3 Daily Habits to Change Your Direction in Life

It's no fun to be feeling like you are constantly falling short and like you are never quite getting to where you want to be.

You've been listening to motivational podcasts and you've been watching YouTube videos. You've been reading blog posts just like this one. You tell yourself that you are going to watch what you eat and start exercising. You always seem to start off strong, but after a week or two you find yourself right back to where you started.

Does this sound familiar to you?

This is the case for millions of people. In the history of the world, our standard of living has never been higher, yet our society continues to suffer from record rates of depression, suicide, anxiety and lack of purpose.

What if I told you it doesn't have to be this way?

What we do on a daily basis determines how we feel about ourselves. By nature, human beings are creatures of habit. We like routines and we usually stick to a routine that is comfortable for us, regardless if it is helping us or hurting us. Breaking a routine of bad habits is extremely difficult. But once you build a set of new habits, you will see your entire life turn around.

That's what happened to me. That's how I went from being a poor, malnourished and resentful drug addict to a successful business owner, loyal fiance, home owner and a trusted member of my family. I made it by changing my habits.

In this article, I would like to share with you the habits I keep on a daily basis that have helped me reach a new level of happiness, success and self esteem.

1 - Make My Bed Every Morning

Making the bed is the first thing I do.

As soon as my feet hit the floor, I stand up, I stretch and I put my bed back together.

This simple habit has been transformational in my life and I know it will be the case for you as well. When you make your bed in the morning, you are completing your first goal of the day. You are getting the first win under your belt. This small victory sets the tone for the rest of the day.

The best part is that you are paving yourself a path towards the finish line. Let's imagine that you have a bad day, when you get home you will be returning to a bed that is made. A bed that you made. Climbing into a made bed after a bad day always softens the burn.

But let's also suppose that you have a great day. What could possible be a better cherry on top then resting your head into a made bed and softly falling asleep?

The little things matter. They matter a lot.

2 - Write Every Day

Writing is what works for me, but the point is that everyone should have some kind of creative outlet that they build into their daily routine. This could be...

• cooking

• making videos

• recording podcasts

• wood working

• gardening

• painting

Everyone has a passion and some kind of creative outlet that makes them feel like they are getting outside of themselves. The problem becomes when we look at this time as extra curricular, as if expressing ourselves creatively isn't as important as the rest of the daily life tasks.

I disagree with that notion. I believe that creating and working on our art is an important part of the human experience. Creating is built in our DNA. Creativity gives us a chance to get outside of our daily lives and to reflect on our inner selves.

It doesn't matter how much time you spend working on your creative outlets or even how good your work is. It doesn't matter if anyone ever sees it or if you get recognition for your work. What matters is that you incorporate a creative outlook into your daily routine.

Build a daily habit out of being creative and you will see improvements in almost every other part of your life.

3 - Movement

Most people that know me know that I love exercise. But it is important to know that you don't have to be a fitness fanatic to incorporate daily movement into your life.

Our bodies are machines. Every machine will atrophy or "rust" if you don't keep its parts moving and well oiled. Walking for 20 minutes a day will suffice just fine. Often times, people get hung up on the concept of fitness. They think that they have to be 100% committed to fitness. However, movement is not a binary thing. You don't have to be all in or all out. You can just as easily build a daily habit of movement.

Go for a walk. Stretch. Do yoga. Do some band work around the yard. Do jumping jacks or even buy an indoor cycling machine.

This is more than just looking good in a bathing suit. The benefits of movements are proven by science over and over again. Also, the awful consequences of lethargy are more and more prevalent these days due to how much time people sit. Don't let your body deteriorate. It is the greatest instrument you will ever own.

Build a habit of moving your body every day. You could walk around in circles for all I care, it's the habit that counts.

Putting it all Together

It's worth repeating that it's not necessary to completely change your lifestyle in order to progress in your life. Progress is not about big leaps and it's not about huge pivots. It's about slowly implementing new habits into your day.

Your habits will get you to where you want to be. If you want to change your life, the first thing you need to do is change your habits.

These are the habits that worked for me. They may not necessarily be the habits that work for you. But either way, if you are truly ready to make a change in your life, you are going to have to commit.

It is said that it takes 30 days to create a habit, so start with making your bed every morning. Do that for 30 days until it is second nature. Once you have built that habit, maybe work on a daily exercise routine or even a daily outlet.

It's the repetitive action that will get you to where you want to be!