Indeed, she says that writing down small things to be thankful for cultivates a positive perspective, enabling one to maintain forward-looking energy even in adversity. True to her words, “Life becomes richer when you focus on the happiness you have, not what you lack,” her gratitude journal became the driving force behind her success and sense of well-being.

Key Point: Putting daily gratitude into words cultivates self-affirmation and positive thinking, fostering mental resilience that remains unshaken even in hardship.

— Reference : oprahdaily.com / vocal.media

6. Lady Gaga — Putting Her “Believe in Success” Self-Mantra into Practice

Lady Gaga, the global pop star, is famous for an episode where she repeatedly chanted self-affirming mantras before her debut to make her dreams come true. During her unknown days, she reportedly told herself phrases like “Music is my life. Fame is growing inside me. I will absolutely release a number one song” over and over every day. Gaga stated, “It was a lie at the time, but the belief that even a lie repeated often enough eventually becomes reality” sustained her. Thanks to this habit of self-affirmation, she maintained her confidence even during her struggling years when others didn’t understand her, and she indeed rose to become a top artist “just as she declared.” Scientifically, affirmations (positive self-suggestion) are recognized for their effect in positively changing consciousness and behavior; Gaga intuitively harnessed this power.

Key Point: By voicing and believing in “the person you want to become” every day, it becomes a powerful driving force that guides you from your subconscious to your actions, leading you to success.

— Reference : goalcast.com

7. Cristiano Ronaldo — Ultra-Split “90 Minutes × 5 Sleep Sessions” for Complete Recovery

Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is known for adopting a unique sleep cycle. Rather than sleeping continuously through the night, he practices a method called “polyphasic sleep,” dividing his sleep into five 90-minute periods throughout the day. Working with a specialized sleep coach, Ronaldo employs this rhythm, breaking up his total sleep time of about 7.5 hours into smaller segments to keep his body in peak condition at all times. This cycle involves repeating short periods of sleep and wakefulness at regular intervals, allowing for efficient muscle recovery while ensuring sufficient daytime activity time. As his coach explains, “It’s not just napping; it’s strategic sleep.” By strategically scheduling sleep between training sessions and matches, Ronaldo maintains top condition even past the age of 35. Indeed, his astonishing performance and low injury rate are likely the result of this meticulous rest management.

Key Point: By maximizing recovery efficiency through unconventional sleep techniques, he continues to perform at peak levels over the long term.

— Reference : businessinsider.com

8. Michael Phelps — Thorough nightly visualization training

Michael Phelps, the most decorated swimmer in Olympic history, cites visualization as the key to his victories. From a young age, under his coach’s guidance, he performed mental rehearsals of races before bed. He not only pictured perfect race scenarios but also visualized worst-case situations, simulating countermeasures in his mind. For example, he mentally rehearsed scenarios like “water getting into his goggles and obscuring his vision” countless times. As a result, when his goggles actually leaked during the Beijing Olympics 200m butterfly final, he remained calm and composed, ultimately securing the gold medal and setting a new world record. Phelps himself stated, “I swim through every possible scenario in my head, both desirable and undesirable. It’s preparation to handle anything that happens.” Thanks to his nightly detailed mental rehearsals (from the start to the feel of water droplets, even the spectator’s viewpoint), he performed with the composure of someone who had experienced it hundreds of times before.

Key Point: The habit of mentally experiencing both positive and negative scenarios beforehand cultivates mental toughness. This allows you to maintain composure under extreme pressure and automatically take the best possible action.

— Reference : yourswimlog.com

9. Kobe Bryant — Pushing Himself to the Limit with “4 AM Practice” & “No-Ball Drills”

NBA legend Kobe Bryant is known for his overwhelming amount of practice and ambition, known as the “Mamba Mentality.” A symbol of this is his early morning training, waking up at 4:00 a.m. There is an anecdote from the Beijing Olympics training camp where other star players were amazed to see him get up early in the morning while his teammates were still asleep, practice alone, and then show up at the breakfast venue. When asked, “Why so early in the morning?”, Kobe replied that if he used his days to practice for several hours longer than others, it would make a big difference over the course of a year. He also did mental practice without a ball. According to Shaquille O’Neill, Kobe would sometimes practice dribbling and shooting without a ball in an empty gym. While it seemed strange at first glance, O’Neill recalls, “It probably worked.” In fact, there are countless anecdotes about Kobe from his high school days, such as “practicing alone in a dark gym” and “practicing shooting with only one hand even when injured.”

Key point: By pushing himself beyond common sense in terms of time and method, he cultivated skills and mental strength that were sharper than anyone else’s, which led to five NBA championships.

— Reference : businessinsider.com

10. Jennifer Aniston — The “Right Foot Ritual” When Boarding a Plane

Popular actress Jennifer Aniston has practiced a unique superstition for many years without fail. It involves boarding a plane always with her right foot first, then touching the outside of the aircraft with her foot as a charm. Flying around the world, Jennifer always performs this ritual with the wish for a safe journey. She herself says, “I don’t even remember when I started, but it’s become a set routine whenever I fly.” While it may seem like an unscientific superstition at first glance, for her it’s likely an important switch to calm her mind and get herself in the right condition. In fact, for a Hollywood actress whose job involves frequent long-haul flights, easing anxiety and stress through her own personal ritual must be a key factor in helping her deliver stable performances.

Key Point: The more successful someone is, the more they tend to value their own routines and superstitions. By mentally preparing themselves, they can focus on their work and achieve results.

— Reference : vogue.co.jp