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10 Good Daily Habits to Build Your Best Life

Habit

A settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up:

Rituals and behaviors that are performed automatically:

A behavior repeated often, or at least regularly, so that we can do it with little or no thought or effort:

Behavior or pattern that you perform by default:

"We remain together out of habit."

"I smoke when I'm stressed out of habit."

"I have a habit of hitting the snooze button."

"This can become a very bad habit."

Everyone has habits, and many are acted out every day. They can be classified as good or bad, depending often on the viewpoint, with a large majority of them being completed without much forethought.

Habits repeated every day can become second nature. This can be beneficial by allowing your brain to focus on more important activities like problem-solving or critical thinking.

Good Habits

Every post on this site is written with the explicit purpose of helping you to live your best life. That's true whether it's under the label of life, love, or faith. 

Therefore, I will prioritize learning good habits over eliminating bad habits. I believe that most bad habits, such as smoking, overeating, or Netflix binging can be replaced by good habits.

I define good habits as any of those activities that get you closer to living that best life I'm constantly writing about. They are those behaviors and patterns that drive you toward success and happiness as you define it.

"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine." 

-Mike Murdock

Benefits of Good Habits

I already mentioned that regularly performed habits free up brain power for more advanced functions. There are other benefits to securing good habits. These include:

• Improved mental health
• Lower anxiety and stress
• Better life choices
• Enhanced physical health
• Higher life expectancy
• Increased organization and efficiency
• Superior goal achievement

Good habits are a powerful tool to initiate and maintain positive changes in your life and relationships. Minor changes in the things we do every day add up to big results throughout our lives.

Today, I am highlighting daily habits that will push you toward your best life.

"If you want to see change in your life, change something you do daily." 

-John Maxwell

10 Good Daily Habits to Build Your Best Life

1. Kick-off tomorrow today

*Write down tomorrow's to-do list today. Start with what was left undone on today's list, then add the latest items you wish to accomplish.

*Assembling your list the night before will allow you to take your time and prioritize outside the confines of early morning grogginess. 

*Do the list early enough that the fatigue of a long day hasn't set in, and allow your unconscious mind to work on solutions while you sleep.

2. Develop a morning routine

* Create an hour of power that jump-starts every morning. Link together activities that create a sense of accomplishment and springboard you into the flow of the day.

*Choose a morning routine that supports you. It's the time you have the most control, allowing you to invest in yourself.

*This time may include one or more of the other habits listed here allowing you to execute them on autopilot.

*The best morning routines begin with an important first step:

>>>>WAKE UP EARLY<<<<

This is not meant to be a punishment. It's a chance to empower yourself and quantify your commitment to a better life. You rise early to create a meaningful morning routine that sets a favorable tone for the rest of your day.

As an example, here is a snapshot of my morning routine. Create a personal one that is meaningful to you.

--- I get up about 2 hours before Barb does - this allows me to complete my routine before personal interactions. When I worked in the corporate sector, it allowed me to accomplish things before the first emails, texts, and phone calls.

10 minutes - I walk directly to my office, close the door, and without turning on any lights I sit in my chair and pray.

10 minutes - After praying. I follow that up with mindfulness and meditation. (The prayer is me talking, and the meditation is me listening for a response)

30 minutes - I let the cat out of her room (Yes, Cinder has her own room. I shared a room with siblings growing up - I'm still a little jealous). We go outside to the patio. There I walk, stretch, and do several exercises to get the blood flowing. I feed the neighborhood squirrel (Oh-Oh is fond of being hand-fed a few shelled peanuts), brush the cat to her heart's content, and sit for a moment taking in Barb's flower garden and the sunrise. This time gets me moving and connects me with God's wonders -earth, sky, critters, flowers, etc.

10 minutes - The cat removes herself to a cozy patio chair while I go back into the house. There I empty the dishwasher from overnight, change out the trash, and tidy up the kitchen. Barb is a full-steam-ahead homemaker, so this allows me to contribute to the chores before she gets started.

1 minute - I wash my hands and face. This removes the cat hair and awakens me before the next step.

35 minutes - I go back into the office where I read the Bible for 30 minutes, say my morning affirmations, and then turn on something positive on my laptop - uplifting music, podcast, or YouTube video to play in the background.

4 minutes - Finally, I turn on my phone, answering my morning text from my Mom, Aunt Karen, and others.

--- I start my workday by researching, studying, and writing my blog posts.

Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes. 

Remember this incorporates some of the other habits listed below. There are so many things you can do to create a personal morning routine that works best for you. Mine grew to 100 minutes, but I started with getting up 30 minutes early.

3. Get moving

*Exercise is critical to living your best life. You don't have to be a triathlete or bodybuilder. Spend 20-30 minutes moving according to your physical capabilities.

*Regular workouts, from walking to lifting, can boost your energy levels, improve your mood, and optimize physical health.

*If you work at a desk as I do, set a timer to remind you to get up at regular intervals and keep the blood flowing.

4. Brighten your mind

*Start your day with positive self-talk. Ready your mind for the onslaught of intrusions you know will come. Your thinking will shape your life.

Read: 40 Positive Affirmations

*Read. Strive for 30 minutes a day. YouTube, podcasts, and audiobooks are all beneficial, but reading is king. 

I read for about two hours a day. That puts me well behind the curve of some successful people I admire and wish to emulate:

• Warren Buffet is said to read around 5 hours a day
• Bill Gates reads about a book a week on average
• Mark Cuban reads close to 3 hours every day
• Oprah Winfrey is such an avid reader she has her own book club

They commit to reading and learning new things every day. How committed are you to living your best life?

*Listen to uplifting and upbeat music. Find positive podcasts and YouTube offerings that interest you. Read Bible verses that will inspire you.

Read: Bible Verses to Give You Hope

5. Review plans and goals

*Look over the to-do list you created the night before. Remove any items that are no longer relevant and prioritize the rest.

*Simplify your list as necessary. There are two ineffective types of people; the ones that have a to-do list so long that it paralyzes them, or the ones that never have a to-do list to motivate and direct them. Don't work from an unachievable plan.

*Focus on one thing at a time. The advantages of multi-tasking are a myth. Having a sense of accomplishment after completing a task will motivate you. Having a dozen things half done will stress and paralyze you.

*Use a planner or calendar to keep plans on track.

6. De-clutter and organize

*Clearing out clutter and keeping your workspace organized is a simple method to live the best life. You will feel lighter, and less anxious, and your mind will be freed to do its best thinking.

*A cluttered home can fill you with anxiety and stress leading to a messy mindset. Organized surroundings lead to an organized mind.

*Make your bed. Navy Admiral William McRaven says, "If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day." This first accomplishment will motivate you to do more of the same throughout the day.

*Don't overthink it. If you have one or two dishes in the sink, do them. If you have old magazines or newspapers, toss them.

"The power of habit is great." 

-Latin Proverb

7. Pursue good people

*You are the company you keep. Pursue people with the same ambitions and goals that you have and connect with them often.

"Surround yourself with the right people and realize your own worth. Honestly, there are enough bad people out there in the world - you don't need to be your own worst enemy." 

-Lucy Hale

*Purposely carve out time each day to connect with family and friends. It can be as simple as a quick text to say you're thinking of them or sharing some good news.

I look forward with love and anticipation to daily texts from Mom and Aunt Karen.

8. Perform a random act of kindness

*Make it a habit to do something nice for someone else every day, no matter how small.

Read: Being Kind to Others

*Doing something for someone without the expectation of gain gives some of the most genuine pleasure in life. It can be as simple as opening a door or sharing a smile.

9. Be grateful

*Be thankful. Write down 3-5 things each day that you are grateful for. It fosters contentment and allows you to focus on life's blessings.

"Every decision you make is a vote for the type of person you want to become." 

-James Clear

10. Seek out solitude

*It is vital for long-term success and motivation that you carve out time for yourself. Proper self-care allows you to be the best version of yourself, giving you the resources to help others.

Read: Strategies For Better Self-Care

*Bond with Boredom. Put away the phone, turn your back on social media, and spend quality time alone without interruptions. Start with a little time. Do it well, and you'll look forward to increasing the time in the future.

What you choose to do today impacts all your tomorrows. It is true that how we spend our days becomes how we spend our lives. Consistently good actions launch us toward achievement and happiness.

Don't have the time?

Statistics show the average person spends 6 hours a day watching television. From birth to age 60 that will equate to about 15 years. The average person spends another 4.7 hours a day on their phone.

What portion of those two blocks of time will you invest in creating your best life?

I don't know your battles. We all have obstacles to overcome. But your life will not change until you change.

Final Thoughts on Good Daily Habits

This list is obviously based on my opinion, compiled with the things I believe are the top daily behaviors that will result in living your best life.

You can do all the items I listed, some of them, or none of them. Your habits should lead you towards your desired life. You can create your own habits tied to your personal success and happiness beliefs. 

The life you currently live is the life you think you're worth. Reinforce your self-worth with good habits.

The life you desire to live is just a dream unless it is built on a plan and supported by consistent habits every day. Reaching the summit of a mountain begins with the first step. That is just the start. The summit remains out of reach unless you follow that step with another, and then another, refusing to stop until you reach the top.

What does the life you dream of look like? You can realize that dream if you choose good habits to get there. Start now, be consistent, and watch the compounding effects of those repeated actions deliver unbelievable results. 

Habits have long separated successful people from unsuccessful people.

Start small. Start from where you're at. Begin actions now that will alter your course and lead you to the life you only hoped for until now.

Now go live your best life,

Dan