The Power of Daily Habits
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” This quote from Aristotle tells us that we control our own destinies. It should also make us pause and consider who we are and what we do today and compare that person to who we want to be in the future.
Many of us live lives that we would describe as hectic, busy, or out of control. We go to work to support our families, we chauffeur our kids or grandkids from one activity to another, and then we try to wind down with an episode on Netflix before heading to bed for four hours of sleep. But does this life you are living today lead you to being the person we want to become?
No one wants to look back on their life 10, 20, or 30 years from now only to realize they are a stressed out, frazzled shells of themselves, who is too overweight to walk a flight of stairs or sit comfortably on an airplane. Instead, most of us want to be calm, peaceful, healthy adults who continue to enjoy the wonderful things this world has to offer. What can you do today to help you become who you want to be?
Start with developing healthy daily habits. Here’s how we do it:
Do a 28-day challenge, which focuses on just ONE single habit.
Write down the habit.
Also write down your ‘why’ for the habit, any obstacles to your habit, and what you might do to remove the obstacle.
Then, every day, look at this piece of paper or task reminder.
At the end of the 28 days, choose another habit, and repeat the process while maintaining the previous habit.
Now that you know the process for developing healthy habits, here are some healthy habits to consider:
Be in bed with the lights out for at least seven hours every night
Eat a fistful of vegetables at least once a day (or even once per meal!)
Drink unsweetened tea with lemon instead of soda
Exercise for 60-min a day at least three times per week
Write down three things you are grateful for every night before bed
Say “Good morning” to the first five people you see every day
Perform one act of kindness (no matter how small) three times a week
Write one “Thank You” card every week
Eat breakfast that contains at least 20 g of protein five days a week
Sit down for dinner with someone from your household four nights a week
Take your vitamins
Meditate with Scripture
Invite a neighbor over to your house once a month
Read a non-fiction book for 30 minutes a day
Call a family member, who lives out of town, every week
Send a friend a birthday gift through the mail
There are plenty of other options available to you. A quick Google search for “healthy habits” will offer a treasure trove of options. You have a blessed opportunity to make your life as Excellent as you want it to be. Small habits, done consistently, repeatedly, and purposefully, will define the future version of yourself. Who do you want to be?
“Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.” – Confucius