Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink.
Today, we are going to learn about 6 little habits that will change your life.
Now, let’s begin.
1.
Plan Ahead Do you plan your days in advance?
Do you ever organize your schedule or calendar?
Planning is an easy way to increase your productivity while decreasing the amount of stress in your
life.
Start by pouring your thoughts onto a piece of paper.
Write down everything you want to accomplish in the next 24 hours.
That includes work, hobbies, routines, and even household chores.
The key is to notate everything in one place, giving you a clear picture of your wants,
needs, and responsibilities for the next day of your life.
Normally, you juggle all these variables in your head.
You memorize everything, from responsibilities at work to promises you made weeks ago.
When you have so many things on your mind, it’s easy for your commitments to accidently
slip through the cracks.
Your responsibilities have piled up so high, you can no longer keep track of your life.
That’s where planning ahead comes in handy.
By keeping a to-do list, a calendar, or a schedule, you can organize your life into
one, digestible list.
Create new routines.
Track your responsibilities.
Map out your goals That way, you can check your schedule at any time.
Whether you’re at work, at home, or out with friends, you’ll always know exactly
what you’re supposed to be doing.
Planning diminishes mental stress, but it also helps you keep track of your time.
Time management is a skill we can also improve upon, and planning ahead is one of the best
ways to practice.
By scheduling your day in advance, you can pinpoint your busiest and most wasteful hours
of the day.
You may also find pockets of free time, which you can fill healthy habits, inspiring routines,
and educational hobbies.
Organizing your time gives you control over your time.
You don’t need to impose a rigid, block schedule or fill every hour of every day.
But you should stay on top of your time.
That way, you can spend less time keeping track of your life… and more time living
it.
2.
Set Deadlines Are you a procrastinator?
Do you have trouble finishing personal projects or household chores?
Many people are productive at work, when you are surrounded by projects and deadlines,
but they struggle to find the same motivation at home.
When the pressure’s off, your goals feel optional.
You start wasting your time, making poor choices, and procrastinating personal projects.
So, how do you improve your productivity when nobody is watching?
Here’s a trick that helps many people accomplish goals outside of the workplace.
When you’re at home, no one is keeping track of your work, but you can still create a more
productive environment by setting real deadlines for your personal projects.
For example, if you want to finish a new book, give yourself a hard deadline, like 14 days,
to accomplish that goal.
If you don’t finish your book in 14 days, it’s your responsibility to punish or discipline
yourself accordingly.
Maybe you take away social media for 48 hours.
Maybe you turn off the Internet for an entire day.
That part’s up to you, but you need to create a meaningful punishment.
Otherwise, you’re not going to follow your own deadlines.
And your productivity isn’t going to improve.
If you take your deadlines seriously, you may discover your motivation skyrocketing,
but self-discipline doesn’t work for everybody.
If you’re really struggling to meet your deadlines or aren’t strict enough to punish
yourself, there’s another trick you can use to give your productivity a boost.
Find someone else, like a friend or family member, to hold you accountable for your work.
Tell them about your deadline and the punishment you’ve created for yourself.
If you fail, they need to make sure you pay the price.
You may discover that telling other people gives you more motivation to accomplish your
goals.
Many people flourish when others are watching.
You may enjoy proving people wrong or showing the world what you can do.
At first, it doesn’t matter why you work, so long as you get moving.
Whether you discipline yourself or lean on someone else, use hard deadlines to start
and finish concrete goals.
Before you know it, you’ll have real goals under your belt and more self-discipline to
boot.
3.
Needless Apologies How often do you say, “I’m sorry”?
You may be the kind of person who apologizes for everything, even if you didn’t do anything
wrong.
On average, you’re saying, “I’m sorry,” over a dozen times every day.
You may not think there’s anything wrong with saying “I’m sorry.”
Most of the time, you’re right.
Apologies are good, but only when they have meaning.
If you say “I’m sorry” to everyone all the time, your apologies lose their value.
Dozens of apologies also take a toll on your mindset.
Each time you say, “I’m sorry,” you’re admitting guilt.
You’re shaming yourself, even if you did nothing wrong.
You’re taking responsibility for other people’s mistakes, and that makes it difficult to feel
proud of or confident in yourself.
You may say “I’m sorry,” just to be polite.
You may apologize to avoid conflict.
But there is a better way.
In place of an apology, express your gratitude.
For example, if you’re the last one to arrive at a meeting, don’t apologize for being
late.
Instead, thank the other people in the room for waiting.
Show gratitude for their patience.
Not only is this a more specific and meaningful sentiment, but it also neutralizes conflict
without creating shame or guilt.
So, stop blaming yourself for everything.
If you want to change your life for the better, and build more self-confidence, choose gratitude
over guilt; and save your apologizes for a moment when you really mean it.
4.
Family First Do you prioritize your work over your relationships?
We all want to live passionate, successful lives.
We want to discover ourselves, achieve our goals, and find a sense of purpose that drives
us.
But happiness requires more than success or ambition.
In fact, the happiest parts of your life have nothing to do with your job or your goals.
Yes, your work and your passions give you a sense of direction, but happiness cannot
exist without a strong support system, upheld by the people you love.
So, what habit can change your life for the better?
Instead of sacrificing everything for your work or your goals, try putting your family
first.
Before you make any decision, think about how your choices impact your relationships.
You shouldn’t make decisions to satisfy other people’s needs and expectations, but
you should consider the unspoken value of your friends, partners, and family members.
The last thing you want to do is throw your relationships away, because your happy life
rests on the shoulders of the people you love.
Every day, try to appreciate the people around you, and don’t let your ambitions steal
you away from your family.
Because your work may bring you success, but it’s your loved ones that give your life
meaning.
5.
Morning Organization Are you a clean or messy person?
Do you procrastinate household chores until the last second?
Many people struggle to keep their spaces clean.
Little by little, messes pile up, until you’re surrounded by dirty dishes, unwashed clothes,
and miscellaneous garbage.
Luckily, keeping your space clean doesn’t have to be a challenge.
In fact, with the right routine, you can organize your space and achieve a sense of balance
that sticks with you for the remainder of the day.
Every morning, right after you get out of bed, spend 10 minutes organizing your room.
Make your bed.
Throw away trash.
Move any cups or dishes to the sink or dishwasher.
After 10 minutes, you can start your day knowing your space is more organized than it was before.
But what if you don’t care how clean your room is?
What if you’re naturally messy?
Organizing your space is about more than cleaning your room.
Making your bed or washing dishes gives you a sense of accomplishment first thing in the
morning.
It’s like checking an item off your to-do list right after you wake up.
It gives you a burst of motivation, and that motivation fuels the rest of your day.
Organization is also a known stress-reliever.
Small messes cause subconscious stress, weighing on your thoughts day in and day out.
Each time you clean your space, you’re freeing your mind from that unnecessary burden.
You’re bringing balance, stability, and order into your world, and that gives you
a much-needed sense of control.
And that sense of control cascades into the rest of your life.
You may feel more confident or optimistic about your goals.
You may experience a different perspective on the world.
You may face new challenges or take greater risks—all because you spent 10 minutes tidying
your space.
6.
10 Minutes Earlier 10 minutes can keep your room organized, but
it can also impact the quality of your morning, transforming stress and chaos into a healthy,
leisurely routine.
If you want to change your life for the better, try this.
Tomorrow morning, start your day 10 minutes earlier than you need to.
If you normally wake up at 8:00, set your alarm for 7:50.
You may be tempted to move your alarm 20 or 30 minutes earlier, but 10 minutes is all
you need.
That small block of time is the difference between cooking a healthy breakfast and scarfing
down a bowl of sugary cereal.
10 minutes can buy you a calming moment in the shower or a few extra pages of a book.
In other words, those 10 minutes give you the freedom to make choices in the morning…
the freedom to enjoy healthy habits instead of rushing through your routine.
So, set your alarm 10 minutes earlier than you normally do.
Don’t hit the snooze button.
Don’t fall back asleep.
Use those 10 minutes to infuse a little bit of freedom into your mornings.
It doesn’t sound like much, but those 10 measly minutes can set the tone for the rest
of your day.
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