The thing about habits is that they are easy to form, but hard to break. That’s why it's imperative to develop good habits instead of bad ones.
I’ve found throughout my life it’s easy to fall into bad habits while developing a good habit feels like a form of torture in the initial stages.
However, if you can form a good habit and keep to it, it will be increasingly beneficial in the long run.
A lot of us are enslaved to our habits. So much so, that we aren’t even aware of our habits, and how bad they can be!
This can have dangerous consequences, as we continue to do things that are bad four health and state of mind.
We are our habits, so it’s important we have good ones as opposed to bad ones.
It’s never too late to change your habits. Despite, the saying you can teach an old dog new tricks.
It just takes a bit of self-reflection and a lot of determination!
Below are five habits I have developed recently, which have changed my life for the better and will change yours too.
1. Wake Up Early
The prospect of waking up early used to fill me with dread when I was younger. I would often wake up, naturally, at about 6:45 am. I would get up for 7 most mornings.
I didn’t realise it at the time, but getting up early has numerous many benefits. I would simply lie in my bed for another 15 minutes, willing the hands on my clock to move as slowly as possible.
Waking up early will be horrendous at first, but the benefits will quickly accrue. The earlier you wake up, the fewer distractions you will have. Most people are still asleep if you rise at 5 am.
You can be more productive at this hour and accomplish your goals early on, setting your day up perfectly.
You will have a head start on everyone else while they are still fast asleep.
As the saying goes…
“The early bird catches the worm.”
2. Meditate
Meditation is one of the best habits I’ve developed recently.
I was going through a stressful period in my life teaching and suffering from anxiety. My life was filled with stress and worry. I would get home from teaching at night and collapse on my bed from mental exhaustion.
A friend recommended I start meditating as a way of relieving tension. My preconceptions about meditation were not positive. I thought it was for old Buddhist monks in their mountain temples.
I was wrong.
Meditation has helped me deal with my anxiety and stress. I feel much more at ease in my daily life, compared to before, when I was just about holding it all together.
You can start off small. Three minutes in the morning. Once you get a rhythm going, you’ll find yourself naturally meditating for longer.
You get in touch with your thoughts and learn how to stop them from overwhelming and suffocating you. Three minutes a day is a small price for a large return.
3. Exercise
Our bodies were not designed for our modern sedentary lifestyle.
We are built for movement, for speed, not sitting and slouching. Exercise is important in so many regards.
It’s important for a healthy body. Just 30 minutes a day can make a big difference in your physical health.
It’s important for your mental health. Exercise releases hormones which make us feel better, removing tension from our bodies.
If you’re not exercising on a daily basis already, you need to be!
4. Eat Healthily
This ties in with the above. If you’re exercising, but you’re filling your body with rubbish, you’re undoing all the benefits of exercise.
You have to fuel your body correctly. Think of it as a car. If you put the wrong fuel into a car, what will happen?
Either it will perform poorly, or it will completely stop working. Your body is similar. If you stuff your face with fatty foods and sugar, you’re going to feel terrible.
Swap your bad snacks for healthy snacks. Instead of gorging on a chocolate bar, eat some grapes. Instead of ordering pizza, make yourself a salad.
It’s hard to shift your mindset when it’s easy to just go into the kitchen and get a quick snack.
Forcing yourself to eat healthily will have long-lasting benefits that will stand you in good stead for years to come.
5. Hone Your Craft
We are all passionate about something.
Maybe it’s writing.
Maybe it’s photography.
Maybe it’s origami.
Whatever it is you need to allocate a certain amount of time every day to work on your craft. There is no such thing as an overnight success. Success is an incremental process that is akin to dislodging a giant boulder.
The work that goes into moving the boulder is long and strenuous, but once you begin to move the boulder, it builds up speed and becomes unstoppable.
If you want to turn your side hustle into your main hustle it takes time. Keep at it, work away silently, and eventually, you will reap the benefits of the process.