Your habits determine where you are in life. Most succinctly put was by Will Durant (and not Aristotle).”We are what we do on a daily basis. “Excellence, then, is not an act, but rather a habit, “This is, I believe, also true of excellence’s polar opposite. Having mediocre habits causes mediocrity. In other words, we can go from mediocrity to excellence by altering our daily habits. It’s a good question, though. Let me be clear before we go any further: habits can change your life, but they do not ensure success. It’s what books and articles titled “The Habits of Millionaires,” tell us to believe. Elon Musk sleeps for two hours a day, and his dinner consists of Cheerios’ what the writers of those types of moronic articles hide from you, the reader, is that correlation doesn’t mean causation.
No amount of getting up early, slaving away at your desk, or even taking a cold shower will bring you success. One of the best examples of this is Nassim Taleb’s Fooled by Randomness: When it comes to success, the usual suspects like working hard, arriving on time, wearing a clean shirt (preferably white), and applying deodorant are all important, but they may fall short because they don’t actually lead to success. Habits and results are not the same things. My goal is to help people improve the quality of their lives by advocating a shift in how they act.
Now that that’s out of the way, let me walk you through the four steps I use to create habits that last a lifetime.
Step 1: Decide which habits are worth pursuing first.
I could go on and on about the habits that have changed my life, but that’s not going to be of much use to you. For the simple reason that only YOU are capable of determining what constitutes a beneficial habit. Making a decision about whether or not a habit is worth the effort is essential to forming new ones. “I should do that!” is a common refrain when we hear about a new idea. Really? No, I don’t think that’s necessary. Are cold showers a good idea for me? Do I have to eat like a caveman? Should I go for a run every day? You may find that waking up early is beneficial to your well-being. How can I tell? Because of my grumpy demeanour, my life suffers when I get out of bed too early. Therefore, I refuse to get up at the crack of dawn, no matter how many people tell me it is the best way to succeed. Consider the following: “Will adopting habit x make my life better? “Because we all need a reason to change, you should ask yourself that question. Because superficial reasons aren’t enough, we need something more. For example, “I’d like to read one book a week,” you might say. Why? So, what exactly are you capable of? What are you hoping to accomplish? What are you aiming for?
In my case, I read two books a week as a teacher/trainer because I need to keep up with my students. So that I can do my job better, I must continue to learn new things each and every day. For me, strength training is an investment in my future. I spend a lot of time doing household and office chores. I’d like to be a maker and a fixer. Lifting heavy objects or performing physically demanding tasks necessitates that I will be in top physical condition. That is the reason why I am writing. What about you? Find out. And then, adopt habits that bring you closer to the things you want in life.
Step 2: One habit at a time is the best strategy
I wrote about how I successfully formed a daily exercise habit. It was something I tried to do for years. I failed for a variety of reasons, one of which was that I was constantly attempting to instil a slew of new habits at once. This self-improvement craze happens from time to time for no apparent reason. I’d like to read more, write more, work more, live better, eat better, you name it. I’m in the mood for it all. It’s best to hold back the enthusiasm if you’re the same. The more you try to do, the more likely it is that you’ll get into trouble. Then you end up back where you began. Is this something you’ve heard before? We overestimate our abilities, which is one of the reasons we try to juggle so many things at once. We believe we can accomplish a great deal in a short period of time. That isn’t true. Over time, we can accomplish a great deal. That’s true, and I agree with it. So, concentrate on one thing at a time. One habit at a time, stack them up like in the image at the top of this post.
Step 3: Set the bar extremely low
We have a tendency to aim high without fully comprehending the consequences. It takes a lot of work to start a business or build a career. Even the most trivial achievements in life require a great deal of effort. Let’s start small before moving on to a larger project. Before you can change the world, you must first change yourself. War and Peace author Leo Tolstoy said it best: Nobody thinks about changing themselves, but everyone thinks about changing the world. Pay attention to the details. Lay a solid foundation for your project. Without it, we’ll never be able to accomplish anything worthwhile.
Do you want to go for a run every day? Begin by taking a few steps.
Do you want to pen a novel? A single sentence should suffice.
Start your own company? One client is all you need.
Let me know if you’d like to read two books per week. Every day, read a page.
Saving money for your golden years should be a priority for everyone. Don’t waste your money on a second shirt that you’ll only wear once. Big things come to those who wait.
Step 4: Use checklists
Everything is a blur to me. I began a daily reading habit a few years ago. In the beginning, I made a lot of mistakes. Occasionally, I would read for five or six days straight, and then completely lose track of what I was reading. It’s as if my desire to continue reading just vanished. You’re eager to get started. It’s up to you. After that, it’s just a blip on your radar. Things happen, don’t they? I don’t agree. Make sure you don’t let yourself off the hook with this excuse To stay on track, we need checklists to serve as a constant reminder of our goals. It’s important to keep in mind that we develop habits in order to improve our quality of life. Make a list of your daily routines and cross them off as you go along. Small, seemingly insignificant habits can have a profound impact on your life. At least, that’s what happened to me and the countless others who devote their time and attention to their habits. This is bound to happen to you as well, I’m sure of it.
