Five Habits to Take up in the New Year

Written by: Anna Niemira

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

What we do and how we do it matters. Our daily routines, if systematically repeated, convert into our habits. With time, our habitual practices become second nature and reflect in our automatic reactions and manifestations.

Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, correlated habits with brain function, observing that our brain releases certain pleasure chemicals, boosting our spirit and overall happiness, once we adhere to certain behaviors and perform defined tasks. These neurological cravings for feeling good and upbeat prompt us to repeat our habits.

The key to our happiness lies in developing good habits. They can help us advance and reach our goals simultaneously making us content, fulfilled, and excellent in everything we do.

 New Year’s Resolution

How many times have we promised ourselves to start new routines on the eve of the New Year? And how many times have we failed to fulfill our promises?

Perhaps it is not about starting new routines cold turkey, which might feel more burdensome than pleasurable, but creating a stimulating environment around us, naturally transitioning us towards new, positive, and progressive habits.

 ONE: Raise One Hour Earlier

"Wake up early and tackle the day before it tackles you. Be on offense, not defense." - Evan Carmichael

To follow a natural cycle, we should be starting each day at sunrise.  Depending on where we are on the planet that might be a rather daunting undertaking. Setting an alarm clock right for 4 am will most likely end in us pressing the snooze button and changing our wake-up time back to our usual late hour.

We might start with waking up 15 minutes earlier each week, gradually adjusting to being an hour ahead of our usual rising time after a month. This way, we will shift easier, not even feeling the change so abruptly, yet staying right on target of welcoming the day at an early hour.

We can spend this extra morning hour exercising, meditating, having quiet coffee time, scheduling our day, or reading. It will give us a feeling of being ahead before we start our usual daily hustle and bustle.

There are multiple benefits of early rising, including health and general progress in life.  Getting up earlier correlates with better critical thinking and problem-solving. Various studies also indicate a lower risk of feeling depressed and being more proactive, linking early rising to overall success.

 TWO: Start Listening

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” - Ernest Hemingway

There is a prevailing salesman mentality. We feel an endless urge to self-promote, on any occasion, pitching ourselves, or our products. We are focused on presentation and speaking activities. Often, we do not participate in active listening. Yet, one of the most profound forms of respect is to hear what another person wants to say.

Attentive listening is at the foundation of building meaningful relationships. We know and understand what others think and feel. We expand our horizons by coming across various opinions and points of view presented by other individuals. We create valuable connections on a personal and professional level.

Attentive listening improves our cognitive abilities. We analyze, comprehend, and segregate the information we hear, increasing our awareness and memory.  Applying our listening skills allows us to tune into ourselves and our surroundings.

Many successful people are excellent listeners.  Talking less and listening more significantly improves our negotiation skills, giving us the advantage of understanding the opponent sitting across the table. Listening promotes open-mindedness, conflict resolution, and further progress and decision-making, establishing welcoming and positive communication.

 THREE: Surround Yourself With People Of Action

"Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses" - George Washington Carver

Say "no" to naysayers.  Let's take this further. Say "no" to those who have unrealized visions, talking about their ideas and plans instead of actively pursuing them. It is easy to say that something can be done than actually doing it. Talk is cheap. The only thing that counts is action.

Those who truly pursue their plans and fulfill their promises spend time organizing, scheduling, and implementing their plans, delivering tangible results. They read, study, and learn every day to gather the necessary intelligence and skills to bring them closer to the realization of their dreams. They take initiative instead of constantly waiting for something to happen, and someone to provide for them. They are persistent and focus on their destination.  When you speak with them, they talk of what they've done instead of what they wish to happen.

Good attitude, action, and positive vibes are contagious. Being in a circle of active individuals who speak less and do more can have a very positive influence.  Experiencing results and seeing the fruits of our labor gives us tremendous satisfaction, releasing chemicals of happiness and joy and boosting our energy. There are undeniable mental and health benefits from being active physically and mentally and befriending people of an active, goal-oriented nature.

It is great to have dreams, yet their true value is reflected in their fulfillment. We need to adjust our risk tolerance and conquer our fears.  By being with those who have courage, we feel more secure and confident as well.

It is good to remember that actions speak louder than words; thus, surround yourself with people who value activity and action.  We remain respectful to naysayers, letting them be but not necessarily be in our circles.

 FOUR: Embrace The Future

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy

The only constant is change. Living in the past, glorifying it, missing what it was, indicating that yesterday was better than today is a devaluation of own existence. 

Why we are so attached to the past? It is human nature to get attached, especially emotionally, to things, people, and situations. It gives us a sense of stability and security, brings value to our identity and where we are at the given time. It is a good feeling until it becomes a barrier in the face of incoming inevitable change. Reluctantly, we experience a fear of the unknown, a sense of risk and of our foundation of security being shaken and stirred.  We defend our position against any change by glorifying what was and pushing away what might be.

Every change requires effort.  We need to adjust to new situations and accept new sets of conditions.  That makes us feel uncomfortable.  The circumstances demand us to learn anew, to adjust, and perhaps somehow change our lifestyle. We prefer to deny the future by persistently praising the past. Yet, refusing to adjust to what's next to come is a refusal of our advancement, growth, and the opportunities we might have.

Interestingly, people of a positive, upbeat nature, who are active on mental and physical levels and in love with action, have an optimistic vision of the future.

We are here and we are now.  If yesterday was so great why not make today and tomorrow even better? We have a choice. We can remain in a blissful state of nostalgia, or we can embrace and welcome the future. 

 FIVE: Take Breaks

"Taking a break can lead to breakthroughs." - Russell Eric Dobda

When is the last time you disconnected and took a vacation? When is the last time you took daily breaks and enjoyed your lunch hour, without any interruptions?

There is a reason why kids in schools and university lectures last around an hour.  The universal average time we are able to maintain concentration is forty-five minutes.  Of course, practice makes perfect.  The right training can help us focus and hold our concentration for a longer period. Also, the more we are interested in the topic or what we do, the longer the time we can remain attentive.

Whether we like something we do or not, pausing is necessary for our nervous system to recover from the stress and tension. During breaks, we restore our energy and our mental resourcefulness.  We feel our fatigue going away.

If you spend your days sitting behind a desk, take short breaks to move your body. Do some simple stretching exercises to improve blood circulation and reinstate flexibility in the muscles. Take a short walk if you can.  You will feel invigorated and renewed.

Research indicates that to be at our best at work and home, a break is a must to decompress and restore our vital energy.

 Implementing New Habits

To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out the new behavior.  - Maxwell Maltz

We can set any goals and change any habits.  How we approach any change matters.  It is important to create an environment of optimism, action, and energy around us.  That will be our natural stimuli for us to adjust quickly and effectively to our new set of habits.

These five habits are realistic, achievable, and timely.  We are set for the successful completion of our mission to implement our new routines and level up for success in business and satisfaction in life.

Wishing all readers a happy, healthy, and progressive New Year!