We are designed with a remarkable ability to grow, evolve, learn, and thrive. Its what pushes us forward incentivizes us to keep going and makes us work harder.
The key to improving your life is doing for yourself. Changing for someone else is short term motivation but if you want those great habits to stick, you need to need to make the changes for you.
But changing your life around is not an easy walk in the park. You have to work hard to keep following the good habits, show perseverance, and willingness to bring change. You have to have an unshakeable belief in yourself that you are ready to go the extra mile in life just to see yourself improve.
But as you are reading this, you have already taken the first step and now you are one step closer to your goal. So, let’s get started.
Here are the 15 tips that will help you improve your life in 2020 :
1. Create a morning routine and stick to it
It’s longly believed that it takes 21 days to break a habit and the same amount of time to learn a new one.
Creating a morning routine is one of the most important changes you can bring into your life. Most of the people don’t have a morning routine and go by as the day goes on.
Creating a morning plan like- exercising, eating a healthy breakfast, or reading a book will bring a drastic change in your life. This will endorse positivity and energy right from the start of the day. Then you can plan out your day and just go with it.
I would suggest that at the start, don’t make a very demanding routine for yourself. Start slow, get accustomed to the new habits. Take a light jog, stretch your body, do a bit of exercise, take a proper bath, have a simple breakfast. You can also try meditating. It relaxes the body and removes stress from our body and mind. Little things like these will add up and soon you will feel the change in you.
But the most important thing to note is that you have to do this regularly. Try it out.
Make a simple morning routine and follow it. See the changes that take place in you both physically and mentally. It will improve your life quality by a leap of what you had.
2. Exercise every morning
There is just not any better way to start your morning with some exercise. Be it for the mind in the form of meditation or for your physical body in physical exercise or yoga. Exercising is very important for our body. Though many people know it and they even start, eventually they give in the midway.
Why is it? Most of my friends think that it’s just a drag to get yourself put under extra work(i need new friends. lol). We have to get something straight, We all humans(well most humans) want to be successful, be the best version of ourselves.
But how do we expect to be the best version of ourselves by neglecting our bodies? We have to be ready for the challenges that the world throws at us, for that we have to be in our best shape.
It’s not only the body which needs exercising but also our mind. Meditation, not only relaxes us but also takes away a lot of stress that we have put on ourselves. There are a lot more positives that we can take away from meditation. To know more, just click here.
This problem of “putting in extra work” can be easily solved. You just have to take things slowly. Here’s how :
- Do not go for hardcore exercise just from the beginning. Go for easier exercises and Work yourself up slowly.
- You won’t have 6 pack abs or arm ripping biceps with just a day of exercising. So make a plan, follow it, and most importantly stick to it.
- Do these and make a habit out of them.
It is that simple. You don’t have to give 2-3 hrs at the start to exercise only. Keep it casual, Exercise for 20 mins or 30mins or how much you are comfortable but start and stick to it. Take rests in-between and Don’t give up.
At the end of a good session of exercise, try 10-15mins of meditation to calm your body and mind. This will re-energize your body to work the whole day.
3. Practise Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the basic ability of humans to be fully present, to be aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed about what’s going around us. While mindfulness is something we all naturally possess, it is more readily available to us when we practice daily.
The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical process.
Mindfulness helps us put some space between ourselves and our reactions. So how can you engage yourself into mindfulness throughout the day? Here’s how:
- Put aside some time.
- Observe the present moment as it is. We’re aiming to pay attention to only the present moment without any judgment.
- Let the judgment pass by. When any thought of judgment arises, just make a mental note of it and let it pass.
- Then return to observe the present moment as it is.
- But also be kind to the wandering thoughts. Do not judge yourself for whatever thoughts that come up your mind, just notice when your mind wanders off and gently bring it back.
That’s it. That’s the practice. Sounds easy right? Wish I could say yes. The work is to just keep doing it. Results will accrue.
4. Focus on what you do have, not on what you don’t
Jealousy is truly a green-eyed monster, & when we experience it, it makes us feel like we are not good enough. Instead of being happy for what they brought or get something, we get jealous and disliking them for their success.
So what can we do about it?
Better make a habit of focusing on what we do and not too much what we don’t have. Gratitude goes a long way and it makes us good people. Set up your own goals and work vigorously towards it. Just keep your head down & keep working hard because at the end of the day being jealous of someone brings nothing.
Nothing.
Simplest solution to this:
- Create your own goals.
- Make plans to succeed.
- Keep your head down and work hard.
It is as simple as it can be. Follow these 3 steps and rest won’t even matter to you. Once you taste the flavor of success with your hard work, nothing will affect you then. You just have to believe in the process and keep working.
Let’s be honest here, you are wasting your time thinking about what you don’t have. You’re better than that. Be happy with you have. Be happy for other’s success but do not forget your own goal.
You are not in competition with anyone else but yourself. So keep going.
You have this.
5. Reading or listening to podcasts
I find this very, very important, and recommend this to everyone, to my friends, family, neighbor, every human being who wants to grow in knowledge.
What’s great about podcasts is that you can learn anything under the sun. There are hundreds and hundreds of podcast channels out there that can help you grow massively. You can listen to true stories about people’s lives, about hurdles they overcome, success stories, leaders, history, crime (yeah, crime too)…….anything.
And it’s all there for you.
It’s a very good option for those people who don’t like to read books for a long time. Many people of today like to listen to podcasts when they travel. You can also give it a shot. Just plug in your earphone, play the podcast, and enjoy the world of content.
Reading books is also a very healthy practice you should do. Books transport you to another world where you use your imagination to escape from your everyday thoughts. Reading books enables you to be more knowledgable, helps you become an interesting individual with a plethora of new ideas and views.
As for me, I read books so that I don’t get stressed out of my daily problems. I read specific books that allow me to learn a lot on how to face my problems and evolve my mindset.
So, the more that you read the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.
6. Hangout with the right people
Its time to make a habit of sticking with the right people.
There are a lot of reasons why you are still with these so-called “friends” -they might be in your life since you were a kid or know them because they are your family friends.
You might feel like you know them so well that you ignore their shitty behavior or you are afraid of their reaction or not up for the drama.
The truth is if you hang out with losers you look like a loser too. Its time to let go of the toxic people in your life and surround yourself with kind, generous, positive, gentle & ambitious people.
Like the person you are.
7. Learn to really listen
Steven.R.lovi says that “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand. They listen with the intent to reply”.
Learning to listen to people is a skill that will last you a lifetime and it’s an easy habit to form. Listening to is not only fo replying, it might be about consuming information, investing your energy to absorb knowledge, and appropriately responding to that.
Become a good listener and you will discover that more people will come forward to have conversations with you. Why?
Because you not only be listening to them but also understand where they are coming from. Are they frustrated? Are they stressed? You will be able to know people better and respond in a very healthy way.
You will feel that you are now able to respond in a very new way. A very healthy, understanding way that not only shows you are invested in the conversation but also mature about what you are talking of.
Try this. You won’t regret the change.
8. Put earthing or grounding into your daily schedule
Many people have this outlook on grounding like its some kind of airy-fairy this, made-up rubbish. But that’s not it. You ask your parents. They use to do this. People have forgotten how useful just walking on grass can be.
Grounding or earthing in a nutshell, is the process of walking on the earth’s surface barefoot. Though there are many other ways to do it but walking on grass may be the best natural way to do it.
But now you might think why should you get your feet dirty? Because there are enormous benefits to this easy exercise. Few of them are:
- Neutralization of free radicals.
- Improves sleep quality.
- Helps with pain management
- Improves inflammation and immunity.
- Reduces stress and tension
These are just a few of the benefits and the list could go on.
9. Up your water intake, your body will thank you
We know how much water we should intake daily. It’s been drilled into us since we were kids. But let’s be honest, how many of us drink the recommended rate of water? Very few can say that they do.
But not doing this, you are leaving your body and also your mind with a lot of disservices. Many have sought the fountain of youth but the fountain of youth comes straight out the tap ie. H20.
Drinking the right amount of water daily makes us look young and fresh & let’s be honest who wants to look old.
Indeed, water might not be the tastiest drink out there that one can have. But try adding some mint leaves, cucumbers, berries, etc. and after some weeks of this, you might believe in the fountain of youth.
10. Change your way of thinking
Scottie Weave says “We are a product of our thoughts”.
This quote is so relevant because of what we think, we try to manifest that only for ourselves. Positive thinking casts positive energy upon ourselves.
What are you telling yourself about yourself in your mind? What negative thoughts or self-talk are you dishing out on daily insight upon your head?
Have you ever felt beat down or out of energy during work? or have questioned yourself how does those successful work so long and hard? One part of the answer is the mindset. They have a positive mindset which allows them to believe in their work and allows them to work harder than everybody else. Its the mindset that differentiates successful people from non-successful people.
Imagine if you had to share the thoughts that go into your head about you with your friends, what would have they thought about it? They would re-assure you that you are none of those things. You have conjured up this terrible person in your head that is not you.
So get your chin up, believe in yourself, and work hard for your dreams.
11. Detox from social media
When did you last spent time on social media that you can honestly say that it improved your life? Despite social media having a positive effect, it seems to take up a large chunk of our time and often makes us feel stressed or depressed and dissatisfied.
Though social media has plenty of pros but also has plenty of cons. Some cons. May be as follows:
- Making people feel bad about themselves
- Cyberbullying
- Hacking
Why not give yourself a holiday from social media & take time off from your social platforms. No need for dramatic exits, just slip away, log out or uninstall your social media apps from your phone so you don’t have to reach out to them. And when you feel right and fresh you can re-install them and start using them again.
You can use this free time your getting in working or exercising.
12. Invest in self-care
Your body is your forever-home. Why destroy it. Make small changes every day and over time they all will make a huge difference.
Drink those 8 glasses of water, take 1 spoon of sugar instead of 2 in your coffee, wash your face, floss your teeth, take time out when you feel mentally drained, and invest in yourself.
Maintain your health of both the mind and the body. You will face difficult situations in life but you have to ready to face them. Invest in yourself and get yourself ready to face the world out there.
Be your best version, have faith in yourself, and give your everything because now you would be ready.
Trust the powerful words of Dalai Lama “ If you feel burnouts setting in, you feel demoralized & exhausted, its best for sake of everyone to withdraw and restore yourself to the best condition”.
13. Compliment people
Giving kindness and compliments to others is like a boomerang. Throw out a compliment about someone and just when you turn around & forget about it, you are hit with a wave of positive energy right back at you.
The other benefit is the other person you have complimented will feel positive and will start throwing around themselves.
Before you know it, the world has become a boomerang world championship of kindness. It’s a great habit to keep.
But make sure to air on the side of kindness because the boomerang effect also works with negativity.
14. Stop judging
You might be in a cycle of criticism when you see someone, you always have thought about them. And that too not in a positive way.
Judging others is often out of a place of insecurity and shines a light on your own shortcomings. It’s a terrible habit to keep and so try to break it by focusing on the person does have to offer.
Novelist, Roald Dahl says “ If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. You can have a wonky nose or a crooked mouth and double chin & a stick out a tooth but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeam & you will always look lovely”.
And on that note, we are at the end.
The fact that you are reading this, is the fact that you have realized the life is yours to improve, is already half the battle won because the truth really is – we hold the key to the happiness in our old life.
There’s this quote that goes like “yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I am changing myself”.
We would love to hear from you as – what habits have you formed that really improved your life?
Tells us in the comment section below.
