When Aristotle indicated that the practice of good habits can make a good person, he may have hit the nail on the nose! Of course, we become what we do repeatedly. So, if you can adopt some good habits, success and happiness will follow. For that purpose, we mention several keystone habits in this article. Make them a part of your life, and you’ll soon see the positive cascading effects they have. Some of the said practices are for the body, such as exercise and communing with nature. Others are simpler acts that you can do anywhere. Still, others that have more to do with your mind also show up on the list. Here we go:
1. Bodyweight exercises every morning
A few minutes’ worths of these will achieve two goals simultaneously. Firstly, pushups, air squats, and planks will wake you up thoroughly. Secondly, they will ward off creeping fat gain. But you’ll have to make this habit something you do as soon as you wake up. Delay, and you might postpone your exercise routine!
2. Taking things less personally
Now, that you’re awake and bushy-tailed, let us get to the practices you can keep up during the day. Overthinking is becoming the norm for most of us. If something bad occurs, we tend to blame life for being unfair. With this habit comes another bad one, i.e., failing and giving up. Sure, bad stuff will happen. However, you cannot take it personally. For instance, if someone leaves, it may not always be because of what you did. They may not need you. Or, they are dealing with life in their own way. Hence, when you do fail, don’t let it get personal. Practice this at work and in your personal life and feel the difference.
3. Get out!
You may notice that we didn’t add the most feared words, to the gym. That’s because we’ve already covered the part about exercise. Sure, it is great, but exercising regularly can be difficult for most of us. The stress of the work or school can stick with you throughout the night. Thus, when you wake up, jumping jacks may be the last thing on your mind. No, we mention this in the context of just going outside. Do you like the park? Go there. Want to read, find a spot outside to do so. Just take yourself out because it is good for you.
4. Remain excited!
Have you ever wondered why the novelty of something or act gets us so excited? It brings that meme to mind. The one about how adulthood gets so stressful that we get excited over a new sponge! But the sponge is new stuff. You need to get on board on the new experiences train. Trim out the unnecessary expenses and stop spending on things. Then, move on to investing in experiences. You’ll find them more memorable and yourself more appreciative of them.
5. Don’t follow the common wisdom on multitasking
Instead, pick one, and stick with it. Normally, we’re doing several things at once. Peeking at our phone, talking to a friend, and working at the same time. But that’s the wrong way to go about doing things! If you focus on one task at one time, you may get it done much quicker. Moreover, as you keep doing this, it turns into a habit. A single-minded focus is powerful in that it concentrates all your energy and directs it in one direction. Now, you may say that you have multiple goals. Whether they’re five or 100, pick one. Split it into as many mini-goals as you can manage to complete comfortably. Then take your time achieving them all. After you’re done with the first, move on to your second goal, and so on. The better you temper your speed, the higher the chances of achieving a goal. In other words, the less likely you’d be to fail and become discouraged. And even if failure still happens, you know what to do. That’s right; not take it personally!
6. Immortalize your activities with journaling
Okay, so this is less about leaving behind records that chronicle your life. It’s more about enjoying the many advantages that the act of journaling offers to you. Whether you do this after your exercise in the mornings or not, write about what you did each day. A daily log is beneficial for you because it will:
- Make it easier to bear the excessive stress that we all experience on most days
- Allow you to see a realistic picture of where your day went
- Keep you on the correct track – but more on this below
- Be fun to flip the pages back and revisit how you spent your days
You aren’t journaling just to write. You’re doing it to restructure your thinking.
7. Unburden those drawers!
No, no, we mean the other kind of stuffed drawers that won’t close and not the mens pouch underwear! Ridding yourself of any clothes that you never wear is a good habit to have. Simplify the wardrobe and adopt minimalism. Just keep a few colors and styles that you can mix and match. Here’s why: you won’t spend each morning dithering about what to wear. Every small thing you overthink about takes a toll on your mood. So, unburdening your drawers will keep things simple.
8. End the day with to-do lists
Finally, it’s just about time for you to tuck your tired self in. Or, it is evening, and you’re done with work and the day. What’s the next good habit we have for you now? The last one entails making to-do lists. Put what you’ll do the next day on that list. Then just move all of that to the back of your mind. Thinking about the project due tomorrow or the social visit that you must pay will keep you from enjoying the rest of the day. Additionally, when you wake up, you will already have a plan of action. You can be as productive as you want.
Last words
Just thinking of adding these little habits makes us feel better. Does it seem that way for you too?