Small Habits That Will Change Your Life

In our quest to become a better version of ourselves, it can be tempting to go all-in. Maybe your goal is to lose weight, so you decide to completely change your diet and walk 10,000 steps a day. Or you want to build your savings, so you pledge to set aside half of your income each month. While this may work for some people in certain situations, it can also lead to disappointment if you end up not meeting your goal. What’s the best strategy? Think small. Instead of trying to fix everything all at once, try creating small habits. By incorporating seemingly insignificant actions into your daily life and sticking to them consistently, you may find that you’ve accomplished what you set out to do long before you ever imagined. Before you know it, you’ll have built a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. Here’s a list of 12 small habits you can adopt that could dramatically change your life, no matter what you’re trying to do!

Schedule Your Day

Taking a few moments in the morning or the night before to plan out the tasks you need to get done can help you make the most of your time. Once you have a schedule in place and stick to it, you can better prioritize and get everything you need to get done. Next thing you know, you’ve achieved your goals and maybe even found some free time to relax or have fun.

Push yourself to complete a task when you don’t feel like it

Whether it’s making your bed in the morning, washing the dishes instead of leaving them in the sink, or making dinner instead of ordering takeout again, pick a small task that you normally avoid but know you need to do. After a few days, you’ll realize that the problem isn’t the task itself, but your habit of putting things off. The first step is often the hardest, but once you get past that, you’ll find it much easier to get everything you need to get done. Once you’ve spent a few days completing small tasks, move on to tackling larger ones.

Get moving

If you want to be happier, healthier, and more productive, it’s important to get active. You don’t have to train for a triathlon or do a million burpees, unless that’s your thing. But something as simple as a 20-minute walk around the block can get your blood flowing and clear your mind. Even small things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking farther away from the entrance in a parking lot can make a big difference.

Set Your Own Deadlines

At school, our teachers set deadlines for us. At work, deadlines are set by bosses and business needs. It’s easy to wait until the last minute to get things done. But when a goal is personal, we can’t rely on an externally imposed deadline to motivate us to complete the task at hand. It may seem silly to set a deadline for a trivial task like washing your car or a specific goal like running three miles, but setting a firm, realistic deadline can help ensure that it actually gets done.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

The quality of our relationships has a huge impact on our happiness and quality of life. Relationships are built through meaningful conversations. People generally enjoy talking about themselves because it makes them feel important. Asking questions that require more than a yes or no answer allows you to learn more about others. Go beyond just asking. Really listen and be open-minded. This will show that you really care, and it will allow you to develop empathy by exposing yourself to other perspectives. Your relationships will flourish, and you’ll start looking at your life from different angles, too.

Always Pause Before Responding

In a world where we’re never apart and always within arm’s reach through text or email, it can feel like you feel pressured to respond right away. Whether you’re face-to-face or separated by a screen, it’s okay to take a moment to pause before responding. In fact, it’s sometimes in your best interest to do so, especially in emotionally charged situations. Taking a moment to collect your thoughts before responding can prevent you from saying something you might regret later.

Give Someone a Compliment

Make a habit of giving at least one sincere compliment each day. It could be your mom, your best friend, or a complete stranger at the grocery store. You’d be surprised how much a few kind, thoughtful words can make someone’s day. In the same way that genuine interest in conversation is key, being authentic goes a long way. Fake, superficial compliments are pointless and easily spotted, so you’ll find that you’re automatically paying more attention to others when you’re actively looking for something meaningful to say. Not only does this foster positive relationships, it can also boost your self-esteem.

Know how much money you have

People who are in debt tend not to open their mail because constantly seeing bills and collection notices can be anxiety-inducing. However, the foundation of financial security is knowing how much money you have in your accounts, so check your balances regularly. This frequency varies from person to person, but do what makes sense for you. If you know how much money you have, what’s going out, and what’s coming in, you can make informed decisions about your money and avoid spending frivolously.

Read more

Reading is essential, and who doesn’t want to learn their whole life? It also improves cognitive function and creativity, reduces stress, and slows the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. So set aside some time each day to read. You can read some news articles in the morning to keep up with current events. Or you can escape with a good book during your midday break. Another alternative is to make reading before bed a ritual while you relax in the evening. If you’re not a reader, that’s okay. Audiobooks are a great alternative. Listen to them during your daily commute or while you’re cleaning. Whether you’re reading a book or listening to it, you’re investing in your personal growth, and that contributes to your overall success in life.

Choose Gratitude

If you want to see positive changes in your life, one of the easiest things you can do is to choose an attitude of gratitude. Look for opportunities to find beauty and grandeur in seemingly ordinary moments. Focusing on the good things in your life not only changes your perspective, but also helps you develop a greater appreciation for what you already have.

Create a Bedtime Routine

Sleep hygiene is crucial to your overall health. Creating and sticking to a bedtime routine can also help you fall asleep more easily. You can do things that promote relaxation, like having a cup of tea in a special bedtime mug or taking a nice, warm bath. When you sleep regularly, your physical and mental health will improve, allowing you to wake up refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of the day.

By adopting these small habits into your daily life, you can build a healthier, happier, and more productive lifestyle. It’s not about changing your life overnight, but rather the accumulation of small, repetitive steps that lead to big improvements over time. Remember, the journey to self-improvement doesn’t require massive changes, but rather a steady commitment to gradually improving yourself.

The small habits we incorporate into our daily lives can have a big, lasting impact on the quality of our lives. By focusing on small, simple steps, such as scheduling our day, moving regularly, giving ourselves honest compliments, and setting deadlines for ourselves, we can build a strong foundation for a more balanced and positive life. These habits don’t require drastic changes or huge efforts, but over time they can make a big difference in achieving our goals and feeling fulfilled.

Remember, success isn’t always the result of big, immediate actions, but rather the result of consistent commitment and gradual improvement. Improving your social relationships, enhancing your mental and physical health, and making progress toward your financial and personal goals can be as simple as adopting these small, positive habits. So, start today with a small step toward self-improvement, and you’ll see how those small steps can create a big, multiplying impact in your life.