Use Your Habits, Don't Let Them Use You!
My body felt heavy and my muscles were sore and lazy, but thoughts were already pouring into my brain. I wanted to sleep a little longer, and definitely needed it, but I figured it wouldn't be a good use of my time...
So I forced myself out of the bed and dragged my stiff body into the kitchen. Saying good morning to the girls I moved towards the water bottle and filled up a glass which went straight to my mouth and the water poured into me with a brief tilt of my head. I repeated this process 3 times, like every morning.
I showered and made a coffee, which I brought with me to my desk to start writing this post.
We're creatures of habit, either we're aware of it or not, there are daily routines we follow.
I have recently incorporated writing a post here in WA into my daily routine.
Choosing your Habits
Some productivity experts say that repeating the same activity every day for 21 days creates a habit.
By being conscious of our habits we can remove those that don't interest us and introduce new and productive ones.
This is a very easy way to improve our productivity.
So think about your daily routine for example:
- What do you do every day that you'd like to stop doing?
- What would you like to do every day to always be one step closer to your goals?
In my case, I want to become a better writer. What do good writers do every day? They read - which I already do (a lot) - and they write. With this in mind, I made the conscious decision of writing a post here every morning.
I've imprinted this in my mind as a priority. Even if I get interrupted or need to rush out of the house for some appointment, I need to write this, and I feel incomplete until I do it. Eventually I'll get it done.
Bad Habits are Hard to Break
Most people say that bad habits are hard to break, I never really found that to be so, but I don't usually try to break my habits, instead I go about replacing them with those I think will benefit me more.
What daily habits have you incorporated into your routines to help you achieve your goals?
I'd love to know what you guys are doing at the moment.
Have a great day everyone!
Recent Comments
25
Way to go Fran!
A very insightful post that stands as a good reminder in order remaining. Consistent.
I love these type of posts as I find them
Motivating.
Thank you for taking the time to post !
Darren
Thanks a lot for your feedback Darren, it means a lot to me.
I'll keep them coming and hopefully they'll keep getting better.
Yeah! Fran, you have created another great post. I've been researching a lot about habits myself and I was planning to write a blog, but you've saved me the trouble.
I would add that good habits help us to become more efficient, as we don't need to make many the same small decisions every time.
One of my daily habits is to take a walk by the sea, bare feet, no matter how cold it is (well, I must admit Alicante is not Siberia...)
Have another great and productive day, my friend!
Yes Richard, efficiency is definitely improved through habit as it saves is brain power and precious seconds.
Interesting practice, I might try it one day myself.
Have a great day and productive day too, my friend.
Let's see how much we can accomplish today.
Awesome post, ....
if one is struggling to acquire a desired habit, WRITE it down on your daily schedule and it will increase the chances that you will stick with it....
and as mentioned in the post, if you repeat it for 21 days it is likely to become a habit.
Thanks for posting, have a great day
I like that Fran. 11pm here in Australia. Just off to bed. Big day of study and WA activity. And family time and 6 km's with the dog. Nice sunny day. Tomorrow church and work PM. Then more WA.
Awesome Ken. Stick to those productive routines.
I hope to visit your amazing country soon.
Have a great night and an even better day tomorrow.
You're spot on - habits make us or break us! I just hope your habits include writing on your blog and building your business too - that's what's going to make a difference to your bottom line! :)
Definitely Simon.
The reason I write here is because I can use more of a free style than in my websites.
Most writers incorporate free writing in their routines, but we have an advantage here, we can free write and share our thoughts with these incredible like-minded people while also receiving feedback.
That's defintiely true and I hear ya. It's good to break out of the usual format and stretch your legs a little :)
Interesting blog. I have lots of habits, both good and bad lol.
I’m working my way to getting up at 4am to give me time to work. I use to get up at 5.30am, over the last 3 weeks I’ve got it down to 4.30am so nearly there :)
Awesome Heidi. Most successful people do that.
I still wake up too late... I usually work at night, but I know I'm more productive in the morning. I'll try to change that.
See more comments
Thank you for the sharing your habit, Fran!
Recently I’ve a habit of checking WA blogs and messsges. It’s a good and ‘not so good’ thing as it can be really time consuming.
Frankly speaking, I would like to continue with my article and training as it has been left in the fridge for quite some time. Lol.
Old habits die hard. Like what you said is true. We need to have new (good) habits and ‘overwrite’ the older ones(bad ones).
In fact, research has shown that we can cultivate a new habit by doing the same continuously for a period, it can be 21 days or a month or few months.
Hey Terand.
Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and your habit with us.
Your site and your training should always come first, imho. Consider prioritising your tasks, like the 6 Task List I shared here: Focus and Productivity Good luck!
Yes, Fran! Thank you so much for your advice! Will look into you article link! Have a great weekend, Fran! :o)
I hope it helps. Have an amazing weekend!
Yeah, thank you, Fran! You too! :o)