Introverts have a competitive advantage in six distinct ways. Check out these habits of introverts that lead to success and happiness (people with a big mouth could learn from #2).

1. Introverts skip happy hour.

Life is better with friends, but that doesn’t mean you need to see them everyday. The bar never sounds appealing after a hard day of work.

2. Introverts listen first.

Have you ever jumped to a false conclusion? That was a trick question. Everybody’s done it. Introverts know how to prevent this embarrassing situation with the power of active listening.

They keep their mouth shut until the other person finishes speaking. Then they ask follow-up questions to make sure they interpreted the message correctly. Active listening prevents misunderstandings and the negative feelings that follow.

3. Introverts limit distractions.

We live in a distracting world. You probably get a text, call, email, or social media notification every few minutes. It’s impossible to keep up with all this correspondence.

Introverts don’t respond well to excessive stimulation. They silence their phone so they can stay focused. They turn off social media notifications so they don’t get overwhelmed.

Here’s a small but powerful work hack for introverts who work in an office. Tell your boss you could be more productive without so many interruptions. Ask him or her if you may shut your door for a certain amount of time. This will help you concentrate on your top priorities.

4. Introverts put their needs first.

Introverts live by the mantra: “To take care of others, I must first take care of myself.”

Self-care isn’t selfish. It gives you more energy and enthusiasm to care for people you love. Please prioritize your needs. This is 100% mandatory for success.

Your body isn’t meant to sit still all day. Exercise for more energy and alertness. Eating junk will make you feel like crap. Prepare healthy meals at home whenever possible. If you’re strapped for time, cook in bulk (click here to learn how).

I know it’s hard to find time for yourself when you’re working two jobs so you can support your family and pay off your debt. I’m not saying you have to start a strict training routine. You could simply take a walk around your office building once every hour. Make healthy habits fit your life by any means necessary. Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for good enough.

5. Introverts preserve energy.

Energy is a precious resource. You can only do so many things before your work quality suffers.

We all overestimate our ability to juggle responsibilities. Sometimes I drink a bunch of coffee and convince myself I’m the Energizer Bunny (this is not the case).

I can go and go and go for quite a few hours, but the buck stops somewhere. I’ve learned to listen to my body. It tells me when I have pushed beyond my breaking point. When that happens, I…

Visit my family. Cuddle up with a good book. Walk my dog down the road. Do restorative yoga poses that make me feel relaxed. Go to the park, lay in the grass, and admire the flight formations of birds (yes, I am a hippie).

A lot of people say success requires you to pursue your goals relentlessly. That’s true. But who says you have to push through exhaustion? Nobody. Relaxation is good for you. Yeah, taking a break might increase the time it takes to complete a task, but that’s okay. Work is more fun when you feel inspired.

6. Introverts choose friends carefully.

It doesn’t matter how many friends you have. The quality of your connections is what counts.

If you have over a thousand Facebook friends (but you haven’t seen any of them in over a year), what’s the point? Relationships are like plants. If you don’t care for them, they will rot and die.

That doesn’t mean you should play catch-up with every single person you’ve ever met. Remember: quality, not quantity. Let’s pause and reflect. Who are the top ten people who produced a positive impact in your life?

Don’t be in a hurry. That’s one heck of a reflection question. I encourage you to write that question down in a notebook and think about it for the rest of today. Write down names as they cross your mind. No rush. Take your time.

You might list less than ten people. That’s okay. You might list more than people. That’s okay, too. In that case, take a second look at your list tomorrow morning. Cross off names until you hit the magic number of ten. Focus, focus, focus.

I am restricting your choices so you won’t be tempted to procrastinate. Ten is a reasonable number of people. Twenty? No way. Sounds too intimidating. It would impossible to stay in touch with that many people consistently anyway. I’ll say it again: quality > quantity

Let’s learn and grow together.

Is your personality reflected in these habits of introverts? If so, tell us how in the comments. Invite your friends to the conversation by clicking the share buttons below. Thanks! 🙂