We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
Aristotle
When you do nothing, nothing will happen. Therefore, the actions you decide to take will determine the outcomes in your life. If you want excellence, then you need to form good habits.
Exercise
This habit is no mystery. Everyone knows that exercise is important but not everyone tries to form this habit. If you have to choose only one habit, choose exercise because it will improve other areas of your life.
The difficult part is not knowing that it’s a good idea, it is implementation. How do you form this habit? If you are starting from no exercise, it is a good idea to start small and build upon it. The key isn’t doing a lot of exercise at once, but to do it consistently over time. Starting out with walking 5 minutes a day might be all you need to try and gain momentum. Walk 10 minutes every day for a month, 10 minutes the next month, and then start jogging. By the end of the year you could be jogging an hour a day with ease. Some get too overwhelmed with the short term by trying to do too much. The goal is to start with something manageable and build slowly over time.
If you do not have a problem with exercising daily, but you want to boost your performance then maybe hiring a personal trainer might be beneficial. When no one is looking it’s easy to give a little less effort. The personal trainer, if they are good, will get that extra out of you which is where you see the real growth start to happen. Diamonds are formed under pressure.
Reading
The average person reads 1 book a year or less. The average CEO reads 60 books a year. The difference in pay is staggering and a topic often complained about. The difference between the CEO and the average person is that the CEO knew it wasn’t fair before he or she became CEO. Instead of complaining, the CEO made a different decision to work hard.
The key here again is to start with something attainable. Reading 20 pages a day means you can read almost 30 books that are 250 pages in a year. A little each day can add up over time. A single page by itself weighs hardly anything, but a box of paper is heavy. The same concept applies with knowledge. Warren Buffet reads 6 hours every day. Elon Musk grew up reading 2 books every day. Unless you are going to the NBA or going to be the next country music star, habitual reading will give you an unfair advantage.
Morning Routine
Having a morning routine can set you apart from the competition. A lot of successful people wake up earlier than the average Joe. Starting the day with focus and prioritization leads to more productivity then rolling out of bed haphazardly.
One popular book for morning routines is the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. Hal teaches you a concept called S.A.V.E.R.S.
Silence – Meditation, prayer, or breathing.
Affirmations – Encouraging words to tell yourself to achiever your goals.
Visualization – Imagine yourself doing each thing, step by step.
Exercise – Anything that gets the blood pumping in the morning.
Reading – Fill your mind with useful information.
Scribing – Journal your thoughts and reflect.
The morning routine can be adjusted and put in any order, but the concept helps you start the day focused on what you want to achieve in life with a healthy outlook. Getting up early can also make a big impact on your life and help you get more done.
Healthy Eating
Out of all the good habits you can build, healthy eating may be one of the most difficult. Fast food and convenience are at every corner. It is easy to fall into the downward spiraling habit of eating unhealthy. Fueling your body and mind with proper nutrition can improve your performance in all areas and keep you alert.
Healthy eating requires discipline and is a mental challenge. There is a program called 75 Hard that will help build mental toughness for sticking to a plan. The key here is to have a plan and follow through. Meal prepping is a popular strategy for sticking to an eating plan.
Healthy eating or dieting should not be considered a one-time thing. It should be considered a part of your life and be habitual.
Goal Setting
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where—“said Alice
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat
This quote from Alice in Wonderland is one of my all-time favorites. It sums up the importance of goal setting or setting a target. If you don’t know what you want to achieve or what you are aiming for then it doesn’t matter what you do. The goal should drive the actions. If you want to lose weight, set a weight goal. If you want to be in better shape set an exercise goal. Anything that can be tracked can be improved.
Goals are sometimes hard to achieve. It takes a lot of discipline and consistency to achieve them. This is where your why comes into play. When you need more motivation or a reason to keep going, knowing what the purpose is driving you will help get that extra rep or extra hour of studying in.
Conclusion
Exercising, reading, morning routine, eating healthy, and setting goals will help anyone become a better and more successful person. Getting up each day and setting out to achieve your purpose will keep you focused and on the steady rise. It takes a long time to achieve anything great. Start reading about people’s lives and you will see that the greats work hard consistently over time. Those who rise quickly fall just as fast. Stay motivated, stay hungry.
