I am not living my *dream* life, yet. But I do my best to enjoy what my life is now and to implement habits that make it better.
I truly believe implementing healthy and positive habits will improve your life, because that has been my experience.
When you do things for yourself that improve your mind and body, things will naturally get better.
Below are my habits that truly make me healthier, happier, and more positive.
I am in no way perfect, so there are some days I don’t practice these habits. However, for the most part I do on a regular basis.
It’s more important to be consistent and regularly implement habits, then it is to be perfect.
Morning routine
I have implemented a solid morning routine for years now and it’s truly amazing how powerful they can be.
So many people wake up to go to work and/or for other people, I prefer to wake up for me.
I change up my routine every so often, but I always include something for:
- my physical health (such as drinking water and yoga)
- my mindset (such as meditating and reading)
- and my goals (either working on side hustles or health goals)
Your morning routine will help shape a beautiful day.
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Setting goals
I love goals and goal-setting. It’s super inspiring and gets me excited to take action and create the future I want to live.
Setting goals gives you something to work toward and challenges you in the best way possible.
I always set yearly goals, but I also break those down into smaller (quarterly goals). I also revisit them by writing them down weekly.
Check out my Goal Achievement Course:
Taking walks outside
A walk outside in the fresh air is energizing and uplifting.
Going for walks outside has actually become a hobby of mine and I love that it comes with so many benefits.
While walking I:
- improve my health by getting my heart pumping/blood flowing
- can listen to podcasts or talk on the phone
- get Vitamin D and fresh air
- get to enjoy nature which is relaxing
It’s such a simple thing to implement.
Listening to uplifting music
I am easily impacted by the music I listen to.
If I listen to sad or angry music, I’ll start to find reasons to feel that way.
This is exactly why I prefer uplifting music that makes me hype and/or feel positive.
Mostly, I listen to EDM. Otherwise, Petit Biscuit has the most uplifting beats!
Drinking black coffee
I used to drink coffee first thing in the morning with 5+ servings of creamer. Vegan, but still loaded with sugar.
It was always delicious, but I hated that I was starting every day with tons of sugar.
In March of 2020 I actually gave up sugar for a month and that’s when things changed for me! Since then, I only drink my coffee black and I love it so much.
Occasionally, I’ll pick up a flavored, sugary to-go coffee, but I love my black coffee at home.
It feels much better to get the benefits of coffee without adding the bad.
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Reading books
I love reading and one of the only things I collect are books!
For years I only read personal development books, which are still my favorite. But recently I’ve branched out into reading fiction books as well.
Both of them keep me sharp and entertained.
The books I have read have played a large role in who I am today, and I know that will continue to be the case.
Crawling in bed with my book in hand is my favorite part of my night routine.
Mindset practices
The mindset practices I implement include gratitude, shifting negative thoughts to positive ones, and determining the things I can control in a situation.
Our minds are powerful and I want to be the one driving it.
Naturally, humans tend to resort to negative thoughts or pessimism, so it takes active work to stop that.
Of course, I do have moments of feeling down/in a rut, but I find a way out.
Practicing gratitude: I write down the things I’m grateful for every morning, but if I’m feeling down I’ll also recite more things I’m grateful for in my head.
Shifting negative thoughts: I try my best to shut down any thoughts that involve self-doubt, bad events, comparison etc. and replace them with something positive. I can always find something.
Control list: If I find myself in a less than pleasant situation that stresses me out, I like to physically write down a list of the things I cannot control and the things I can. Then I focus on taking action on what I can control.
Lifting weights
Lifting weights have amazing physical and mental benefits.
Lifting has shaped my figure, increased my confidence, makes me feel empowered, increased my strength, and improved my health overall.
Drinking enough water
Drinking enough water is a simple task that many people neglect.
But when I drink more, I feel better and look better.
The benefits of drinking enough water:
- Improved digestion
- Less bloating
- Feel fuller
- Improved blood flow
- Increased energy levels
- Improved brain function (and other organs)
- Prevents headaches
I aim to drink at least 64 oz of water a day. Usually I just finish 2 whole bottles of my Hydroflask.
I also like to have an afternoon or evening tea.
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Taking action
Honestly, I’m very proud of my work ethic and consistency.
I mentioned before that goal-setting is big for me, but taking action on those goals is even more important.
I set my goals, I make a plan, and I execute. Without action you won’t get results.
I do what I say I’m going to and that’s how I’ve built my character and confidence.
I may not have reached the success I want yet, but I will.
Consistency and the ability to not give up breeds success.
Practicing gratitude
I mentioned practicing gratitude above, but it also deserves it’s own section.
Gratitude is so, so important because it puts things into perspective. There is truly so much for me to be grateful for and I never want to forget that.
When you start appreciating the things you already have instead of focusing on the things you don’t have, you will find more happiness and be a more positive person.
Listening to educational podcasts
I can’t even explain how much I love listening to financial podcasts.
I have learned SO much from podcasts such as ChooseFI, Financial Freedom, Bigger Pockets, and others.
I get so motivated and inspired from them.
Even podcasts on business/blogging and health have changed the way I do things and inspire me to do better.
Meditating
I started meditating in 2016 by attending a meditation class every Wednesday evening. Now I meditate just about every morning at home.
My meditations are never perfect and it’s still something I’m working on improving, but I find the act of sitting still with myself very rewarding.
I prefer to meditate with a guided app (Insight Timer) and I appreciate the discipline it requires to sit still and bring my mind back to my center over and over again.
Tracking my habits
If you want to stay on top of something, you’ve got to track it.
I use my bullet journal to track the habits I really want to stay on top of.
No, that doesn’t mean I track everything on this list.
This is because many of these things are just a part of who I am now. For example, I don’t need to track my exercise because I will always do that.
Limiting news
I truly don’t understand how/why people watch the news daily, especially in the morning or before bed.
Sure, you may want to stay informed, but the news channels aren’t usually the best way to do that.
Often, it’s negative and biased and doesn’t improve my life at all. I don’t have a TV and I rarely stay up-to-date on the news because I don’t care to.
If something really is going to effect me, I’ll hear it from someone else.
If I’m curious about something, I’ll research it.
Wearing spf
Every morning I put an SPF 30 moisturizer on my face. I love the sun, but I want to prevent sun damage, skin cancer, and wrinkles if I can.
I use this one from Mario Badescu.
Regular aerobic exercise
In addition to lifting, I make sure to get regular aerobic exercise.
Walking is good, but I prefer to implement things that raise my heart rate even more such as HIIT, plyometrics, jogging, and the stair master.
Raising my heart rate and breaking a sweat just make me feel good and obviously it’s extremely beneficial for our health.
Transfer Tuesdays
Transfer Tuesdays are for my finances!
A YouTuber named Mary (Pennies Not Perfection) started Transfer Tuesdays in which she makes a money move that will improve her finances ever Tuesday.
I started this as well and now document what I do every week on my Finance YouTube channel.
This has made a HUGE difference in my mindset while I pay off debt because I get to make progress every single week.
Evening declutter
My apartment tends to get cluttered easily between my mail, all of my notebooks, my bags, and the electronics I used throughout the day.
Every night, I always wash all of my dishes and spend a few minutes putting things where they belong.
Then I can wake up to a clean space.
This also saves me from misplacing things and/or having to do a huge deep clean.
Plugging in string lights
String lights are magical vibe creators. I plug in my string lights every day and they’re a simple thing that brings me joy and comfort.
It’s important to find those things in your life.
Taking vitamins
I keep my vitamins in a weekly organizer which keeps me on top of taking them.
I’ve been taking the same vitamins for several years after finding what works best for me:
- Ritual multivitamin
- Vegan collagen (1 daily)
- Vegan Omega-3
- Vitamin C (every other day)
- Digestive enzyme/probiotic
- B-12
- And an extra dose of Vitamin D once a week
Writing a simple to-do list
In my bullet journal post, I mentioned how I make a list of the top 3 things I need to do in a day and focus on those.
This is still what I do. Some days I do add more, but those 3 things will move the needle most.
I used to write a to-do list with 10 things on it which can be very overwhelming. I’ve found a simple, but impactful list to be more beneficial.
Morning yoga
Morning yoga is part of my (current) morning routine and I absolutely love it.
It’s meditative, relaxing, energizing, stretches my body, and makes me feel good.
I created a Playlist on my YouTube channel with some of my favorite morning yoga flows.
I know this list is long, but I’ve been working on myself for years now.
In my early twenties I became obsessed with personal development and that hasn’t changed. These habits are the things I’ve implemented throughout that time that I have found to serve me best.
Just to clarify, this list is for inspirational purposes only. What makes me feel good may not be the same for you!
It’s up to you to figure those habits out!