“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
We are our habits. If you take off your clothes and stand in front of the mirror, you will be looking at your eating and exercise habits for the last year (or even decade). If you look at your balance sheet (your assets and debts), that sheet will reflect your spending and saving habits for the last couple of years. Your current job is evidence of your professional habits. In short, everything about you at this moment is a reflection of your habits.
So, if there is anything in your life that you wish to improve, the way to do that is to adopt new habits. And with the advent of a new decade, there is no better time than now to make positive changes in the way that you do things.
Below are some habits that have been game changers in improving my life for the better. Consider adopting and immediately change your life for the better!
1. Great Habits Include Making Your Bed
If you want to feel like your life is under control, make your bed every day. Your bedroom will look civilized, as if it is inhabited by a responsible adult. Moreover, it is good to start each day with this small act of self-care.
2. Exercise for 30 Minutes Every Day
Many of us have desk jobs, which means that we have a sedentary lifestyle. The problem is that we weren’t made to sit all day. Human beings are built to move around! If you don’t move around, it is easy to pack on the pounds without even realizing it. By committing to walking or doing some form of exercise for 30 minutes each day, you will burn necessary calories and stay limber.
3. Floss
Flossing is a hassle. At the end of a long day, the last thing you want to do is pull string between your teeth. But if you want to have fresh smelling breath and relatively pain-free dental cleanings, you have to floss. I used to find dental cleanings to be very painful, so now I floss twice a day, use an electronic toothbrush and rinse my teeth with two different mouthwashes. All that actually works. These days, my hygienist has very little work to do because I have adopted the habit of giving extra care to my teeth!
4. Help Someone Once A Day
You can’t feel good about your life if it is just about you. If you are only meeting your own needs, it is a very hollow existence. Many people are depressed, not because their lives are bad, but because their lives are small. Their lives revolve around themselves, and they don’t experience the joy that comes from simply helping others. Help someone every day and see your happiness increase.
5. Read Regularly for Pleasure
Many of us use our downtime to watch television or YouTube. But there is great value in reading books or articles for pleasure. Reading increases our vocabularies. And it improves our writing skills. Moreover, when we read an actual paper book, it gives our eyes a much needed “screen break.”
6. Great Habits Include Getting 8 Hours of Sleep
If you want to be a pleasant and productive person, you need to be well-rested. A lack of sleep makes people irrational and crabby. It also makes their minds less sharp. If you want to be your very best, go to bed early, get up early, and get your full 8 hours of sleep.
7. Pray Daily
Regardless of which religion you follow, if you believe in God, make prayer part of your daily routine. Pray for guidance on how you can be a better person. Ask God for the strength to adopt better habits! Pray for others. When we pray, we quickly realize which of our concerns are trite, and which really matter.
8. Tidy Up
No one can relax in a cluttered home. Our brains need a clean and simple environment in order to unwind. “A place for everything and everything in its place” is a good way to live. Anytime you leave a room, make sure that everything is put away. In that way, your home will always be a peaceful place for you, and for your guests.
9. Encourage Someone Every Day
Each day, you should compliment or offer an encouraging word to another person. When you actively build others up, you make the world a better place. Be a cheerleader for other people!
10. Drink Water with Meals
It is tempting to have a glass of wine or a beer with your meal. But it is so much better to drink plain water. Our bodies need between 9 to 13 cups of water a day. Admittedly, it is difficult to drink that much water. So, it helps to meet your water requirement by drinking some of it with your meals.
We truly are the product of our habits. With the start of a new year, it is a great time to adopt habits that benefit you! Commit to adopting the above simple habits, and I guarantee that you will see your quality of life improve. (To read more about great habits for happiness and health, click here.)
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