“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
— Jack London
These habits which I have applied to my life through the years have helped me to become a successful person to myself, not to impress the world. You can change up the habits to fit your needs or find you don't need any at all. I'm not an expert by a long shot, these are just my success tips, for anyone who wants to change up their strategy.
While applying new habits to your life, keep in mind what you are wanting to succeed. Is getting out of bed earlier in the morning for you to become more productive and get a kickstart on your day? Or do you just want to be able to say you wake up early like all your favorite You Tubers?
When we focus our attention on the world's view, we lose sight of what we want and need. Everyone is different... some people love waking up at 5am and getting their exercise done before work. Although, others do much better with more sleep and workout after a long stressful day of work to regain balance. As yourself what your body needs, and apply habits along the lines of your interests to keep you motivated.
Now, let's get started...
1. Take Your Health Seriously
"A happy body brings a happy mind."
Above all things I find this to be the most important. Keeping up to date with our health and staying in tune with our bodies needs will keep us going strong day-to-day.
Drink Water: I use to have a hard time remembering to do this. To change that I put an alarm on my phone for every hour from the time I expect to wake up, to the time I go to bed. The caption on each alarm simply says 'Stay Hydrated'. This has been a simple trick that helps me stop to realize when I'm thirsty.
Become Accountable: Finding a friend, asking your sibling or even going with your parents on runs or to the gym will help each of you to stay accountable to your goals.
One day while running, I had caught up and passed this girl on the trail like would to anyone else. I imagined I had left her in the dust, but come to realize she had upped her game and soon passed me, this kicked in my competitive spirit and we did this back and forth a few times until eventually, we began running side by side. About a mile later we stopped at the end of the road and talked for a bit and exchanged numbers so that we could become running buddies. This worked out great, we were the same speed and challenged each other to constantly become better. We would run almost every day for months before she moved. By stepping into action I had made a friend who helped me to become more accountable to myself. Running soon became more of a joyful activity than just a healthy habit.
Go To Bed: Make sure to get 8-9 hours of sleep. We've all heard it, our body needs a full 8 hours of rest to keep the engine running strong. It's helpful to think about what time you need to wake up and backtrack to determine when you need to be getting to sleep. If you need to be awake at 6am be in bed by 9:30 or 10pm. I have learned also, that turning off all my electronics an hour before bed, and doing some yoga really helps my body to relax. When you're exposed to the blue light of electronic screens late at night, it damages our eyes, making us still feel really tired with the proper amount of sleep.
2. Wake Up Earlier
"Early to bed Early to Rising"
This may not be for everyone. I personally am not an early bird, but I enjoy waking up at 6am especially during the summer. I find that I am more productive throughout my day when I kick start with a 30min podcast and a mindful yoga flow when the house is still quiet. When my family is waking up about 7, I'm ready for my run or the gym.
You may have early morning work schedules and even the thought of waking up even earlier may make you want to cry. I'm not saying you have to wake up an hour before your normal time or even half an hour. If 10min is all you can do then do 10min. This 10min is called Me Time! Here you take time for yourself to relax before getting into the rush of your day. We often forget to reflect on ourselves through the day and understand how we're feeling. In you're Me Time you can do yoga or meditate. You could read a chapter in a good book each morning or wright in a gratitude journal. Just know that Me Time is not the time to be on social media, checking emails, or watching T.V. These are distractions that keep our minds away from our main focus... You! Me Time is not selfish, it's necessary.
3. Organize Your Following Day
"Simplify your nest and give your mind a rest."
Personally, I love to organize, it makes me feel so refreshed and accomplished. Picking up your living space before you go to bed in the evening is a really nice way to organize your life and feel prepared to take on the next day. Along with that, I like to lay my exercise clothes out by my alarm, so it's the first thing I put on in order to get my mindset in the zone.
If you don't have a paper planner, I would highly recommend it. It's really helpful to write out your to-do's for the following day from most important tasks to least important and sticking to your schedule as much as possible. This way you can dial down and avoid procrastination. Take into account some unexpected tasks or rescheduling may occur, so don't fill every second of your day with a planned outline of how it will play out. Also when you find you have extra time in your day for something, don't always fill it with work. Enjoy those free moments and go outside for fresh air, play with your family, talk with your friend or watch some T.V. You've earned it!
In order to help plan out my following day, I need to see the big picture of the week. So once a week, I chose Sundays, schedule out your week and plan out the appointments, work, and classes. These are the unmovable tasks. Now list the tasks you need to and would like to accomplish throughout the week from most important to least important. These will be scheduled around your unmovable tasks when you plan each day. Remember to spread your tasks out reasonably, accounting towards the time you have and how big your tasks are. The rest of your available space is open... don't write anything down. When we fill all our hours it's unattainable, and we feel buried in work.
4. Connect Within
"silence isn't empty it's full with answers"
Connecting within Is all about listening to your body, mind, and spirit. Meditations are perfect for this, you learn to relax your physical body with guided breaths while tuning into your mental state. If you need a little help, the headspace app is a great resource for guided meditations. Applying more gratitude awareness to your life is also great for connection. I like to write down 5 -10 gratitudes I have felt and appreciated throughout the day before I go to bed. This is a quick and helpful way to remind us of the good in each day, rather than stressing about what you would have liked to do better.
Another important step towards connecting with yourself would be to spend quality time with yourself! This means you need to be sure to schedule time, just as you would for a friend or sibling. Don't be afraid to go to a movie by yourself or a concert. Then again, you can also do simple and much cheaper activities like playing the piano, drawing in a coffeehouse while sipping on a nice cup of tea, or benging your favorite T.V. show with a tub of ice cream. This just helps you to relax and remember there is more to life than your job, school and even being there for your friends. You have the ability to say NO! or take a day off and not tell any friends or family. ;)
5. Read Every Day
"She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live."
I love reading because to me, reading a good book gives enlightenment to life. In today's world, so much is learned electronically. I feel it is just as important if not more to pick up a book as we do turning to google for answers. If you want to learn how to do yoga for beginners "The Living Clearly Method" by Hilarie Baldwin is a great book to get you started! If you want to know a little more about how the brain works "Thinking Fast a Slow" by Daniel Kahneman will get you thinking in so many different ways and understanding the brain at the level of scientists. There are so many great books out there, even if you're not always choosing non-fiction. Reading a little every day will broaden your outlook on life, increase your vocabulary, and inspire you to take action towards your goals.
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