9 Life Changing Habits That Make You A Better Person
As the old adage goes….“We are creatures of habit”. We are also one of the few species with cognitive thinking skills, which means we get to choose which habits we develop.
These habits can enhance life or hurt it. It`s completely up to us. There’s always room for improvement and all it takes is a few tweaks here and there to get started. Doing the same thing over and over again doesn’t yield different results. Sometimes we need to alter the course a little bit, switch up the strategy and redirect our efforts to get motivated.
Change is possible, but only if you sincerely want it. To get you started, take a peek at the 9 tips below on developing life changing habits that make you a better person…
1. The Early Bird Gets the Worm
Productive and motivated people get up early. If you find yourself getting up only minutes before you’ve got to leave for work or school, you are starting your day already stressed, anxious and worried about time.
Try getting up a little earlier, maybe start with 15 minutes and do something productive. Make your bed. Seriously. If you make the bed, you’ve already accomplished something for the day and it’s only just begun. Plus, if you make the bed you’re less likely to crawl back into it.
Gradually get to a point where you are getting up an hour before it`s time to leave. Use this time to get simple chores done that have been neglected or forgotten. Read, meditate or make a healthy breakfast.
2. Excuses, Excuses…Blah Blah Blah!
Excuses come in all shapes and sizes. We make excuses to blame others for our own mistakes. We make excuses for why something can’t be done just so we don’t have to do it. Procrastinators particularly love using excuses.
Suck it up! Own your mistakes and learn from them. Stop procrastinating and if it can be done now, do it. Just get it over with and you’ll feel like a weight has been lifted.
3. Employ the 2-Minute Rule
Most of us must multitask at some point in the day. Life moves fast, and we’ve got to keep up with the race. The 2-minute rule is simple: If you’re in the middle of a task and something else comes up that needs attention, only attempt it if it can be done in 2 minutes or less.
Otherwise, put it on the “To Do List” and prioritise it. This allows you to keep your focus on the task at hand and do a better job. When we divide our attention, our results are also divided.
4. The Only Constant is Change
Be open to change. For some of us, that’s extremely hard. We’ve developed routines and habits, therefore change makes us uncomfortable. The reality is, everything changes. As we age, we change. Our goals, priorities, temperaments, behaviours and ultimately our bodies change over time.
Learn to expect change and roll with it instead of expending so much energy fighting it. This important tip lowers stress and helps us grow as individuals.
5. Listen More
Stephen R. Covey said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” If you’ve already got your response waiting on the tip of your tongue before someone even finishes a sentence, you’re not listening to hear them.
When the tables are turned, it’s probably offensive when someone does this to you, right? You might feel disrespected, like your words or opinion holds no value. Don’t be that person.
Listen intently. Give your full attention. Effective communication begins with listening.
6. Put Down Your Phone
Speaking of giving full attention, put that phone down and pay attention to what’s right in front of you. Smartphones have become an extension of our bodies and for some people, it’s virtually impossible to even hold a conversation with them because their eyes are watching a screen scroll by. Respects others time by giving them undivided attention.
7. Give Back
An essential part of being a better person and being able to live your best life is giving back. Do something for the community; volunteer, donate, do charity work. Whatever the case, get out there and practice being a humanitarian. It helps someone else and it makes us feel good.
8. Have Fun
We have to make time for fun. Do something you love or pick up a new hobby. Learn a new language or take line dancing classes. This keeps the brain stimulated and increases the dopamine supply that creates joy and happiness.
9. Goals & Aspirations
Finally, make sure you keep a list of your goals and aspirations. Being a better person essentially means forming habits that help us achieve all we want out of life. When we write it down we can begin to visualise these dreams and muster up the motivation to make them happen.
One of the best ways to do this is to keep a journal. Daily journaling helps you to keep focus and stay accountable, it`s also a great way to track your progress on all what you achieve over a certain period of time, for example attaining a particular goal by such and such a date…
If the visual aspect is your thing, why not create a vision board? Get creative with it and have fun. Be the best version of you by incorporating some of these life-changing habits. We only get one life to live. Make it the best life possible!