Habits, we all have them, good and bad. The amazing thing is that you are in control of ending a habit and beginning a habit!
There are a few things in life that I believe once you create a habit out of them they will change your life. Habits shape who you are and ultimately your lifestyle.
If you’re looking to change your life for the better, start developing these habits and watch yourself grow!
1. Meditate regularly
Meditating has kind of become trendy these days, but I’m not mad about it. It’s a practice that everyone should explore because it will continue to improve your life the more you practice it. It’s also normal to struggle with meditation, you have to find what works for you and appreciate the journey.
I look forward to it every morning because it’s a moment of relaxation and me time. I constantly have hundreds of thoughts scrambling in my mind so attempting to calm down the chaos is a challenge but something I’ve grown to love. Personally I prefer to meditate before anyone wakes up, I shut off all of my lights and make myself comfortable on my meditation mat. I use the Insight Timer app because there are a ton of amazing guided meditations I can listen to.
2. Stop watching tv
A few years ago you could find me on the couch watching episodes of Teen Mom and Keeping Up With the Kardashians. These days, I don’t even watch an hour of television. Almost all of it is brain-rotting entertainment that’s just a waste of time. Honestly, I used to think I would be missing out on something if I stopped watching. I was so consumed in the lives of these reality stars that I had to know what was going on.
Now, I could care less!
I also used to watch the morning or evening news on a regular basis…talk about depressing. The news is 80%+ negativity, 10% weather, and not even 10% positivity. It’s crazy to me. Television likely isn’t going to benefit you at all. Think of all the productive things you could be doing instead!
3. Listen to podcasts/audiobooks during commutes
Like they say, time waits on no one. I’ve always hated how traffic and waiting felt like such a waste of time, but now you can turn those moments into lessons or motivational sessions.
During my commutes (especially the longer ones), I’m either listening to a motivational interview/talk from Gary Vaynerchuk, Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn, or someone similar, a Lewis Howes interview podcast, an audiobook, or some type of guided meditation. I have found that I just focus on what’s being said rather than worrying about rude drivers or the drive in general.
Listening to motivating or inspirational words keeps me going some days, they can give me the extra push I need! Take advantage of your long commutes, try to make them as enjoyable as possible.
4. Meal prep
You all know how much I love my meal prep. I never miss a week because it saves me SO much time and effort. I’m not saying I’ll never return to cooking each night, but it’s honestly something I can’t even imagine doing again. I go grocery shopping once a week, I cook/meal prep for about 2 hours each week, and I have a full week of meals ready to eat! Not only does this save me a ton of time, but I rarely if ever spend money on fast food/carry out.
I’ve never understood how people can spend $15+ on fast food each day. You don’t even know what restaurants use in their foods these days. Meal prepping (or at least preparing food at home regularly) is essential to a healthy lifestyle.
5. Wake up earlier
You already knew this was going to be on this list…
Waking up earlier than you need to gives you time for a morning routine, a healthy breakfast, a shower, getting work done, watching the sunrise, or whatever you would do with extra time in your day. Sleep is important, but if you can get to bed earlier and rise earlier you’ll likely increase your productivity.
6. Exercise regularly
Working out regularly can be challenging UNTIL you make it a habit. No one in the world is motivated 24/7/365…especially to work out. Exercise is healthy for obvious reasons, but people often let it be the first to go once life gets tough. That’s a huge mistake!
Exercise makes you feel good and look good. It should be something you make a habit because you end up falling in love with it and then you’ll always get back on track even if you fall off for a few days.
7. Don’t leave a room empty handed
Am I the only one who is guilty of storing like 6 cups of water in my room because I always forget to bring them back downstairs?? I used to do this all the time so if I am going downstairs I try to remember to always bring something down with me.
Same can apply if you’re walking from your room to your closet (hang that jacket up!) or from your living room to your kitchen (grab your mug!).
8. If it takes 5 minutes or less, do it
If you don’t do something that takes less than 5 minutes to complete, you’ll likely end up with a task that will now take way longer. Washing your lunch dishes from the day, hanging your coat up, putting your shoes away, making the bed, taking the trash out, etc.
Getting those simple 5 minute tasks done right away prevents a lot of clutter and stress later on.
That’s really the key to forming all habits. Everyone falls off sometimes, what matters more is starting again until it becomes effortless, until it becomes a part of you!
To be honest, I still do watch a good chunk of TV, although only through streaming and not cable. Hubby and I used to do No-TV Tuesdays. It was amazing how productive we were! When you don’t let yourself have room for mindless tasks, you do things that are actually productive.
I still struggle with getting distracted by social media, which can sometimes be worse than watching tv. Haha but yes all these little things eat up so much of our time.
This article is very good Thanks, Sir!