11 Habits that will Improve Your Life

11 Habits that will Improve Your Life

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your habits.

If you want to improve your life, a good place to start is with your habits.

Before we dive into habits that will improve your life, let’s discuss why habits matter.

Why Habits Matter

Your daily routine is essentially a series of habits you practice day in and day out.

Those little habits hook yourself up to your future-for better or for worse.

If you want to know where your future is headed, just take a look at the habits your daily routine is comprised of.

When you think about your daily routine, do you like it?

Is it filled with productive and purposeful habits?

If not, it’s time to learn the habits that will improve your life.

Resources:

Grow You (coaching-a great tool for implementing good habits!)
6 Ways to Improve Your Life Right Now
How to Break the Cycle of Bad Habits

11 Habits that will Improve Your Life

Intentionally Plan Your Life, Don’t Let it Plan You

Many people walk through life just existing and reacting to whatever happens to them as they go about their days.

They end up feeling helpless and unfulfilled.

Intentionally planning your life requires a complete mindset shift. Only you have the control to lead a purposeful and fulfilling life.

Once you actualize this factual belief, you can start intentionally planning your life.

If you don’t already have a daily planner, you need to get one-whether it’s a physical paper planner or digital planner.

Then, start blocking out time in your planner or on your calendar by the hour.

Be specific. Instead of writing in “work-8 hours,” write in the results you want to accomplish within those 8 hours of work. Schedule results, not just mindless to-dos.

Practicing time management in this way is a great way to see what truly matters and what doesn’t. If you find yourself always “busy,” what tasks are you scheduling that can be omitted?

Learning to say “no” to what doesn’t serve you is a life skill that will improve your time management ten-fold, and blocking out your time will help you to pin-point ways to free up your time or use it for more purposeful activities.

Resources:

How to Create Your Perfect Daily Routine
How to Plan and Manage Your Time Effectively
Eccolo Planner (I have one similar to this, but in a solid pink color, and I love it!)

Create A Morning Routine

Whether you know it or not, you already have a morning routine. The effectiveness of the morning routine you have now is up to your discretion.

If you don’t have an intentionally planned routine, your morning routine may consist of hitting snooze five times before waking up and scrambling to get ready for work (not effective).

Create a morning routine that sets you up for success that day.

Wake up at the same time every morning and early enough to allow for an intentional morning routine.

Some activities you can include in your morning routine include the following:

Reviewing your goals and schedule for the day.
Getting exercise.
Prayer or meditation.
Journaling your gratitude or other thoughts.
Drinking water.
Reading a chapter out of a book or a page out of a devotional.
Listening to a motivating podcast while getting ready.

When you intentionally plan your morning, you’re already one foot in the doorway to having a great day.

I cannot recommend this practice enough-it’s greatly improved the quality of my life these last few years!

Resources:

De-clutter Your Office (and Your Life!)

Whether you work from home or at your company’s office, take the time to de-clutter and clean your desk and area.

A cluttered office equals a cluttered mind, and that’s true for any other aspect of your life that is physically cluttered.

Start with one room and one drawer at a time and get rid of anything that no longer serves you. If you have items in nice condition, consider donating them or selling them.

If you have old clothes you don’t wear anymore, Poshmark is a great place to sell your clothes and some home décor items as well. Not only are you getting rid of stuff, you’re making a little extra money as well, so it’s a win-win.

I did a lot of de-cluttering the past few months, and I’ve discovered there is so much freedom in not being tied to “stuff.”

Resources:

Set A Goal, then Take Action to Achieve it

Get good at goal-setting.

Goal-setting isn’t just for Olympic athletes or over-achievers.

It’s for you, too.

Goals challenge us, stretch us, change us, and help us grow and evolve into our highest selves.

What do you want for yourself? Do you want to lose weight, take your small business to your first $100,000, save money, or take that once in a lifetime vacation?

Set a goal that is specific, relevant, measurable, and has a deadline. Write it down and review it daily. Then, take action steps toward achieving it.

Resources:

Dream Year (goal setting + planning)
How to Set Goals the Right Way
Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
Imagine Big: Unlock the Secret to Living Out Your Dreams

Take Responsibility for Your Life

You, and only you, are responsible for your thoughts, emotions, actions, and circumstances.

Many people blame their problems on other people or circumstances they can’t control and just sit and wait for things to “get better.”

This is reactive behavior versus being proactive.

If you want things to get better, you must take responsibility for your life and stop playing the victim.

When my former employer laid off almost all the employees in our building and subsequently closed the building, there was one co-worker in my department who complained and cried daily about her misfortune of losing her job.

Meanwhile, another co-worker went out and secured a new job before the lay-off date arrived, and moved on.

When you choose to be a victim, you give your power away and you stay “stuck” where you’re at. You don’t move forward, pass “go,” or collect $200 (Monopoly reference).

Life is 50/50. 50% good and 50% bad. You’re always going to have negative experiences and circumstances throughout the course of your life, but how you handle them is what determines the outcome for your future.

Resources:

Get Good at Decision-Making

Make decisions quickly and don’t go back on your word.

We often struggle with making the “wrong” decision, but the truth is, there is no “wrong” decision.

Some decisions are better than others. But at the end of the day, decisions are what moves our life forward.

If you make the wrong choice, just recalibrate and make a new decision to continue carrying you forward. This way, you don’t stay stuck or confused.

Those who struggle to make decisions tend to be unhappy people.

Practice Gratitude for a More Fulfilling and Joyful Life

Gratitude may be a topic beat into the ground, but for good reason.

I swear by the 24-hour gratitude challenge: Every morning (or evening), write down five specific things that happened in the last 24 hours that you’re grateful for. They need to be specific things.

This practice is so helpful if you’re going through a hard time or had a bad day. When you realize all the little blessings you encountered throughout your day, it helps you realize there is beauty and joy in every day.

I cannot recommend this gratitude practice enough-it’s a great way to feel better, especially during hard times or bad days.

Resources:

Eat Brain-Boosting Foods

We’re told to maintain a healthy diet-no-brainer, right?

I’ve found people who struggle to eat well can be uneducated or inexperienced with the power of foods that boost your brain power.

Salads and light soups have been my lunch go-to for several years now, and I’ll tell you why.

When you eat unhealthy, greasy, heavy foods-especially during the work day-you are likely to experience fatigue and brain fog.

I haven’t had a donut in years because of the terrible brain fog they used to give me.

Contrast that to a light lunch of salad or soup. Not only is it healthier, it keeps your brain sharp.

Start practicing awareness of how food makes you feel. I tend to eat heavier foods for dinner and eat light during working hours. Aside from being healthier choices, it increases my productivity, as well.

Resources:

Move Your Body Every Day

You don’t have to do a full-blown workout every day, but getting up to walk and stretch are just as beneficial to the body and mind as a sweaty gym session.

Take a 15-minute break to go for a walk, or set your alarm back a little earlier to get a quick workout in before your workday starts.

Physical exercise keeps your body in shape, your heart healthy, and your mind sharp. The benefits are endless.

Read Personal Development

I’m a big reader, and I’ve noticed a significant difference in my mindset when I’m currently reading a personal development book versus not reading one.

Personal development books teach you time management, productivity, creating a daily routine, maintaining quality relationships, taking care of your body, excelling in life, adopting good habits, goal-setting, and so much more.

You can’t go wrong with a great personal development book.

Resources:

Listen to Motivational Podcasts

This goes hand-in-hand with reading personal development books.

Podcasts are great for when you’re on the go or cleaning the house. You learn all the things personal development books teach you, and they boost your motivation.

There are millions of podcasts available on iTunes or your favorite podcast platform.

Resources: