I’m all about successful habits.
The process of developing them is quite simple – you choose one and focus only on it, you make a plan and list steps to take daily, you follow it for at least a month, try to eliminate distractions and stay motivated.
Many others have done it and shared their experience, so there’s enough to learn about each step.
The process is simple, but not easy.
It takes dedication, discipline, willpower, sacrifices, going through periods when you’ll want to give up and go back to your old habits, etc.
And that’s exactly why not everyone does it. But once you overcome these barriers, you’ll be introduced to the new, better version of yourself. And you’ll wish you had known this person earlier.
I’ve tried to build many habits. With some I succeeded, with others I failed. Some I do every now and then, others just don’t work for me.
That’s normal. But now I want to share the ones that I’ve found to work best because I think you can benefit from them too.
Here they are:
The Habits That Work Best for Me
1. Getting up early.
No need to roll your eyes. I know you’ve heard this one more times than you can count. But there’s a reason you keep hearing about it.
It’s because this one change can turn your life around.
Once you become an early riser and see all the benefits of the early morning, you’ll change your opinion.
2. Having a morning routine.
How you spend that first hour after getting out of bed is also important.
It won’t really be productive if you just lie there checking your phone. That’s why a morning ritual comes in handy.
Here’s my latest. And here’s one for getting things done in the early hours.
3. Writing in the morning.
I’m doing it because I found out I’m most productive at that time. And I feel great after it.
My creative energy is at its maximum, I’m motivated as I know I’ve already got up early and had my morning routine, and now I can finish the first part of the day by doing some writing.
Your reasons may be different, but still it’s worth trying. Check out what morning pages are and see how they can help you.
4. Focusing on what works and doing more of it.
That’s a habit too, yes.
The 3 things I listed above are a result of experimenting, trying different versions and seeing what works and what doesn’t.
Then I simply stop doing what doesn’t help me in any way, and do more of what does.
5. Making a to-do list the night before.
Such a simple technique, and yet so powerful.
I’ve had this habit for a long time, and it costs me no effort as it takes a minute or two.
So I urge you to start using to-do lists, and do this before you go to bed. This way you get a clear idea of what you need to get done tomorrow, and in the morning you know where to start and what’s left.
Also, there’s the deep satisfaction of crossing things off it and feeling proud of yourself once you see it completed.
The same applies to not to-do lists. (Don’t know what that is? See this post.)
6. Letting go.
This is the mental habit that can bring you peace, make your contented, help you stop living in the past and holding onto things, and give you freedom and the ability to live life to the fullest.
Most people find it too hard to develop. But it’s worth it.
It means letting go of what was and will be so that you can fully experience the present moment.
That helped me overcome things I can’t change and control.
We spend so much energy, time and effort trying to analyze past experiences, that we end up reliving them. Which only ruins our present.
Also, the past doesn’t really bother me anymore. And that helps me focus on the now, which is where we create our future.
Another thing I’m working on is leaving all expectations behind. I consider this the hardest.
We expect others to act in a certain way and when they don’t, we’re disappointed. We expect things to turn out as we imagine, but life surprises us.
And it’s not that we can’t handle it, it’s just that the idea of not being prepared, not having our ideals and fantasies answered and expectations met destroys us.
7. Not sharing goals with others.
This habit is not for everyone. But it helps me stay focused on my personal projects without knowing what others think about them.
Others have nothing to do with your goals.
And considering that yours are slightly bigger and more ambitious than the average, people will probably say it’s impossible, look at you in a different way, discourage you, etc.
Or this way you may set the bar too high, and when you achieve something different from what you said you wanted, or if it takes longer than you planned, they will take this as a failure.
But there’s also the chance of receiving support, advice and help. If that’s what you need, then share your goals.
It’s just not my thing as it distracts me too much from my work.
These are the habits I can think of right now that
Stock Photo from Jullia_L @ Shutterstock