Having daily habits doesn’t mean going through the motions, staying stuck in a rut, and doing what you’ve always done.
Habits are supposed to build your personality, help you thrive, and ensure you live the best, most successful life you can.
The Miracle Morning
by Hal Elrod
⏱ 11 minutes reading time
🎧 Audio version available
Exercise
Yes, it’s a classic piece of advice, but do you know why “exercising” is a cliché? It’s because it’s a tried and true method of improving your health. It’s like tapping into the fountain of youth.
Exercise– regular exercise five or six times a week– does wonders. It helps in keeping your bones, muscles, and joints strong and healthy. It dramatically reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and more. Believe it or not, even just 30 minutes of movement can help your body manage insulin levels, quit smoking– if you’re a smoker — and improve the quality of your sleep.
And when we say “exercise,” we don’t necessarily mean pumping iron at the gym. Exercising isn’t supposed to be an ordeal. It could be something as simple as taking a walk or a run in the morning or on your lunch break.
And these are just some of the physical benefits of working out. There are plenty of tempting mental benefits too. Working out on a regular basis helps boost your mood, keep up your energy levels, and overall improve your mental health. In addition, you’re keeping your learning, judgment, and thinking skills sharp.
Never Skip Breakfast
Another cliché, but it’s a favorite. Eat breakfast!
Breakfast is, and always will be, the most important meal of your day. If you want a healthy, successful, inspiring lifestyle and daily habits, breakfast is non-negotiable.
Breakfast is supposed to be the meal that breaks your overnight fasting period. That means that your body is desperate for a boost. And a healthy meal in the morning replenishes your supply of glucose, actually helps you feel less groggy, and boosts your energy for the rest of the day.
If you’re the sort who ignored breakfast– whether that’s because you just don’t like breakfast foods, or you don’t have time in the morning — you’re missing out big time.
For one thing, eating breakfast is known to have an amazing plethora of health benefits. In addition to improving your alertness for the rest of the day, it helps reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
And research has shown people who regularly have breakfast tend to take in more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol, which contributes to that “prosper in life” part we’re looking for!
Even if you are in a hurry in the mornings, here are a few quick healthy breakfast ideas to incorporate eating into your routine! To keep you feeling full and delightful energized for hours, consider going for something like whole grain, wholemeal, or sourdough toast, some English muffins, yogurt, fresh fruits, quick oats, or raw nuts.
Don’t Forget About Dental Hygiene
Dental hygiene goes beyond brushing your teeth while you’re half-asleep in the morning. This healthy habit could add six years to your life, as well as make your teeth shiny, pearly white when you flash a smile.
Those who take the time out of their day to floss at least once a day dramatically improve their health. See, flossing and brushing your teeth removes bacteria. According to research, the bacteria that make dental plaque end up entering the bloodstream and causing issues that include, but aren’t limited to, inflammation and heart disease.
Drinking plenty of water between meals (Note, a healthy habit that goes without saying is drinking plenty of water throughout the day—at least eight cups) also goes a long way.
Keep Challenging Yourself
A healthy and daring habit you can take up during the day is challenging yourself.
We know it’s a slippery slope, falling into a routine and doing the same thing over and over every day, but you need to keep your mind and body sharp! The habit of taking on challenges on a daily basis is a life-changer.
So, like what, you ask? Basically anything! What matters is breaking out of your rut. That means taking the time out of your day for an art lesson, for example. Or a pottery class. Or anything that draws your interest. You could always learn a new language and challenge yourself every day by adding to your vocabulary and practicing. Even Duolingo will be a massive help.
Take up learning to play a musical instrument. If you want to keep it simple, try reading something educational every day.
A great example of those who use reading to self-improve is billionaire investor Warren Buffett. Despite having over $80 billion in his bank accounts and an investing empire to run, Buffett reads for at least five hours every day.
In lieu of reading; podcasts, audiobooks, and educational YouTube also work!
Manage Your Money
On your way to work, you may not think much of the tenner you splurge on a cup of coffee, but that daily habit of unnecessarily spending money is going to come back to haunt you.
Having good money habits is a must, and you have to be consistent about them. The other option is overspending and then suffering from anxiety because of it, which leads to a lot less savings in your bank account, spending more money to feel better, and going into debt.
Good daily money habits include not stopping by a coffee shop in the morning and making your own instead. The same applies to cooking at home in place of take out and going out to restaurants.
What are these extra steps towards saving are going to do? First of all, it grants you an irreplaceable peace of mind, knowing that you have money to fall back upon. Stress about money is detrimental to both your physical and mental health.
Plan For Maximum Efficiency
An amazing habit to have is planning your day. What separates a successful person from others is their ability to manage their time and be as productive as possible.
This is one habit the most successful people in the world never let go of. Planning your day for maximum efficiency means taking up life-changing habits, such as waking up early, even on days off, to take full advantage of your day.
Waking up early is more precious than you think. In place of that extra hour of sleep or so, it gives you more time during the day.
With the day ahead of you, an excellent way to make sure you’re as productive and efficient as possible is to tackle your most challenging task first. With that task out of the way, you’ll feel a sense of relief throughout the day that’s almost tangible. At the very least you’ll be a lot more relaxed and less likely to procrastinate.
Take the Time to Relax
And our final and most important healthy habit to add to your daily schedule to succeed, prosper, and thrive? It’s one you may not have expected. It’s relaxing and taking a break. Your mental health matters, too.
The world’s wealthiest, richest, and most successful people never ignore this habit. Why? It makes them more productive in the long-term. Now, relaxing can be in the form of relaxing in your favorite armchair with a hot drink and a book.
Or it can be meditating and practicing yoga– both are known to help you become more focused. Personal care, taking the time to take care of you, is another non-negotiable habit. You can’t possibly hope to keep up a long-term streak of productivity and success if you begin to burn out.
What taking a break does is refresh your mind, replenish your energy levels and mental resources, and help you to be more creative.
There’s a term called “waking rest,” which is exactly what it sounds like. The benefits are everything! Like having a night of quality sleep, waking rest improves your ability to learn and helps consolidate your memories. Ready to get started on implementing these amazing healthy habits into your day?
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