These Daily Habits Will Instantly Improve Your Life
As we walked through Disney World, brightened by joy, the smell hit me.
The smile on my face turned into; I want to rip the cigarette out of your mouth and bop you on the head with it kind of look.
I hate cigarette smoke.
I hold my breath.
I hate it even more around my children.
"Why the hell are people still smoking," I thought to myself. They smell bad, they look bad, and it kills them.
The quick answer is habits.
a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.
We all have bad habits that impact our lives.
Like smoking, eating cookies before bed, being rude to others because you slept bad, being sedentary, avoiding personal development because you're okay with the status quo, and not growing in your career.
It's endless.
My weakness is snacking on chips.
They're the plus to my minus. The beat to my heart. The stars to my moon.
A whole bag of any size gets destroyed in my mouth, and I realize they make me weak.
Bad habits don't help me achieve my life's purpose.
But these will…
Start implementing these daily habits to improve your life.
Get high-quality sleep.
Bad sleep causes mental, physical, and emotional problems.
According to the RAND Corporations article, "Why Sleep Matters: Quantifying the Economic Costs of Insufficient Sleep," it states that the
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has declared insufficient sleep a 'public health problem', with more than one-third of American adults not getting enough sleep on a regular basis. However, insufficient sleep is not exclusively a US problem; it equally concerns other countries.
Bad sleep impacts every part of our life. For me, it changes who I am. I become increasingly edgy, moody, and grumpy.
My self-control plummets. My mental state takes a sharp decline, and I think negative thoughts that wouldn't enter my mind if it weren't for a bad night's sleep.
Here's a list of consequences from Healthline:
Memory issues. Hi Forgetful Fran.
Mood change. Can we say "hello" to Moody Marvin.
Weakened immunity. Sickly Sara is sick again?
Risk of diabetes. Diabetic Dave.
Low sex drive. It was a boring night for Libido-less Larry.
Trouble with thinking and concentration. Confused Courtney doesn't understand again.
Accidents. Thumper Than will be late again today.
High blood pressure. Tense Tom is on edge.
Weight gain. Teddybear Ted is hungry.
Risk of heart disease. Heartbeat Harry is tired.
Poor balance. Clumsy Clare tripped again.
If you want to optimize your sleep, focus on these two areas.
First, develop a pre-bed routine:
Don't eat within four hours before bed.
Don't consume any alcohol within four hours before bed.
Avoid bright screens two hours before bed and/or wear blue-blocking glasses.
Turn off all bright lights within two-hours before bed.
Relax your mind starting an hour before bed.
These are basic, pre-bed routines. You can also meditate, take a hot Epsom salt bath, and stretch.
This list should suffice if you're just getting started.
Your next step is to create a sleep sanctuary.
Scheduling a morning routine.
We're creatures of habit.
The habits you do in the morning will fuel the rest of your day.
If you wake up frantic and in a hurry, your day will feel frantic and in a hurry.
If you wake up focused, with an intention on your most critical goals, your day will likely follow the same theme.
I'm not a fan of waking up when my body isn't ready. For me, it just doesn't work well. I guess I'm not the next Tony Robbins or Jocko Willink.
Damnit.
For me, my ideal bedtime is 10 pm with a wake-up time around 6 am.
I use to start my morning routine at 5 am. It wasn't natural for me. I now begin and end the day based on my Circadian Rhythm.
This is my current morning routine as an example, but make yours what's best for you:
wake up…duh
drink 16oz of water with some lemon and oregano essential oils
jump up and down for 30 seconds
quick yoga routine
complete a sixty minute focus block completing one of my biggest priorities for the day
eat breakfast after 14 - 16 hours of intermittent fasting
play with my family
take a cold shower
dress for confidence — even if I'm working from home
write for sixty minutes
get to work on remaining top priorities, using focus blocks
I'm intentional on what matters the most. To start, it's my mental and physical well being.
Then, I move on to my most important activities.
My mind races like the Kentucky Derby, so if I'm not intentional about my routines, I'll be the horse running down the track without its Jockey.
Try it.
You'll be surprised how great you feel.
Fuel your brain.
Most people tell you they eat healthy to lose weight, feel great and look amazing naked.
Their motivation to eat the right things is twisted.
Sure, looking great naked is an excellent motivator, but it has low meaning in your life unless you have low confidence.
The reason I eat healthy is to fuel my brain.
I want my brain to work at maximum efficiency. In doing so, these are the benefits I reap:
Improved memory.
More creative.
Less stressed.
Less emotional.
Better sleep leads to hundreds of other benefits.
Excellent decision making.
Less reactionary.
More mental stamina.
I give my brain the fuel it needs to run the marathon of life.
My ability to be creative, quickly solve problems, focus, and enjoy life's many simple pleasures is a top priority.
Move throughout the day.
We've become a hive of jelly.
When I was in my first "real" desk job, I was sitting for over ten hours a day, coming home and plopping my ass on the couch.
I gained weight and looked refreshingly plump.
The problem with sitting for long periods is — EVERYTHING.
It's not good for your mind, body, and soul.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services,
Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day; only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.
In my opinion, what's even worse is,
Only one in three children are physically active every day.
Staying active is non-negotiable.
Sit, stand, walk, jump, jog, and lift.
Taking a walk in the morning and doing a 30-minute strength routine is great, but your day needs more.
Get a stand-up desk, take a five-minute walk every forty-five minutes, and complete fifty jumping jacks at your desk.
Whatever it is, incorporate movement into your day.
You can do this with a desk job. No excuses.
Read for at least thirty minutes daily.
My life changed forever when I started to read more.
I grew up hating to read. You know what I'm talking about. The English teacher assigns you some bullshit book to read and write a report on.
It’s the reason Cliff Notes was created. They solved a pain within an industry. Reading boring books and having to write reports on the boring book.
I read to develop knowledge.
If you're not reading every day, shame on you. Don't use the "I don't have time" excuse either. I'm sure you can find thirty minutes.
Develop a skill.
Books have changed my life. They have taught me things, from people I would never have access too.
At least some billionaires and dead authors.
They've helped me improve every aspect of my life, especially my career.
They've helped me work on skills that have allowed me to develop my Talent Stack.
Scheduling time for your personal development is one of the best investments of your life.
Here's a list of skill development resources I use, daily:
Books.
Blog posts.
Podcasts.
Courses.
Coaching.
Masterminds (not daily but quarterly).
Developing your skills is never an afterthought.
This isn’t a passive game. Take your skill development seriously, and watch the impact it has on your life.
Be uncomfortable every day.
I hate the cold.
My home use to be set to a chilly 78 degrees until I learned the sleep benefits of sleeping in a cold room.
I would freak out in cold water.
It sucks. It takes my breath away. It causes me to shiver.
That's why I now force myself to get cold every day.
I jump into my cold plunge that's hovering around forty-five degrees for five to ten minutes.
It feels like little needles are poking me.
I hate it.
It's the health benefits that motivate me. I also know that being a little uncomfortable every day is a good thing.
It builds the tolerance muscle. It creates a callus of the mind.
Being comfortable makes me weak.
In a questionnaire, people said they would rather DIE than public speak.
Die!
Because it's so uncomfortable, but if they practiced being uncomfortable, they'd quickly get over it.
I'm no different. I hate public speaking, which is why I set a goal this year to public speak.
There are many things that you can do to strengthen your uncomfortable muscle, but whatever it is, do a little every day.
Don't let life race by you. Be intentional on the things that matter, so your life is well rounded.