Every day we have a choice on how to utilize our 24 hours, 1,440 minutes and 86,400 seconds. Our habits dominate the essence of who we are and greatly impact the trajectory of our lives. If we do not hold ourselves accountable, creating a mindful consciousness around the preciousness of time and our habits we can begin to equate busyness with productivity.
As Aristotle asserted, “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”
The following ten daily habits will require initiation, vulnerability, courage, grace, discipline, and perseverance from you. Yet if implemented with consistent action can liberate you to dismantle routines in your living that are no longer bringing meaningful value for growth.
1. Get 1% Better Every Day.
Commit to getting 1% better physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually every day. Each of us is the architect and designer of our own life and career. Never let a day go by in which you have not done one thing to become better today than you were yesterday.
2. Make Everyone You Encounter Feel Important.
Talk to strangers. The deepest knowledge is the realization that you don’t know what good will come of it. Avoid treating people like they are menu options or products in a catalog. We all wear an invisible mask that says: Make Me Feel Important.
3. Surround Yourself With Wisdom.
Learning gives you new dots…wisdom connects them. Don’t just feed your body, feed your mind. Spend much of your life striving to gather wisdom from the minds, words, innovations, and lives of others. A person who does not read is no better off than a person who cannot read.
4. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others.
Comparing yourself to others is the thief of your joy. You are enough. You always have been. At times we can lose sight of who you are because the external world relentlessly attempts each day we are alive to sell and tell us what we should or should not be.
5. Don’t Feed Negative Thoughts.
The mind is everything. What you think, you become. When it comes to fostering relationships, spend less time with people who deplete your energy and more time with people who inspire you. Don’t walk away from negative people…Run!
6. Give Yourself Permission To Be Wrong.
Falling down is part of life, getting back up is living. Inside every difficulty, there is a hidden opportunity. When confronted with a challenge you have three choices: Give up, Give in or Give it all you have.
7. Be Comfortable With Criticism.
It is a wise person who views criticism as a gift. Your growth depends on your willingness to be uncomfortable. Learning is a process that has no beginning, middle or conclusion. It is life itself. Unlearn to Learn. Undo to Do.
8. Exceed Expectations.
See what others do not see. Do what others will not do. Ask what others are afraid to ask. Give more than others are willing to give. If you work towards being normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.
9. Spend Time Operating Outside Your Comfort Zone.
Everyone has a comfort zone. Not much learning takes place there. Take risk regularly to push yourself away from your own comfort zone. Never let the fear of failure keep you from starting. The longer you wait to do something, the less chance you will do it.
10. Give The World Your Best.
The better you know yourself, the better capable you are of enhancing your life. Investing in your self-development is the best investment you will ever make. Create space in your day to allow insights and inspiration to enter your consciousness. The best never stop learning and getting better.
To live is to be slowly born. Life is a journey not merely a destination. Each day we must relentlessly focus to do more of what really matters and less of what does not. It is never too late to design the life we wish to live. But we must wholeheartedly take that first step towards that change!
