Habits are an important part of our lives. We all have them: The good, the bad, and sometimes the very bad ones.
Below are several tiny habits you can practice immediately to improve your life:
1. Practice gratitude.
Want to be happier? According to research, practicing gratitude increases happiness by 25%. The research also shows gratitude's additional perks: increased enthusiasm, optimism, and bouncing back more quickly from adversity.
So, how do you practice gratitude?
There are many ways, and the most common ones are:
- Keeping a gratitude journal. Write a list of at least three things you are grateful for. Do it first thing in the morning. This way, you'll be able to count your blessings and appreciate the simple pleasures of life more.
- In a difficult situation, focus more on the good rather than the bad. Have a "glass half full" mindset.
- Be happy for what you have while working for what you want.
2. Read daily.
Learning is a never ending journey. And what better way to gain knowledge than through reading?
As the saying goes, a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads only lives one.
Instead of constantly scrolling through social media in your free time, why not set aside time to be productive? Spare half an hour to read a book every day. Or, if you're impatient and feel that a book will take forever to read, you can use an app like Blinkist.
With Blinkist, you can read the key insights of an entire nonfiction book in 15 minutes.
3. Adopt a growth mindset.
According to Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, there are two ways we can view ourselves: the fixed mindset, or the growth mindset.
In a fixed mindset, people believe that their character, intelligence, and ability cannot be changed. They avoid challenges, fear failure, and are discouraged by criticism. They view talent, not hard work, as the factor that determines success.
On the other hand, in a growth mindset, people believe their character, intelligence, and ability can be improved through dedication and hard work. They view challenges as an opportunity to learn and failure as feedback. They also view hard work as the factor that determines success.
As has been proven by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in this article, hard work is more important than talent.
4. Avoid using crutch words.
You know what crutch words are, right? They're those words that we slip into sentences to give ourselves more time to think.
Examples include:
- Um, uh ...
- You know ...
- Well, basically ...
- Like, obviously ...
- Actually ...
Everyone (including me) relies on crutch words in their conversations to a certain extent. But those words often don't add any meaning. Overusing them are distracting. Plus, depending on the situation, it can make you look bad.
For instance, take the crutch word "like". According to Lisa B. Marshall, a communications expert, using "like" may sound cool among youths. But it sounds less intelligent according to older people.
So as much as possible, avoid peppering your sentences with crutch words.
Bonus Habit:
Remember the birthdays of your families, friends, and anyone else important to you. Put them in a calendar. It's time to stop forgetting about their birthdays and show that you care!
