Hey guys! Thanks for tuning in for my second post, so stoked to log on and see the new update! What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments down below :)
So for todays post I wanted to list some observations about habits I've come to over the last few years. I've been thinking a lot about how forming them is so important to lead a productive life in this day and age, and how a lot of people really struggle to maintain them.
I feel a big part of this problem is all the information that get's thrown at us on the daily, and how easy it is to get distracted and bogged down by it all. Obviously amongst all the shit, there's a lot of super positive content out there, with so many awesome habits and life hacks suggested to us by some really successful people. Usually what happens is as we consume the content, we get really excited and try to sporadically implement all these new habits we come across into our own already busy lives. But the sad reality of things are, most of the time we ultimately just end up biting off more then we can chew and cant achieve any sort of constancy, because we're not being realistic with our expectations.
So, let's get realistic. Lets start with 1 habit per day.
They say it takes 66 days to form a habit, if you can just start off with 1 habit per day, in just over two months you will have formed a life changing habit. After those 2 months, once you've proven yourself, you can add another on top if you wish and so on.
But which habit should I choose first you ask?
I will list the single most important mindset/habit that has made all the difference for me, both through really difficult times and through amazing ones.
The mindset that transcends all aspects of life, both material and spiritual, is…
Mindfulness
So what do I mean when I say you must acquire a mindset to be mindful of everything that comes your way?
I mean:
Be mindful of your thought's. Be aware of them as they enter your mind. Think of them like cloud's just passing through, you can choose to either entertain them or just let them go. Remember, you are not your thoughts. This is why Meditation has helped me so much with becoming more aware of whats entering my mind. It helps me create more of a filter and enables me to make a choice as to whether or not the thought will be beneficial for me, or if its just my monkey mind running away down another rabbit hole ...
Be mindful of what you put in your mouth. Whether its food or drink or "medicine". Don’t let yourself eat or drink junk. Eat a balanced diet and question the medication prescribed to you to make sure it’s absolutely necessary (most of the time its not).
Be mindful of what comes OUT of your mouth. Watch what you say carefully. Listen first and speak only later. Don't listen to speak. Be concise and to the point. Strive to contribute something positive and useful to the other person when you interact.
Be mindful of what enters your brain. Watch and listen only to people that enrich your life in some way, and the same goes with music, video games, TV and movies! Avoid things that are harmful to your eyes and mental and physical well-being. Try to read books that improve your life in some tangible way.
Be mindful of the people you spend your time with. They say you’re the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with. Choose these people very carefully and lose the vampires from your circle that drain your energy and bring bad things like envy/jealousy, gossip/slander etc. Life is too short to deal with downers that prevent you from achieving your potential.
Be mindful of how you spend your time. Ask yourself, is what I'm doing right this moment getting me closer to my goals as a human, professional, family member, artist, scientist etc.? If not, drop it and do something more productive/constructive ASAP. Seek meaningful experiences above accumulating material goods that add little to your life. Take a digital break at least one day a week and remember to stop all electronics at least 2–3 hours before bed ;)
Be mindful of the information streams that come your way. Lose the garbage that brings out the worst human emotions in you (jealousy, envy, anger, hate, etc). Block people and influences in your life that take away from your precious time and ability to strive towards greatness. Organise your information streams (especially in email, online and on social media) in a way that is manageable, thorough and available for you to access when you have the bandwidth.
Once you’ve acquired a mindful mindset, you will have acquired higher standards for whats entering your mind, confidence in your own abilities and independence from the many corrupting forces all around you.
Time to get to work crew!
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Much love,
S