Being a motivated and successful person requires developing good habits in life. Yes, we all know how difficult it can be to try and adopt new habits. However, they can ultimately be life-changing as they set the course for success, by making us stronger and improving our quality of life.
If developing good habits is key to succeeding both professionally and personally. So why not give it a go today?
How do we choose habits that are life-changing?
Yet, WHAT kind of good habits should we choose for ourselves remains a question. That is why you are reading this article now – you want to shift for the better but don’t know how.
It is overwhelming, I feel you. But I am here to help.
In order to ignite your life-changing transformation, I dare to offer my Personal Top 9 Amazing Habits that will turn you into a beast – an example and inspiration for others. Let’s get to it!
so what are they - good habits to adopt?
1. Habit of exercising
Hands down, making exercising part of your life is one of the best habits you can form, as benefits of those are truly amazing!
I truly apologize if seeing exercising is something you more feared to see in this list than anticipated. I am like that too!
But finding a way to make friends with physical activity and making it a regular guest in your life is the best thing you can do for the overall quality of your being. This is the base of your well-being, it is like good rich soil – anything else you plant there will have a better chance to grow.
The key is to remember that there’s no such thing as a standard workout.
Every person craves something different when it comes to physical activity and not everyone enjoys the same kinds of exercise. It is all about exploring different options to find what works for you.
Ultimately, making exercising part of your life doesn’t have to be complicated… just start small and build strong good habits from there little by little.
I wrote wonderful and very inspiring article offering Thirteen Non-Cliche Ideas on How to Start to Exercise and Stick to It For Good.
2. Habit of Meditating Daily
Stop being scared and unsure of meditation. Really, some self-proclaimed “gurus” have ruined it for us. Indeed meditation is an incredibly powerful tool that can give you an edge over the average person. Yet, it is very simple and accessible for EVERYONE.
On top of giving you a greater sense of awareness of your body, it can help to improve focus and even reduce feelings of anxiety.
One of my favorite benefits of meditation is gaining a better presence and being in the ‘NOW.‘ Not dwelling on what has happened or worrying about what might happen, but rather just being deliberately focused in the moment that you’re in.
Developing a daily habit of meditation will help to settle your mind and provide a stable base from which you can navigate life’s challenges more effectively.
If you still not meditating you are seriously missing out.
3. Habit of Listening to Your Body
A good habit of listening to your body is understanding when to push yourself harder and when to surrender, what to eat and how much, when to stay up late, and when to sleep.
Connecting with your body is so incredibly important because your body is the platform that defines the level of interaction with the outside world.
And if you are sick, undernourished, or out of energy, your experiences with this physical world become blah.
By staying mindful of how your body is feeling each day, you will be better equipped to make decisions that are right for you and can help set the tone for a solid foundation in both emotional and physical health.
4. Habit of Avoiding Extremes
No doubt, moderation is an overused word. But it is in fact the key that is essential for a successful life.
Moderation
- helps us to use our energy and resources wisely,
- enables us to find a balance between our needs and wants, and
- leads to mindful decision-making.
Random examples of extremes would be
- choosing extreme diets (high protein/carb/fat, mono, completely raw)
- exercising obsessively every day
- binge on tv shows every day for hours
- working without days off
- adopting zero physical activity lifestyle
- isolate yourself from social interaction
“Any imbalance sets us up for failure. “
It’s great to be passionate about something that you love, whether it is a new hobby project, a new business idea, or a new diet.
But when you get obsessed over it and completely forget about other things like getting a good night’s sleep, eating properly, or spending time with your friends and family, it clearly becomes harmful.
This imbalance will soon make you overwhelmed, followed by feeling exhausted, unmotivated and eventually burned out.
We all know the drill. So why do we keep repeating it?
“Identifying yourself as something or someone is another way to create imbalance.“
If you view yourself mainly as a parent or a go-getter, it becomes a hell of a load for a single person!
I mean we all play roles, but it’s important to remember that life is not just about being a mother or a workaholic.
In fact our needs are changing from minute to minute, and our perception of ourselves can’t stay rigid.
Practicing balance and avoiding extremes in everything we do is a good habit to carry out over a lifetime. Such a mindset is definitely beneficial for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being and can forestall many unpleasant situations.
5. Habit of Limiting Social Media and Internet Use
It is very easy to get sucked into the world of social media. With access to what seems like a million different lives and adventures, we constantly find ourselves lingering on those accounts, comparing our lives to someone else’s, and believing the grass is greener on the other side.
It is confusing to our minds and makes us question our own adequacy.
Social media is a relatively new phenomenon in our lives. And until now we are not equipped well enough to withstand the unprecedented pressure that comes with it – our psyche simply doesn’t know what to make of it.
“We are playing with the fire, and just like our ancestors, we must get burned before we figure out how to use it safely and to our advantage. “
I personally don’t know how thick-skinned a person should be to stay assertive and confident about the path he is taking in life and ignore all these distractions.
What becomes crucial and ABSOLUTE MUST is establishing good habits for our use of phones and social media.
Rules can include but are not limited to:
- allocating set times for scrolling
- limiting usage for certain apps
- limiting usage for periods of time
- disabling push notifications
- silencing the phone
- deleting social media accounts
This creates a structure and makes necessary space in our lives to think about what it is that we really want from life, rather than continuously being conditioned by the tone that social media sets.
6. Habit of Training Your Focus
Certainly, we’ve all experienced getting lost, confused, or drifting aimlessly with nothing tangible to show for it. By being unable to stay concentrated and not seeing clearly our goals we are leaving our life to some sporadic forces that god knows where will take us.
In today’s digital age, when we are constantly bombarded with information from all sides, it is becoming increasingly difficult to focus on one task at a time, and many of us find ourselves feeling overwhelmed about life in general.
By changing our habits toward cultivating focus
- we will be better at setting and achieving day-to-day tasks,
- establishing and following clear goals and practices that insure our success in life, and
- being more present and actively engage in life (why else do you live?)
Ultimately it is clear that without focus it is hard to understand who you are and what you want.
Check out here a dedicated article that will guide you step by step toward better focus and concentration.
7. Habit of Choosing Improvement Over Perfection
It goes without saying that in our highly competitive world, there is tremendous value in achieving perfection, and the pursuit of excellence is admirable. However, having an “all or nothing” approach can become a huge obstacle and be incredibly damaging to our lives.
I like Tony Robbins’ quote “No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying. “ (see the collection of highly motivational quotes here)
Really, wouldn’t it be better when instead of pushing for perfection you focus on
- creating good habits,
- developing robust systems and routines, and
- taking small daily actions?
This way, even when you experience minor setbacks, you’ll be able to stay productive and continue with your journey without getting upset and considering quitting altogether.
There is, btw, an ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT article on how to let go of perfectionism.
8. Habit of Practicing Self-Compassion
If you want to know how to change your life and improve yourself, start by understanding and practicing self-compassion.
Dr. Kristen Neff, an expert on the subject, has demonstrated that self-forgiveness is actually a powerful tool for growth and positive transformation.
Counterintuitive as it may sound, knowing how to forgive yourself rather than berate or punish will help you strive for improvement beyond what shame can create alone.
Treating yourself with kindness instead of harsh self-criticism can open up new possibilities for improving your life in ways previously unimaginable.
9. Habit of Making Dinner the Lightest Meal of the Day
Among the variety of advice that you can give about diets and eating habits, I believe this one is really life-changing.
Making dinner the lightest food of the day or even skipping it completely (!) can have a positive effect on your physical as well as your mental state.
Going to sleep on a light stomach
- helps you get the best sleep possible,
- boosting your confidence, and
- preventing any health issues.
- It also leads to a clearer head and more mindful decisions,
- and of course, helping with weight management too.
Amazingly such a small habit change can bring you huge results. Why wouldn’t you give it a try?
over to you
Closing this topic off, I want to restate the importance of creating good habits. Good habits truly have the power and potential to transform your life.
Investing effort into building strong habits will ensure a magnificent future for you. So why don’t you start doing today something that you will thank yourself for tomorrow?
