High achievers are often early risers – their average wake-up time is 6.27am, according to Benjamin Small, author of My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired. “But many successful individuals take time to experiment and find the morning routine that suits them best.”

“I tend to wake up later because I’m usually working into the night, sometimes until early morning,” says Cameron-James Wilson, CEO of The Diigitals Agency. “I protect my creative time fiercely, even if that means working unconventional hours. Late nights are when I dive into deeper thinking and innovation, I lean into what naturally works for me creatively, even if it doesn’t look like what people expect.”

“Once I made the discovery that exercise was far better for me mentally, and that the physical would follow, it changed the whole outlook for me,” says Zane Lowe, the Apple Music creative director. “I ride the bike, I do jump rope, I do some free weight work, yoga and I do shadow boxing.”

“For me, its five minutes at 3 to 4°C, followed by a recovery smoothie with whey protein, flaxseed, ice and water,” says Richard Sutton, the founder and CEO of SuttonHealth and author of The Stress Code, with more than 20 years’ experience in professional sport. Cold-water immersion (CWI) has been shown to improve mental health by increasing endorphin and norepinephrine levels, enhancing mood and reducing stress.

Cultivate a builder’s mindset by creating value each day – write instead of scroll, bake instead of buy, contribute instead of spectate. The psychologist Nick Wignall says “high agency” people believe in their power to influence themselves and their world. “Builders aren’t just artists or entrepreneurs,” he says. “They’re anyone who actively shapes life. In a culture of consumption, even small acts of creation are powerful and radical.”

“I grew up expecting life to be a struggle – and that mindset served me well,” says Keith Boyd, an endurance athlete and Guinness World Record holder. “Social media makes success look easy, but real progress takes grit. Whether in business, fitness or life, embrace the grind, expect setbacks and show up with purpose.”

“Whether you’re driving, commuting or just winding down, listen to podcasts, masterclasses or an audiobook,” Sutton says. “I try to do this every evening – topics vary from neuroscience and creativity to business and human performance.”

Make journalling a daily habit by setting aside 10-15 minutes to write freely using whatever tool suits you best. Consistency matters more than perfection. From Olympic athletes to Fortune 500 CEOs, journalling is a proven method to enhance mental performance. Research from the Association for Applied Sports Psychology shows it reduces anxiety, builds confidence and boosts clarity by managing nerves, increasing self-awareness and highlighting what’s working – and what’s not – in training or work.

A Harvard Business School study found that holding “high-power” body poses for just two minutes can boost confidence. High-power, expansive poses – such as leaning over a desk or reclining with hands behind the head – increased testosterone levels by 19 per cent and reduced cortisol (the stress hormone) by 25 per cent, compared to “low-power” poses, which had the opposite effect. Participants reported feeling more in control.