The power of habits

Do you have a certain routine you do every morning? A certain way you tie your shoe, pull out of your driveway, or brush your teeth? Are there certain reoccurring actions you do throughout your day that are done without even thinking about them? These are all habits and behaviors we have generated throughout time. Our entire lives are shaped and created by our daily habits. More than 40 percent of our daily actions aren’t actual thought out decisions, but instead they are habits that we have created and maintained. Behaviors start to become automatic and our brain begins working less and less in order to focus on other things. Habits have an enormous impact in how we live our lives, how we make decisions, and how our future will be.

Unfortunately, our brain cannot distinguish between good habits and bad habits. It only knows how to captivate certain patterns in our lives and begin storing them in order to make them effortless actions. It is up to us to identify between good and bad habits and consciously make the decision to replace our bad habits with habits that will positively impact our lives. Here are a few positive habits that you can include in your daily lives that will help you succeed and reach your goals.

1. Affirmations

Affirmations are statements that you aspire to absorb into your life and by consciously repeating them they sink into your subconscious mind and they then become reality. Some examples of positive affirmations are: “I have the power to create all the success and prosperity I desire,” “The universe is filled with endless opportunities for me and my career,” “I will be so successful in life I will be able to help others succeed,” “I love who I am and I naturally attract people who respect me as a unique individual.” It only takes a couple of seconds every single morning to say your own personal affirmations in front of a mirror. This easy habit has shown to make a positive change in many successful individuals.

2. Read

Some of the most successful people in the world will credit reading as some factor in the success they have created. Not only are books a great way to self-educate yourself, but they also help open your mind to new ideas and possibilities. Creating a habit of reading every day for at least 30 minutes helps stimulate your mind and activates it just like exercise strengthens our muscles. Studies have shown that if you are constantly stimulating your mind, you slow the progress of mental diseases and can even prevent them. Reading helps reduce stress, improve vocabulary, boost concentration, sharpen your analytical skills, and improves memory.

3. Exercise

Our bodies are designed to constantly move and be active. There is constant research and studies that show how beneficial exercise is in our daily lives and overall health. By adding only 20 minutes of daily exercise into your lives you are able to improve your mood, increase energy levels, strengthen muscles and bones, improve quality of sleep, decrease stress, decrease the chances of chronic illnesses; the list goes on and on.

4. Journaling

Journaling as much as possible every day is a great habit that will help lead you to success. This is a great way to physically see what you need to do in your life to reach your goals or a great way to see what you have already accomplished. Some examples of journaling include writing a goal of the day every morning and then writing at night if you completed it or not. Writing a daily list of things you are grateful for. Writing a to-do list for the week and checking them off as you complete them. Writing down daily success stories and how accomplishing a certain task that day will help you in your future.

5. Meditate

Meditation is a precise technique for resting the mind and attaining a state of consciousness that is totally different from the normal waking state. We live in a society that is constantly going 100 mph and mediation is an opportunity to stop the madness and become in-tune with ourselves. It allows us to be in the present and experience a moment of stillness. By only adding 5 minutes of mediation in your daily life it can reduce stress and anxiety, create self-awareness, lengthen attention span, improve physical health and improves your overall quality of life.

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“You don’t create your future. You create your daily habits, and they create your future.” -Randy Gage