3 Habits That Changed My Life!
As we get back into the swing of our back-to-school return, it’s important to remember which summer habits need to go. Over the summer we tend to get lax with ourselves, taking a break from the constant rigidity that is set by a school year and extracurriculars or sports. As we make our way into our second week of school, think about which habits you have that may not best serve you or your goal. The following habits are options for replacing bad summer habits or just incorporating them into your already flawless routines!
Start Morning Pages
It is no exaggeration to say that morning pages are the habit that single-handedly led to the writing of this post. New York Times Best-selling author, Tim Ferris, is a proponent of morning pages and even wrote a blog post advocating their benefit, which you can check out here. There is so much power, wisdom, and peace that can be found in a journal practice. Morning pages is the term coined by Julia Cameron for a daily journaling practice of writing three pages long form each morning. As Tim Ferris put it, “Morning pages don’t need to solve your problems. They simply need to get them out of your head, where they’ll otherwise bounce around all day like a bullet ricocheting inside your skull.”
Read for One HOUR
Warren Buffet is known to read SIX HOURS PER DAY! It’s safe to say, the three-minute article on CNN is not providing the same level of value. I also don’t think it’s practical to go from not reading a book at all to reading a novel once a week. But, if you want to get over the creative slump or find a new way to approach a problem, read a book. Reading can help you build new neural connections and strengthen the pathways in the areas of reading. It is also a great tool for building your vocabulary and build your communication skills.
Interested in finding a good book? Head over to our Lit Cornr blog for our August Reading List and book reviews on the books we’ve covered so far! The Harry Truman quote “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers,” perfectly articulates the importance of reading for success.
Drink a Gallon of Water Every Day
You can take one look at both the American population and their diet and guess that dehydration might be a slight issue. According to a study that polled 2,000 people, the average American only drinks about half of the recommended amount with only 22% of people drinking eight to 10 glasses a day. Most of us are not drinking enough water and that can lead to its own residual issues and health problems. This article details both moderate symptoms like headaches and muscle cramps as well as more severe ones like dry skin and lack of energy. Please consult your physician if you are concerned with dehydration. The point here is that all of us could benefit from drinking more water every day. Get a half-gallon water bottle and refill it once and you’ve met a daily goal that’s better than the average person.
Check out this half-gallon water bottle on Amazon. It's insulated so it can keep your water cold or warm and it includes two straws and three different types of lids for your convenience.
Final Thoughts
So far I’ve learned that the most important habits are the ones that are the smallest to implement. Drinking more water is as simple as carrying a half-gallon, refillable water bottle around with you instead of a plastic 16 oz bottle. You can take optimization and productivity to a new level when you minimize the time spent trying to find a way to quench your thirst.
