Category: Habits

Nine heathy habits that will change your life today

1. Leave five minutes early. Why pressure yourself with the stress
   of worrying about whether you are on time.
2. Breathe. Oxygen burns anxiety.
3. Be kind to yourself. You deserve feeling good about yourself.
4. Savor your food. Eating is one of life’s most wonderful experiences. Enjoy it.
5. Drink water. Every part of your body, from your brain to your bowels, from your toe nails to the hair on your head needs water.
6. Write. Erase your worries and anger with writing. Writing takes the power out bad feelings.
7. Stay in the slow lane. Commuting is not a competition.
8. Smile. Smiling makes you happy because it releases brain chemicals that improve your mood, reduce stress, and help you feel good in every way.
9. When someone criticizes you, Say to yourself “I’m bored.”  Your brain believes what you say. People who bore you have no power over the way you think.

Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash

The Magnetic Compass vs. The True Compass: Navigating Life’s Course

In the world of navigation, we encounter two distinct compasses: the magnetic compass and the true compass. While both point towards a direction, they differ significantly in their accuracy and the forces that influence them.

• The Magnetic Compass:
  • Relies on Earth’s Magnetic Field: This compass points towards the Earth’s magnetic north pole, which is not the same as the true geographic North Pole.
  • Affected by Magnetic Interference: Magnetic compasses can be influenced by magnetic fields generated by nearby iron or steel objects, such as ships, aircraft, or even electrical equipment. This can cause significant deviations from the true course.
• The True Compass:
  • Points to True North: This compass, often a gyroscope-based system, points directly towards the geographic North Pole.
  • Unaffected by Magnetic Interference: Unlike magnetic compasses, true compasses are not influenced by local magnetic fields.

Navigating Life’s Course:

Just as these two compasses offer different navigational guidance, we too encounter two types of “compasses” in our lives:

• The Magnetic Compass (External Influences): This represents the external pressures and expectations that influence our decisions. These can include societal norms, peer pressure, and the desire for external validation.
• The True Compass (Internal Guidance): This represents our inner compass, our values, our passions, and our authentic selves. It guides us towards a path of personal fulfillment and meaning.

Finding True North:

Just as sailors rely on true compasses for accurate navigation, we must learn to trust our inner compass. This requires:

• Self-reflection: Spending time in introspection to understand your values, passions, and goals.
• Mindfulness: Paying attention to your inner voice and recognizing when external pressures are influencing your decisions.
• Developing Inner Strength: Cultivating resilience and the ability to navigate through challenges while staying true to your values.

By aligning ourselves with our true north, we can make choices that lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful life. We can navigate the complexities of life with greater clarity and purpose, even when faced with external distractions and pressures.

 

Start with these six steps to Create a Habit

1. Identify Your Goal

The first step in creating a habit is to identify your goal. Be specific about what you want to achieve and why it is important to you. Having a clear and compelling reason for adopting the new habit will provide motivation and direction. Write down your goal and reflect on how it aligns with your values and long-term aspirations.

2. Start Small

Begin with small, manageable changes. Trying to make a significant change all at once can be overwhelming and lead to burnout. Instead, break down your goal into smaller, actionable steps. For example, if you want to develop a habit of reading more, start by reading for just five minutes a day and gradually increase the duration as the habit becomes more ingrained.

3. Establish a Routine

Develop a consistent routine around the habit you want to create. The routine should be simple and easy to follow. Consistency is key to reinforcing the habit loop and making the behavior automatic. Make sure the routine is realistic and fits well with your lifestyle. If you encounter obstacles, adjust your routine rather than abandoning the habit altogether.

4. Reward Yourself

Reinforce the new habit by rewarding yourself immediately after completing the routine. The reward can be something simple and enjoyable, such as a healthy snack, a short break, or positive self-affirmation. The reward creates a positive association with the behavior and increases the likelihood of repeating it. Over time, the behavior itself may become its own reward.

5. Track Your Progress

Keep track of your progress to stay motivated and accountable. Use a journal, habit tracker app, or calendar to record your daily activities and milestones. Tracking your progress allows you to celebrate small victories and identify patterns or obstacles that may need adjustment. Reflect on your achievements regularly and use them as motivation to continue.

6. Stay Patient and Persistent

Forming a new habit takes time and persistence. Be patient with yourself and recognize that setbacks are a natural part of the process. If you miss a day or encounter challenges, don’t get discouraged. Instead, focus on getting back on track and learning from your experiences. Consistency over the long term is more important than perfection.

Overcoming Common Challenges

Creating a new habit is not without its challenges. Here are four common obstacles and strategies to overcome them:

1. Lack of Motivation

Motivation can fluctuate over time, making it difficult to stick to a new habit. To combat this, revisit your initial goal and remind yourself of the reasons why the habit is important to you. Additionally, consider finding an accountability partner or joining a community with similar goals to provide support and encouragement.

2. Environmental Barriers

Your environment can either support or hinder your habit formation. Identify any environmental barriers and make necessary changes to create a conducive space for your new habit. For example, if you want to eat healthier, keep nutritious snacks visible and accessible while removing unhealthy options from your immediate surroundings.

3. Time Constraints

Busy schedules can make it challenging to prioritize new habits. To address this, integrate the habit into your existing routine and allocate specific time slots for the behavior. Additionally, consider combining the new habit with an existing one, known as “habit stacking.” For example, listen to educational podcasts while commuting or doing household chores.

4. Boredom

Repetition can lead to boredom and reduce the likelihood of maintaining a habit. To keep things interesting, introduce variety into your routine. Modify the activities, change the order, or add new elements to make the experience more engaging. For example, if your goal is to exercise regularly, try different workouts or explore new outdoor activities.

The Power of Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement plays a crucial role in habit formation. By acknowledging and celebrating your efforts and achievements, you create a positive feedback loop that encourages continued progress. Here are three ways to incorporate positive reinforcement into your habit-building journey:

1. Celebrate Small Wins

Acknowledge and celebrate small milestones along the way. Each step you take, no matter how small, brings you closer to your ultimate goal. Celebrating these achievements boosts your motivation and reinforces the habit.

2. Practice Self-Compassion

Be kind and compassionate towards yourself throughout the process. Understand that forming a new habit is a journey, and it is natural to encounter setbacks. Treat yourself with the same understanding and encouragement you would offer to a friend.

3. Visualize Success

Use visualization techniques to imagine yourself successfully maintaining the new habit. Visualizing positive outcomes can enhance your motivation and confidence, making it more likely that you will stick to the behavior.

Conclusion

Creating a new habit is a transformative journey that requires dedication, consistency, and patience. By understanding the science of habit formation and following a structured approach, you can successfully integrate new behaviors into your daily life. Remember to start small, choose effective cues, establish consistent routines, and reward yourself for your efforts. Overcoming challenges and incorporating positive reinforcement will further support your habit-building.

Take Breaks

Every day, I can allow myself to have a happier, healthier, and more productive life by not doing things that drag me down mentally, emotionally, and physically.

I Did Not Check My Phone or My Email First Thing This Morning

It has become a modern-day reflex to reach for our phones, tablets, or computers as soon as we wake up. By not checking my phone or my email immediately, I allowed myself a few moments of peace and mindfulness. Instead of diving into a barrage of notifications, emails, and social media updates, I took time to stretch, breathe deeply, and set positive intentions for the day. This simple act of restraint helped me start my day with a clear and calm mind.

I Did not Turn on my Television First Thing This Morning

Several years ago, I overcame the addiction of turning on the television and watching the news in the morning. I didn’t get caught up in the news cycle. The constant barrage of negativity can be overwhelming. Instead, I focused my attention on writing this blog post about choices for a wonderful life. 

I Did Not Consume Unhealthy Foods

Choosing not to indulge in unhealthy foods played a significant role in my well-being today. Instead, I had a bowl of soup leftover from last night’s dinner.

I Did Not Focus on Grudges

Holding onto grudges and resentments sucks the energy right out of my body. Holding on to grudges does not solve any problems. Instead, I thought of the good people I have in my life.

Conclusion

In a world that often glorifies busyness and constant activity, it’s important to recognize the power I have to choose what to abstain from. Today, I gave myself the opportunity to enjoy my day and the opportunities to be happier, healthier, and more productive.

The Doorway Effect: An Opportunity to Change the Way We Think and Feel

I read a little bit about Wilhelm Wundt, William James, Alfred Binet who is famous for the intelligence quotient (IQ) score, and Ivan Pavlov.

William James is a lot of fun to study.

To quote William James:

“There is a story, which is credible enough, though it may not be true, of a practical joker, who, seeing a discharged veteran carrying home his dinner, suddenly called out, ‘Attention!’ whereupon the man instantly brought his hands down, and lost his mutton and potatoes in the gutter.”

My family has used the methods common to animal trainers of rewarding our dogs with dog treats to learn new tricks (behavior).

After a while, the dog treat is not necessary. Most dogs will get the idea that positive behavior on their part will get a positive response from their owner. Likewise, negative behavior from the dog will lead to a negative response from the owner.

There are people who reward themselves for working on good habits.

A friend of mine told me a story of how his wife and one of her friends would go for long walks in the morning to burn calories. The irony is that after the walk, the two women would drive to a coffee shop have a buttered muffin as their reward for burning the calories while walking.

The simple way to overcome procrastination and complete large tasks is to complete a set of measured steps every day.
Jay Wren

Measured Steps: Some projects require months, even years to complete. How do successful people set deadlines and achieve success throughout the year?

Project Management

Large organizations have people who specialize in project management. Many of these people have years of experience. Additionally, project managers often have certifications that qualify them to manage large projects.

But what about the people who don’t have the capacity to hire project managers? How do sole proprietors and small start-ups keep projects moving ahead on time?

Procrastination

Anyone can suffer from procrastination. Especially, large projects can discourage people from even starting to work on them.

The easiest way to overcome procrastination is to take one simple action. If you need to go for a run, first just lace your shoes.

Simple, Identical, Daily Reminders Are Useless

For large projects, a simple, daily, identical reminder to work on routine daily tasks is pointless. Why do you even create daily general reminders for something that you do every day?
Here are some examples routine tasks that you can omit from your daily reminders: read emails, return phone calls, attend 10:00 AM daily meeting.

On the other hand, you should have a list of tasks as they pertain to specific issues. For example, “Call ABC’s buyer to confirm the order.” “Schedule a meeting with the distribution team to solve delivery issues.”

Specific Measured Steps

For me, dividing a task into smaller tasks is effective for completing long-term larger projects. I schedule these steps according to priority and deadline. I measure them in terms of details, time, date, and time allowed for each of these steps.

Whether a person is writing a book or starting a retail business, they can create a list of the steps that they must take to reach finishing the project.  Then break these measured steps into achievable daily goals.

In some cases, you must have tasks running simultaneously. Even though the tasks are simultaneous, you can’t do either of these two things at the same time. Therefore, break your task into units that you can complete during a single day.

List these things on your daily calendar as specific measured steps in terms of details and time you will spend on a task and the time you will start it.

Conclusion

Can’t afford project managers? These steps help you create your own system for managing large projects.