Each day I’m becoming more and more aware of how much I have changed in the years. My goals in life have changed, as well as my priorities, so step by step I started getting rid of everything that’s not aligned with the person I want to become and the life I want to live. With time I also developed a lot of new habits that have improved my life, which is exactly what I’m sharing with you today.
If you’re looking for ideas on positive habits to develop, then this post is for you. Let’s dive in!
1. decluttering
”Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.” – Barbara Hemphill
For me the easiest one, but in the comment section of my previous minimalism posts, I noticed a lot of people struggling with it.
I guess it’s just a matter of slowly making decluttering one of your daily habits. I started getting rid of clothes, electronics, makeup, then sentimental items, etc.
Once you get into a habit of decluttering (getting rid of everything you don’t need or want anymore), you clear up your space equally as your mind.
You start applying the same mindset to everything. Even your to-do lists start to become more focused on what is important/urgent, rather than piling up tasks that you’re constantly postponing. So yes, begin with physical items and see how you’re progressing from there.
Read next:
6 Things to Declutter for a More Organized Life
Minimalism for Beginners: How to Start a Minimalist Lifestyle
2. doing weekly reviews
It wasn’t until I started doing weekly reviews that I saw my productivity level immediately growing.
If you feel like you’re not getting closer to your goals or you’re feeling unmotivated and overwhelmed, I’d highly suggest making weekly reviews one of your habits.
Basically what I do (and I make a whole ritual of it because I enjoy it so much) is make myself a cup of tea, open my daily and monthly planner, and reflect on the week that has passed.
I ask myself did I accomplish everything I had planned, reflect on what went well, what didn’t go as planned, and why – so that I can come up with a better system for the next week. Then I plan out the week ahead.
Read next:
6 Tips to Improve Your Week // How to Prepare for the Week Ahead
4 Goal-Setting Questions to Set Yourself Up for Success
3 Ways to Continuously Make Progress on Your Goals
3. habits in my morning & night routine
Having some time early in the morning and at night to yourself is crucial, in my opinion.
We constantly rush through life and having that time to ourselves to enjoy peace and quiet is necessary for our overall well-being. During the past few months, I had a habit of easing into the day, having a morning routine about an hour long that included reading, drinking tea, meditation, etc.
But recently I realized that that is my most productive time. So now my morning routine lasts about 10-20 minutes and then I sit at my desk and start working.
Whatever the case may be, having a morning and night routine gives structure to your day and I suggest developing some sort of your own routines, according to your needs and lifestyle.
Read next:
10 Things to Add to Your Morning Routine
How to Improve Your Night Routine
4. practicing gratitude
”This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.” – Maya Angelou
Since I started developing gratitude as one of my daily habits that have improved my life, my whole perspective on life has changed.
I think I started this practice probably after reading some Law of Attraction book where one of the main points that are always highlighted is – the more gratitude you show, the more things you’ll have to be grateful for.
The thing about gratitude lists is that you start focusing only on the positive, and soon it becomes your second nature. No matter the situation you find yourself in, the good or bad, you will always be able to find something positive in it.
The way I practice gratitude is:
1. during my morning routine.
I always enjoy taking a few moments and think to myself what I’m grateful for that day.
It may seem weird since the day practically hasn’t even started yet, but things that I often mention are my health, the opportunities I have, nice weather (which, as I’m writing this, I realized how I always think the weather is nice. If it’s raining, I’m thankful it’s not too hot. If it’s hot outside, I’m grateful that it’s sunny… And that’s actually what this is all about when you think about it – seeing the good in everything)…
You can always keep it to the basics and think about why you’re thankful for those things.
2. as a part of my night routine by thinking of the 3 best things that have happened to me that day.
Instead of watching the news at night and thinking about the negative things that are presented to us, focus on yourself and what made that day a good one. And then be grateful for those moments. Don’t take them for granted.
Read next:
How to Choose Your Thoughts and Master Your Mind
5. waking up earlier
I remember while I was in college I often overslept the first few classes. After that my thoughts were: ”Well, if I missed these first few, I’ll just skip everything today.” I can’t remember if there was one time I was genuinely excited to go to my classes.
Now, on the other hand, getting up earlier is one of my favorite habits that have improved my life. And I also enjoy the time after that. I enjoy what I’m doing.
If you’re struggling with getting up in the morning, reevaluate how you spend your time and find something to look forward to during the day.
Of course, if you prefer having late nights rather than early mornings, there’s nothing wrong with that.
This is just my personal preference and waking up earlier has led me to have more structured days, being more focused throughout the day and more productive. It has improved every area of my life, essentially, so I can only suggest trying it out for yourself and seeing how you feel.
Starting the day by having a mini heart attack when your alarm clock startles you and then prolonging that by snoozing 5+ times is probably one of the habits you might want to replace for a peaceful morning.
6. focusing on the solution vs. focusing on the problem
”Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.” – Tina Fey
Too often I see people thinking about a certain situation (which is always neutral, until you fill it with negative thoughts – only then it becomes negative), seeing only the negative in it, calling it a problem, and then just complaining about it.
You won’t solve a problem by complaining about it. That’s just a waste of time and energy. You will solve it by trying to find a solution. And having that approach is one of the best habits that have improved my life.
There are a few approaches you can take when a ”problem” comes up. Hopefully at least one will be suitable for the next time you start complaining and blaming the external circumstances or yourself for what happened:
1. Ok, this happened. What can I learn from this so that it doesn’t happen again?
2. Ok, this happened. Which direction am I going to take from here?
3. Ok, this happened. What am I making it mean?
You may have noticed that in every approach I started with acceptance. Only when you accept the situation and stop fighting it, you can change it.
Otherwise, you’re just running in the circle of blaming – complaining – stressing out yourself and others. Things happen in life. Things also always pass. No matter the situation, it will pass.
Don’t waste your time attaching yourself to the negativity of the situation. Think of it as a learning experience and move on with your life. Yes, you have complete control over your reactions.
Read next:
How to Take Back Your Power and Become the Best Version of Yourself
How to Move On: 3 Steps to Heal and Move On with Your Life
PIN FOR LATER 🙂
7. accepting my feelings vs. fighting them
”Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” – Louise L. Hay
The number of articles with (repeating) lists of the things you can do when you’re feeling anxious/sad/lonely/unmotivated/lethargic/angry is growing daily, and I used to rely on those articles from time to time.
The feeling would go away, sure, but it would come back in the blink of an eye. I thought I was handling those feelings well. I thought that the goal was to not feel that way as soon as possible and forget about it.
Only recently I realized that the best way to deal with those feelings is to actually let them be. Accept it if you’re feeling bad. Don’t fight it. As long as you fight it, it will keep happening.
I realized that feelings are like waves. Sometimes you’ll feel like you’re surfing on those waves having full control over your life in your hands. And sometimes you’ll feel like you’re crushed beneath the waves. It’s all life.
Accept your feelings as they come and when you feel bad, think about the reason behind it. Focus on the solution, a long-term solution, and move on with your life.
Sure, if you’re feeling stressed watching your favorite movie will help for a few hours, but nothing is being solved with that. You can journal about it to gain a deeper understanding of your feelings, journal about how you want to feel, and clear your mind that way. Let it all out.
Accept your emotions, but don’t get attached to them. You are not your emotions. You are the consciousness behind them, as Mr. Tolle would put it.
Related:
How to Deal with Negative Emotions in a Positive Way
8. taking action every day to get closer to my goals
”Stop being afraid of what could go wrong, and start being excited for what could go right.” – Tony Robbins
One of the most impactful habits that have improved my life is working on my main goals every day. I don’t work on them for 10 hours every day. Sometimes, I do. Sometimes, it’s half an hour, sometimes it’s 4 hours… Taking action every day doesn’t mean that you’ll be at 100% every single day.
There are going to be days when other things get in the way, days when you’ll feel unmotivated, and days when you’ll want to give up. But if you can’t work on your goal for at least 30 minutes every day, then it’s time to be honest with yourself. If you have time to scroll through Instagram and watch Netflix, you have time to smash your goals.
Let go of the all-or-nothing mindset and do what you can with what you have. If you have only 15 minutes to do a workout in the morning, it’s better than nothing. If you have only 30 minutes to work on your side hustle before bed, it’s way better than nothing.
The real change happens when you become the person who takes action no matter what. Stop breaking the promises you make to yourself and get in the habit of taking action. No matter how small the actions are, they will lead you to your desired result.
And thus concludes the habits that have improved my life. I’m curious to know – what are some habits that have improved your life? Let me know in the comments!
Until the next time,
Ivana
Such an amazing post! I definitely believe that positive habits can drastically change our life. The ones you mentioned in this post are all incredible.
Thanks for sharing your life-changing habits. I plan to work on decluttering soon.
YES! I love this list! I cannot even begin to tell you how much decluttering my home has made a difference on my mental health and productivity. It’s surprising how such a small thing can make such a big difference in your life. Thanks for sharing this great list!
Great post, some things I definitely need to work on. Can’t wait to see more.
I love all the points that you have listed here. I think that focusing on solutions instead of the problems is the most important one when it comes to improving our life.