If you really want to achieve your goals and live the abundant life, there are simple habits that you can daily employ in order to accomplish your dreams. One of my mom’s favorite motivational quotations is that “you eat an elephant one bite at a time.” The scriptural book of Alma says it this way: “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.” There are a million ways to express this same principle, but the point is that we fill a bucket one drop at a time.
Every day, little by little, you can put forth effort into bringing about the great desires of your heart. In time, all of your daily sacrifices and decisions can add up in a powerful and effective way that delivers the positive results you long for. Here’s a look at ten simple habits that can keep you on the right track everyday.
1. Eat a nutrient-rich diet that promotes healthy living
An easy way to limit your chances of success is to deny your body the access it needs to essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. If you want to expand your opportunities and abilities, ensure that you’re giving your body everything it can use to function better, to be stronger, to endure more and to think smarter. Eat a nutritionally-packed breakfast and healthy snacks and meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism working and your energy levels high. Watch your total calorie consumption to minimize cardiovascular risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other conditions that can prevent you from having the freedom to live life like you want to.
2. Strengthen your body through exercise
Just like eating a healthy diet can help you stay on course, regularly participating in physical forms of activity can enable you to have the endurance and strength needed to carry out your goals. If you don’t condition your body, you will lose mobility, decrease your muscle mass and worsen your health. When you’re sick, weak and can barely stand up, your physical limitations can drastically affect your abilities to accomplish tasks and to make your dreams a reality. Make time everyday for some sort of strength training or exercise session.
3. Review and update your to-do list
With your goals in mind, evaluate what you need to accomplish today and in the days ahead. Map out a schedule so that you can prioritize what needs to get done first and you can meet all the deadlines that you are subject to. Keep your to-do list updated so that you don’t risk forgetting what tasks need to be done.
4. Discipline yourself to do what needs to be done
After you’ve mapped out what your daily schedule needs to be, discipline yourself to stick to the plan. When fun opportunities and distractions come up, ignore them until you’ve gotten your work done. Don’t indulge in entertaining activities now thinking that you still have plenty of time left to finish off your to-do list. Work now and play later.
5. Eliminate the clutter in your life
If there’s anything distracting and discouraging that keeps you from reaching your goals, take the necessary steps in order to declutter your life. Maybe it’s not helpful to listen to your friend’s opinion about your business plan so stop facilitating an environment for her to tear your ideas down. Don’t ask for her opinion and end the phone call if she unsolicitedly tries to discourage you again. If having cable is too distracting of an option for you and keeps you from getting your work done, cancel your subscription. Put safeguards in place so that you can more easily keep your eyes on the prize.
6. Notice someone in need and help that person
If you live a life solely for yourself, you’ll likely notice that there’s a lack of meaning and purpose even when you do achieve your goals. Make sure everyday to take a moment to help lift another person up. Share some encouraging words, flash a friendly smile or do something else to benefit a fellow traveler on life’s journey. You don’t have to be creative and the task doesn’t have to be that involved, but make sure you’re going about your day with eyes open to the plight of those around you.
7. Take time to meditate
Avoid running yourself on empty by taking time to rejuvenate your body and mind. Meditate, read your scriptures, say a prayer, take a bath, listen to some calming music, play a game you enjoy or find some other relaxing and rejuvenating activity each day to take part in before you call it a day. You don’t have to budget in an hour if ten minutes is all you can afford. Figure out what works for you and just give yourself a little bit of time to wind down and take it easy.
8. Analyze the day’s successes and setbacks
At the end of the day, evaluate how things turned out. Identify what went well, what didn’t pan out and what will need to be done in the future as a consequence. Update your to-do list and remember to be grateful for the experiences you’re having, even the undesirable ones since they are still teaching you valuable life lessons. If desired, create a gratitude journal and every night record something about that day that you appreciate so that you always have a tangible reminder of how blessed you are and how far along you’re coming.
9. Tell yourself you can do it
End each day with some positive self talk remind yourself that you can accomplish what you’ve set out to do. Don’t get discouraged by setbacks and unexpected challenges that have suddenly appeared into your life. Recognize the power of positive thinking and keep encouraging yourself.
10. Go to bed
Instead of worrying about how everything will end up turning out, do your best to push all of your stresses out of your mind and let yourself get a good night’s sleep. When you wake up in the morning refreshed, then it’s time to pick back up your cares in order to positively approach the day.
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