These 10 Habits Can Change Your Life

Have you ever just felt stuck in a cycle, like you keep ending up in the same place over and over again? Or that you want to make substantial changes to your life but you just seem to keep missing the mark? Trust me I know how that feels because for the past 32 years I have felt stuck. But in the past year I have made some really small changes that have turned in to big changes and I am still amazed at how much my mindset and life has changed because if these changes. I want to share with you 10 habits that I have started that have changed my life for the better. These are all things that I have implemented and I can say with certainty have made me a better and more productive person. I want to provide a disclaimer that these habits may work for me but we are all different people, with different interests who respond to things differently so if you find something or nothing on this list resonates with you, that’s okay, do your own self reflection and research to find the habits that will take you where you want to go. Invision your ideal self and think of the habits that version of you has, then slowly incorporate those habits into your life.

Habit #1: Daily Learning

Take at least 15 minutes everyday to learn something (a language, how to make a recipe, etc.) think of something you have always wanted to know how to do but maybe thought it wasn’t possible or that you were not capable. 15 minutes is enough time to learn something substantial but short enough to not feel like a hassle. And honestly after a while you may find yourself spending 30 minutes or an hour learning something each day. This is good because it keeps you in learning mode which is good for your brain health but also confidence. I have been using my 15 minutes everyday for a variety of things such as learning French, how to make better YouTube videos (Check out my YouTube channel here), how to build a website (which is how lightcamerapassion.com came to be), good skincare, things related to nutrition and I can easily go on and on and on.

Habit #2: Daily Activity

Going for a walk or exercising as often as possible. This is not only good for your body but your mental health. Time to unwind and relax. Maybe you can listen to a podcast while walking. I listen to a french podcast.

Habit #3: Reading

I personally like reading the last 30 minutes before bed but you can read at anytime during the day. Some books that I have really been enjoying lately are Atomic Habits by James Clear, Limitless by Jim Kwik and Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop. Reading these books help me to wind down and lets my mind know it’s almost time to go to sleep, plus it a great way of not being on your phone at night which is a huge sleep disrupter.

Habit #4: Prioritize Getting Good Sleep

And with that being said the #3 habit to change your life is to get good sleep. Everybody is different and some people only need 7 hours while others need 9 so examine how many hours you slept when you feel most refreshed to optimize your sleep. If you have a smartwatch you can use it to track your sleep and help figure out the best amount of hours for you. I know for me I fall on the high end of the scale needing 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep to feel my best. Also check out the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. It’s a book that my husband has been reading that is really good and I am patiently waiting for him to be done so that I can read it.

Habit #5: Making your Bed

Seeing that we are on the subject of sleeping, another habit that can change your life is making your bed. This helps to enforce discipline and set you up for a productive day. Also studies have shown that making your bed can affect your mood and help you to be happier and more productive. Additionally, the study stated that people who made their bed tended to be morning people and wake up without an alarm.

Habit #6: Adjust Your Standards

For all the perfectionist like myself, tip #6 is to Adjust your standards.
Those of us in perfection mode can have a hard time letting go of our own super high standards. We think we must go above and beyond what’s expected. To outperform. Most perfectionist try to do things to 120% but all you really need is 80 to 90%. However if that is too much to start with just do 100% not 110 or 120, just 100% because believe it or not good enough is good enough.

Habit #7: Daily Meditation/Devotion

Morning devotion/Meditation, this can help you to stay grounded and bring gratitude into your life when you have a moment to just be thankful for everything you have and just for life itself. I find that this is the hardest habit for me because when I am stressed it is usually the first to go. but if I make it a point to stick with my morning devotions even when things are stressful I always have a better day.

Habit #8: Daily Checklist

Setting a daily checklist. If you have a big goal you want to achieve that will take a long amount of time to achieve. Make a plan of how you will achieve that goal and break it up into monthly, weekly and daily goals. As an example, I want to lose weight and be healthier, that is something that will take a few years to achieve but I know all of the things required to achieve it. I know that things like eating healthy, working out and portion control will healp me to achieve my goal but it can seem super daunting knowing how long it will take. So I change my goal from a goal that will take years to a one month goal. So every month I want to x,y and z, then I change it to a weekly goal and say every week I want to Exercise at least 3 days, eat healthy at least 6 days. Then I change it to daily goals everyday I want to eat 1600 calories maximum, go for a 30 minute leisurely walk and exercise depending on the day.

Habit #9: Do the Hardest Thing First

Have you ever needed to get something done and you keep putting off and saying that i’ll do it later, I have enough time? Then you wait until you have no choice but to complete the task because you have ran out of time? This is procrastination at its finest and a lot of times we put off things we don’t enjoy because our minds think that it is help us. But if you think about it, when you put off the things that you need to get done it make you quite anxious and you keep thinking about it until its actually done. That’s why I have tried to make a habit of doing things even if I don’t want to do them and I start with doing the hardest thing I don’t want to do first.

Habit #10: Digital Detox

Take a social media break – In the book that I have been reading Limitless the writer uses the term digital detox and this is important because allow you to get a break from using digital devices such as smartphones and computers. Disconnecting from social media can help you to reduce stress and enjoy more real-life experiences. And additionally, it greatly benefits your mental health! So log out of those social media apps and spend some time with yourself and the ones you love to strengthen those connections.