11 Habits that Will Make Your Life Dramatically Better, Right Now
If you’re not living the life you’d like to be living, this is for you.
It happens to the best of us. We get caught up in the daily grind, the to do lists, the bad decisions we’ve made in the past, our responsibilities and the wants and needs of others. There is so much that can get in the way of where we are and where we want to be.
Jim Fortin, host of the podcast, Transform Your Life from the Inside Out, says that who we are boils down to one thing, our habits.
If you’re not where you want to be, it’s time to take a good, honest look at your habits and evaluate whether they are bringing out the best in your life.
Here, we cover 11 habits that can make a big difference in your life, right now. Implement them to kickstart massive change for the better.
1. Get organized and declutter.
While you might not automatically link excessive clutter to added stress in your life, taking the time to get organized can greatly improve your life. Living in clutter can rob you of enjoyment, make it longer to do basic activities, and lead to distraction and even depression in life. Whether you’re overwhelmed with the number of items in your home or you can’t seem to plan out your calendar in an orderly way, the first step to changing your life is to start improving your organization skills.
While decluttering may seem like a never-ending task, taking steps to clean up day-by-day will help you start living a better life. There are many different methods. The Konmari Method has become increasingly popular since airing a television show on Netflix based on the book. See The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. There are also many other decluttering experts out there who not only incredibly helpful, but also inspiring. One top decluterring / simplifying women we love is Allie Cassaza on Instagram.
Here is some quick advice you can implement right now: Start getting organized by making it a point to keep all flat surfaces clear. From desks and a chest of drawers to surfaces in the bathroom and the kitchen, having a clear and clean surface makes any space less cluttered and more inviting. Once you start implementing this small changes in your life, you’ll be surprised by how much easier you can breathe.
2. Get to bed earlier and be sure to get plenty of sleep.
You’ve heard this one before, but have you taken it seriously. It’s crucial to get adequate sleep. Though it is recommended that adults should sleep for at least seven hours a day, many find that they take away from their sleep by failing to keep a consistent sleep-wake cycle. While you may feel alright with a cup of coffee after a short night’s rest, you won’t be performing at your best without the proper amount of sleep.
The earlier you go to bed and the more sleep you get, the better you’ll feel and the better you’ll perform the next day. Sleep deprivation not only causes you to feel badly during the day, it is contributing to less than optimal health. Get adequate sleep to maintain optimal levels of energy.
3. Work on yourself, on the inside.
Oftentimes, when we hear the phrase “work on yourself,” we take it to mean our physical selves. While fitness is important, it’s even more important to work on your personal relationship with yourself.
Start improving your relationship with yourself by listening to your needs.
4. Let go to those toxic relationships.
Life is too short to hold on to people that make us feel badly about ourselves. While most toxic relationships don’t always start off that way, they can be hugely disruptive and damaging to your everyday life. The longer you let this toxicity exist in your life, the more opportunity it has to drain your energy and self-esteem.
It’s important to do what’s best for you and your mental health by letting go of toxic relationships.
5. Limit your social media scrolling.
Social media is a powerful tool in so many ways. While it can do wonders for connecting us all to one another, there is a hugely negative impact that it has that most people are unaware of. Socials have a way of dredging up negative feelings, not to mention waste a tremendous amount of time.
When most people honestly evaulate how much time they spend on socials, they are usually surprised, even shocked. Even if you don’t intend to spend much time scrolling, the apps are designed to keep you scrolling, so be very mindful of this.
Likewise, without completely realizing it, we can be easily triggered by what we see on socials. For example, perhaps one of your friends got a promotion while you were passed over for one or you see that a former lover has moved on and is now in a new relationship.
Instead of using social media to stay connected, scenarios like these make you feel bad about your own life. At times, the best way to keep yourself in a positive frame of mind is to stay off of social media altogether. The less you scroll, the better you can maintain your sense of wellbeing.
Try limiting your social media scrolling for several weeks and see the positive impact it has on you.
6. Plan your meals ahead of time.
If you haven’t made meal planning part of your life yet, it’s time to start doing so. Living a better life is all about working smarter not harder and meal planning is one of the best ways to achieve this. There are so many ways to meal plan.
Some people choose one day a week to cook several meals for the rest of the week. Some people plan meals out a month ahead. There is a plethora of meal planning information available for free on the internet that can dramatically help you save time as well as money and live healthier at the same time.
7. Drink water!
Drinking water does more for your body than you may think. Though many of us may not realize this will improve our lives, it will. When the body is properly hydrated, it works better!
Start your new hydration habit by carrying a water bottle with you everywhere you go. Make sure to drink half your body weight in ounces each day to ensure you are well hydrated.
8. Wake up early and use that time to set yourself up for a better day.
Not a morning person? You should be. While you may not like waking early, doing so will allow you to start your day off on a better note. Many find that creating a morning routine sets them up for success.
See also The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod (for anyone and everyone) and The Perfect Day Formula: How to Own the Day And Control Your Life by Craig Ballantyne (geared more towards entrepreneurs).
9. Take time to soul search what is important to you.
Staying connected with yourself is a major part of living the life you’ve always dreamed of. Oftentimes, it far too easy to get caught up in being busy and getting work done, so much so that we lose sight of who we are and what we really feel. Make sure to actively spend time soul searching to determine what is important to you.
These moments will help to align your current reality with your hopes and dreams as you use this as a filter for what you allow and don’t allow in your life. By connecting with yourself and living the way you want, you will intentionally step into the person that you’re meant to become.
10. Sit in silence 10 minutes each day.
There are few moments in life where we really get to enjoy the the the silence. From the noisiness of the commute to whatever background music may be playing throughout your day, it’s easy to miss out on spending a few minutes in total silence. By sitting quietly for at least 10 minutes a day, you’ll be able to better connect with yourself and focus on bringing your mind some peace and quiet. You’ll be surprised what comes to you.
11. Visualize your best self and start showing up in life as him or her.
Who do you long to be? It’s time to start living as a better version of yourself.
Start visualizing your best self. You can do this by visualizing your best self in your mind, journaling and by repeating daily affirmations.