Because this is not your usual article, let me start by asking you some questions.
have you ever felt like there’s something wrong with you because you cannot change a thought pattern?
have you ever felt frustrated while reading success stories about how certain people changed their life “forever” after reading a single book or attending an event?
have you ever felt like certain success stories are missing something super important? (hint: time!)
If the answer was yes, keep reading.
I am super annoyed by all the authors, coaches, speakers and thought leaders that write books in which they describe their breakthrough but don’t tell the whole story.
You hear these authors and thought leaders kinda bragging about their moment of awakening by saying:
“so, I read that book and it changed me forever…”
“I spoke with that person/coach and my life changed forever…”
“I went to that event and I was never the same…”
Now let’s see how these things work in the real world!
Don’t even try to tell me that because of an “aha! moment” you never EVER thought about a situation like you used to think before you had the awakening.
This is exactly what annoys me. Because we, the normal people, we read tens of books, listen to seminars, enroll in online courses, work with coaches and therapists and we have tons of “aha! moments”, but just a few days after the “aha! moment”, we find ourselves thinking like we used to think.
And these “perfect” success stories are making you believe that there’s something wrong with you because you did everything they did and probably even more, but for you it wasn’t that simple, for you it wasn’t “perfect”.
Now, my question is: was it really that simple for those authors as they say?
Of course it wasn’t, but who would read a book if you market it like this:
“So here is what happened: I read these 7 books and went to 3 events over the course of 2 years. I had several AHA! moments and I’ve constantly worked on myself for another 2-3 years to INTEGRATE those teachings into my life, into my being. Then, my life truly changed forever.”
You bet it changed forever after that much work and time!
No one will buy such a book because we are all looking for the magic f$%king pill, for the easy fix, for someone to save us. And I am not better than you, trust me – it’s a trap from which I am trying to escape for years now.
Breakthrough (aha! moment) vs. real change!
I did not know how to put it in words until I read The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks who talks about the difference between BREAKTHROUGH and REAL CHANGE!
[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_tagline_box backgroundcolor=”” shadow=”yes” shadowopacity=”0.1″ border=”3px” bordercolor=”” highlightposition=”top” content_alignment=”center” link=”” linktarget=”_self” modal=”” button_size=”” button_shape=”” button_type=”” buttoncolor=”” button=”” title=”” description=”You can have as many breakthroughs as you want, if you don’t work on yourself after the actual breakthrough, you won’t experience the real change!” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”15px” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_tagline_box]
So, we have breakthroughs – when you feel that “aha!”, that clarity moment – and we have change. Change equals those months and years of work on yourself to change certain patterns of thinking, is the way you INTEGRATE the teachings into your own life.
So, I kindly ask all the authors, teachers, coaches and thought leaders out there to stop making such claims because there are many perfectionists out there (like me) who read such stories and start to believe that there’s something wrong with them because they don’t experience such easy-to-deal-with change. You cannot imagine how much pressure a perfectionist can put on herself if things don’t work out they way it did for others.
Be REAL, be AUTHENTIC, be VULNERABLE and people will still buy your book or want to purchase your products. Don’t hide the struggle, don’t hide the sleepless nights, don’t hide the frustration that comes with thinking about a situation like you used to think, don’t hide all the years of work.
Don’t hide the PROCESS, because that’s the thing most people have a hard time accepting.
As my friend, Elinor Cohen, suggested to “see these published “miracles” as inspiration of what is possible and less as “why am I not there yet?”
So, what’s this article’s keyword?
INTEGRATION. In order to experience real change you need to integrate the lessons, the aha moments into your daily life until the new way of thinking becomes normal. But I kindly ask you to allow yourself time.
It’s unrealistic to believe that you can change a thinking pattern, that you’ve developed in years or even decades, in only a few short days. Although I don’t believe there can be an exact science here, as we all have such different life experiences, my suggestion is to do your best to love yourself while working on changing any pattern – it will make life so much easier.
And this last suggestion is something that I am working on integrating in my own life for quite some time now – over six months – and yes, sometimes I do feel like it’s getting worse rather than better, but it’s normal.
Why do you think my coaching program is for six months?!(and most coaches out there are going for the same approach) It’s because they hire me to keep them accountable, to ease their way through change, to give them confidence, among other things.
And again, you can book a single session, you might have an “aha! moment”, but that does not guarantee you will actually change a certain thinking pattern.
What’s a healthy way to deal with change?
First, acknowledge the difference between breakthrough and the process that follows. Secondly, is by adding a teaspoon of self-love every time you start beating up on yourself for not being further down the road or for getting into the old ways of thinking again.
Thirdly, check out this interview that I had with my friend Jason Goldberg (an international speaker and coach) where we dive deeper into how change really works, how to accept the process and develop a more loving attitude towards yourself!
Are you a perfectionist?
Let’s have a chat and see if I can help you overcome it in your business and personal life. Book a free 30min call here!
Also, here are two books that I totally recommend about perfectionism and allowing yourself to be vulnerable:
Of course, there are still many things to be discussed around this topic or about loving yourself, but I’ll leave that for a future article. Meanwhile, if there’s one thing to take away from this article is this: have patience with yourself because real change happens over time.
Mihai Herman
PS: remember to love yourself through the process of changing your thoughts! (this reminder is actually for me – sorry!)[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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Over the years, I’ve struggled with so many mindset blocks, I can’t even count. They kept me stuck, broke and, most importantly, unhappy and unable to enjoy my work. 2015 was probably the year when I became aware of most of my limitations (which was no fun) but it was also the year I tripled my business and I want to believe that me dealing with those limiting beliefs played a very important role.
Then, I’ve started coaching entrepreneurs and the same blocks appeared over and over again, and something is telling me that you need to hear this.
There are lots of mindset blocks out there (I’ve identified 13 very powerful ones. Access them here for free!), but I’ve found the following three to be the ones that gave me and my clients the hardest time.
Before we dive deeper, though, I’d like you to understand two very important aspects of dealing and working with your blocks:
the first step is to become aware, but the trick is that the moment you become aware you will start seeing these blocks in all kinds of situations. No need to freak out – It’s normal and by doing this you actually take their power away.
just because you became aware of your mindset blocks, does not mean that you are done with them forever. They will come back, but you will be more prepared to deal with them now. Imagine that these blocks were probably formed in years or even decades of thinking in a certain way, so give yourself time to heal and move past them.
BLOCK #1: “who am I to be an expert?!”
Or to teach people.
Or to have lots of clients.
Or to help people be happy, wealthy or healthy.
Sounds familiar?
This mindset has kept me from becoming a business coach for about 18 months.
Unfortunately, this is a common block among creative people – coaches, healers, designers and artists. Why? Because of our nature of being creative, of seeing things in a different way, we had to deal with a lot of negativity, doubt and shame in the past.
That negativity lowered our self-esteem and brought a lot of voices in our head that either talk us out of everything that might prove we are worthy or laugh at us for being too naive, for being dreamers or unrealistic.
That negativity lowered our self-esteem and brought a lot of voices in our head that either talk us out of everything that might prove we are worthy or laugh at us for being too naive, for being dreamers or unrealistic.
How can you move past this particular block? First, as I told you already, become aware of it and of all the ways it shows up in your life.
Secondly, work on your self-esteem. This will do wonders for you because it will help you feel more worthy of anything and, besides increasing your business, it will increase your level of overall happiness and balance.
BLOCK #2: “everything I do has to be PERFECT in order for me to…”
…enjoy life, enjoy, grow, be abundant, happy, love myself, make enough money, be successful, be appreciated.
Or everything has to be perfect otherwise:
it won’t work.
I am wasting my time.
I am not worthy of creating something good.
I am a failure.
etc.
I wish you’d say that nothing sounds familiar to you, but I know it does.
I talk about perfectionism with Julia “Juju” Hookin this great interview – you’ll love how she explains that it’s all about finding balance.
Usually, this perfectionism appears because you read about how someone else became successful using a particular strategy and you try to copy that, which is great, but you try to copy that in a perfect way. Even worse, you feel like if you don’t copy that strategy perfectly, it won’t work for you and you feel like everything you did was in vain because it’s not “perfect”.
Don’t let the perfectionist side of you dictate your life. Perfectionism is like fear — you can listen to it, accept its opinion but don’t let it stop you from realizing your dreams.
Check out this interview with MaxCDN co-founder, David Henzel, in which he talks about learning to act out of LOVE instead of fear!
Don’t listen to everyone out there no matter how successful they are! If it does not resonate with you, forget it! If you try to apply every strategy that works, you will become so overwhelmed that you will not do anything! Pick a strategy and stick with it long enough for it to produce results.
Picking a strategy is the same as setting a goal – it should be exciting and a bit out of your comfort zone!
Also, allow yourself to enjoy life every now and then – it’s not all about being productive, creative and focused!
Repeat after me:“I trust that everything that I do is perfect the way it is. I trust that my journey is perfect as it is. I trust that I will reach my goals at the perfect moment for me.”
BLOCK #3: “why charge for my knowledge?! It’s super simple!”
If you’ve been doing what you’re doing (coaching, design, consultancy, writing or whatever your creative niche is) for a long time, you probably feel like everything is so simple.
Because you feel like everything is so simple, you also feel like a fraud when charging people money for something that is “so simple”. This feeling will only get you fewer clients/business and you are really not helping anyone with this attitude!
The truth is that it is only simple for YOU! Not for your clients – that’s why they come to you.
It’s simple because you did that thing a thousand times.
It’s simple because you studied your industry for years.
It’s simple because of all the money you’ve invested in courses and books over the years.
It’s simple because of countless hours that you’ve put into figuring out certain things.
BUT it’s not simple for everyone — remember that!
Repeat after me:“It’s okay to charge money for my time and knowledge.”
There are countless blocks that might stop you from achieving your dreams (some more important than others), but what’s more important than anything is to keep moving forward!
Wait – there is more!! 13 Mindset Blocks That Are Keeping Creative Entrepreneurs Broke!
I’ve hosted an entire webinar about 13 mindset blocks that are keeping entrepreneurs broke and then transformed it into an ebook that you can access for FREE as part of the “Marketing & Business Bundle for Creative Entrepreneurs”that you can access by entering your name & email below (and then confirming your email address!).
[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_tagline_box backgroundcolor=”” shadow=”yes” shadowopacity=”0.1″ border=”1px” bordercolor=”#4eccc3″ highlightposition=”top” content_alignment=”center” link=”http://mihaiherman.com/bundle” linktarget=”_blank” modal=”” button_size=”large” button_shape=”” button_type=”” buttoncolor=”” button=”Access them here for FREE!” title=”Access All 13 Mindset Blocks for FREE” description=”If you’ve read this far, there are definitely a lot of things clicking for you. Just imagine how many aha’s can you have by reading all 13. We cover comparison, perfectionism, money fears and vulnerability issues. Mindset work is usually underrated, but it’s truly the pillar to any successful business. Click the link below to access the rest of the mindset blocks!” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_tagline_box]
This article was first published on HuffingtonPost.com – view original here.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
What I love the most about them is that they teach valuable life lessons in such a simple way. Although these motion pictures seem to be only for children, I strongly believe that adults have much more to learn from these “ordinary” movies than kids.
I dare you to take about 90 minutes of your day and watch one of the movies mentioned below – it may be the most well-spent 90 minutes of the month.
1. Negative Emotions Are Okay! — Inside Out
There is a big pressure on being happy these days that we almost forgot that fear, sadness and anger are also part of life, part of our human experience. We often tend to forget that each emotion plays an important role in our lives and that neglecting the negative ones it’s not the wisest thing to do because they can bite us at a later time. I believe that instead of talking about happiness, we should better teach people about flexibility, about self-acceptance and self-love.
Our emotions can guide us and are meant to allow us to experience life at the fullest. The secret lies in learning how to work with our emotions instead of putting all the negative ones in a box that now one should ever see. Experiencing negative emotions does not make you weak, but quite the opposite!
2. Stop Judging Everyone! — Home
One of the main lessons that I got from this movie, even though it came right before the end, was to not judge someone until you walk one mile in their shoes. Even though all the Boovs (the little aliens) thought that Gorg was their enemy, the big ugly spaceship was only following them because they had something very precious — the last set of eggs and without them their species would go extinct.
It’s easy to walk down the street and put a label on everyone (I know I used to do it back in the early college days), but it’s better to remember that we are all good at our core, we have good days and bad days and that shouldn’t define us.
3. We Are All Equal and Part of the Same Family! — How to Train Your Dragon
We are all living beings and part of the same planet: people, animals, plants, insects and God knows what else. It’s time we start living in more harmony with the world around us.
What I personally like to do is:
catch flies carefully so I don’t hurt them and then throw them outside.
eliminate ants in a peaceful, natural way even though I am not always successful
admire and give thanks for all the beautiful nature I have around me
say blessings over the food that I eat
save spiders and put them outside nicely
watch where I step (when possible) and do my best to save some of the insects that you see
4. Revenge is Never a Good Option! — Big Hero 6
Revenge is never a good option and it will, most likely, make you feel worse than before. Let karma do the work for you. All you have to do is to free yourself by trying to forgive the person and let God/Universe decide if and how to punish him/her.
Sometimes, grief can make us blind, but that’s why we have friends that can help us see what’s right from wrong and help us make better decisions. You don’t have to do everything alone, you don’t need to have all the answers. It’s okay to be helped, that’s what strong people do — they ask for help when they need it and accept that. It’s time we move away from the myth that a strong person has to be strong all the time. We are all human beings, we make mistakes, we have good days and bad days, and sometimes, we just need a little push and that’s fine!
5. Learn to Accept Yourself — Wreck-It Ralph
Ralph says something very wise and it kinda summarizes the whole lesson in one single quote:
“I am bad and that’s good, I will never be good and that’s not bad, there’s no one I’d rather be than me.”
Learning to better accept and love yourself should be always at the top of your mind because that’s what brings you peace of mind, joy, compassion and love for other people. Accepting yourself is an act of consciously acknowledging what you are today, good or bad, with an intention to always strive to improve yourself.
Once we stop resisting things, we grow and everything becomes easier.
6. You Don’t Have to Look Like a Hero! — Kung-Fu Panda
Yes, you don’t have to look like a hero to become one. You don’t have to do all the things successful people do to become one. Find your own journey and rewrite the rules if you have to.
Like there’s no diet to fit all human beings, there’s no road to success to fit us all either. Of course, there are some important ingredients you have to keep in mind, but you can mix and match everything else according to your intuition. Always trust your intuition!
Conclusion
Even though they seem to be movies for children, I believe these are the real movies that we should all watch again and again until we learn these lessons (and many more).
Action movies, dramas and thrillers are great, but most of the times they teach us quite the opposite and can create all kinds of fears and negative beliefs. Action movies teach us that revenge is acceptable, dramas teach us to always be on the lookout for something bad to happen — it can’t be good for too long, and don’t even get me started on horror movies which I personally believe should be banned.
Let me know your favorite animation movie in a comment below!
Do you ever feel like your relationship with your parents could be better? Find 10 reasons why you’re grateful for them and be the first in your family to say “I love you” and things will begin to shift. In this article, I go over my success story, some tips on how you can do the same, alternatives to the “scary words” and some inspiration to get you started. Excited? Let’s get started!
I come from a more conservative family in Romania and we are not used to saying things like “I love you” to each other, may be because of the communist mindset still floating in the air or it’s just our culture. And here I am talking about the pure and sincere “I love you” to a dear friend or family member not how much you like someone – be aware that love is a different feeling than liking something.
“Love is a different frequency. You have to love your enemy or love people that harm you. You don’t have to like them or the actual act, just love them. Love is a different frequency.” – Michael Beckwith
Growing up, no one ever never told me that they loved me and I am sure a lot of you can relate to this, especially if you grew up in Eastern Europe, even though the videos at the end of this article made me realise that it’s a problem that most of the world confronts with. Even so, I am confident that with all the positive changes going on in the world, our generation has the power to change this once and for all. I believe every person on this planet has the right to be told that someone loves them and too many people die every day without getting a chance to hear those wonderful words from their family or friends.
Before we move on, let’s get one thing straight: you are, by no means, a weak person if you express your feelings to a loved one. On the contrary, you have to be a strong person to be able to tell someone that you love him/her.
Moms Come First
After watching a few movies, I realised that it can be different and I decided that something needs to change. After weeks, probably months of self-sabotage and fear of being judged or not getting the expected reply back, I finally had the courage to tell my mom that “I love her”…in a text message. It was the first step and I just wasn’t ready to tell her face to face.
That was the moment our relationship has changed and we began to bond much better and support each other more. I opened my heart to her and she did the same.
Since then, there’s not a single week passing by without at least an “I love you” over the phone, text or even face to face – yes, we’ve gotten that far, but don’t believe it was overnight – it took us probably 2-3 years to be able to say it regularly.
Not Everyone Reacts the Same!
This is a crucial aspect to consider, otherwise you can have your feelings hurt.
After about 2 years since I first told my mom, I felt that someone else needs to hear these wonderful three words and I’ve sent him a text. I am talking about my dad, of course. First time I said it, I did not get anything back – like nothing happened. It was a bit painful, but I knew he is different and has a different way of showing his feelings.
After probably another 2 years since the first attempt, I told my father again (in a text) that I love and support him, and this time the response was much better because I got a “Thank you!”, which was more than enough coming from him.
I have to admit that after my first attempt, our relationship started to become much better (it was always bad!).
To this day, I still did not hear it back and I might not ever hear my father say the three magical words to me, but I won’t let that dictate my level of happiness and wellbeing. I can choose to either live my life being resentful and feeling like a “victim” because my father never told me that he loves me or I can choose to look for other ways in which he expresses his love to me. It’s much better to accept that some people react and act in a different way and that you’re missing out by not looking for those signs, which sometimes can mean much more than those three words.
I haven’t gotten that far of telling my father that I love him over the phone or face to face, but small steps will take me in the right direction, I am sure.
I managed to change my relationship with my father from having a fight almost every week, because I wanted to blog full-time instead of continuing my studies (masters degree), to a loving, caring relationship where both parts know how and when to listen. But the most interesting thing happened when my father started backing me up to friends and family: I recently visited an old aunt and she always encouraged me to look for a power engineering job in Germany and I will be “set for life” just because it’s very well paid (unfortunately, 90% of the people believe that is all that matters – don’t get me wrong, I love money, but loving what you do comes first!). This time, however, she was very calm and interested in what exactly do I do online and she only told me once that she believes engineering is the right thing to do – believe me when I say it’s a very big step ahead!
You Have the Power to Change a Relationship
You can change your relationships with anyone by just becoming a bit kinder and compassionate, by taking the time to listen, by being there for them and genuinely help them. Be aware though and keep your patience level high, because results won’t come overnight. They might still treat you badly, but soon something very interesting will happen: they will be ashamed to harm you because of your kindness towards them!
It is really possible to change those around you if you change yourself, if you choose love over anything else. Love is really the answer!
I am a big believer in peace and that by responding with peace, love and understanding to any situation will do more good than trying to be revenged!
How to Prepare for the Big Day
1. Make a list of all the good things that could happen because you told them. This way you’ll force your mind to focus on the positive side of things and will eventually cut down from all the fear and doubt that you might experience.
2. What’s your goal? Is it to get a similar answer or just to get your message out there? This is very important because it will save you hours of frustration.
3. Get to know him/her – spend a few weeks being more aware of what they like, this way they’ll feel more loved and saying it won’t come out of the blue, which will raise your chances of getting a positive reply.
4. Start small – just a text or a note on the fridge would be just fine to start with. After you get comfortable, you can then take it to the next level.
5. Accept your fear – yes, you will feel scared, tensioned and uncomfortable, but that’s just fine. Accept them and think about why you do it in the first place. Take a moment to relax, take a few deep breaths and think about the big picture.
6. Wait for an answer (or not) – accept that your part is done. You can’t force them to say it back! All you can do now is wait and trust that your message was well received and it does not really matter if you get an answer because I am sure you put a smile on their face.
7. Lather, rinse, repeat – the journey doesn’t end after the first “I love you”. NO! This is just the beginning of a new and wonderful journey that could benefit you a lifetime.
TIP: to make it sound less odd, thank them for all they did for you and then tell them how much you love them.
Too Scared to Say it?
If you are too scared to say the three words, you can at least show your parents how much you love them. Here are a few ideas:
write down a letter with 10 things you appreciate them for
treat them with respect, which doesn’t mean you have to approve everything they say.
go home for important holidays
call them once a week so they know you think about them
be aware of what they like and do more of that
invest in their hobbies
send them away for a weekend
take them for a walk in the park Sunday afternoon
hug & kiss them when you leave
There are endless ways in which you can show your parents that you love them and care about them, just pick the ones that feel right for you. Always trust your intuition and work on your courage 🙂
Need Some Motivation? Get Inspired by These Videos
While doing a bit of research for this article, I’ve found these courageous young men and women who told their parents the magic words for the very first time. Very inspiring and I am sure this will bring the right motivation in your life to do the same.
Conclusion
Start looking for ways in which you can better appreciate those around you, we don’t have that much time on this planet and it’s always better to experience a few minutes of fear and shame, than a lifetime of regrets.
Here are a few important points to remember from this article:
Start with the one parent that you feel closer to or that you feel would react best
Back your actions by a strong why and it will make it easier
Not everyone reacts the same, so there’s no need to feel disappointed if you don’t get a positive reply back
Accept your fears and do it in spite of them
Start small, a short text will do it and work your way up
If you can’t say it, look for ways in which you can show them, for now
Remember that your parents are just the beginning. Once you master this, go and tell your closest friends, grandparents and people that you truly care about. The sky is the limit!
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_tagline_box backgroundcolor=”” shadow=”yes” shadowopacity=”0.4″ border=”3px” bordercolor=”#06a87d” highlightposition=”top” content_alignment=”left” link=”” linktarget=”_self” modal=”” button_size=”” button_shape=”” button_type=”” buttoncolor=”” button=”” title=”Remember” description=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”5px” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””]Your parents are just the beginning. Once you master this, go and tell your closest friends, grandparents and people that you truly care about. The sky is the limit![/fusion_tagline_box]
No matter what happened between you and your parents in the past, at the end of the day, they are the reason why you get to be alive. So try to find compassion and forgiveness in your heart and see the good side of them – we are all good in our essence.
We tend to go over to the extremes in our search for more pleasure when instead we should be looking for more balance if we want to live a happier life.
Below I share with you a list of easy to do things that will help you experience more balance in your everyday life and will also give you a deeper sense of peace and connection with the divine.
1. Play More Games
I was first exposed to this weird principle, that can play a very important role in your levels of happiness and success, about two years ago in Robin Sharma’s audio book “The Greatness Guide” (click here to listen to it for free online on robinsharma.com) where he talks about the importance of making time to play once in a while.
The benefits? Endless. From experiencing more joy, which is a very high emotion (vibrationally speaking), to connecting with friends and family which is great for mental health and it also helps to take yourself less seriously.
Think of a game that you haven’t played in years and schedule a time in your calendar to play it in the next 14 days. You’ll thank me later for that.
2. Use Mind Maps
Did you know that the first person to use a mind map (even though they were not called this way back then) was Leonardo Da Vinci back in the 15th century? Yes, he was way ahead of his time. Mind maps are a great tool for balancing your left and right brain hemispheres, which will actually put your whole being in more balance. Learn more about how to create a mind map here.
Some key aspects to keep in mind:
use big papers, this way you don’t shrink your thinking
the more colors, the better
underline & use caps where necessary
connect the dots
draw – let your creative juices flow
write on top of the line
start from the center (it has to be a drawing) where you place your main idea/project name
some say to only write one word, but I find it easier to keep it under three words per idea.
3. Make Time to Walk
Walking can be so beneficial for you, especially if you’re not a very sporty person or you spend a lot of time working at a desk like myself. It’s been researched that just walking regularly can help decrease feelings of depression by up to 25% in a matter of weeks.
We are part of an environment, so it’s very important to remember that in order to feel good and happy, we need to take advantage and connect with the environment, with the nature around us. I love trees, woods and parks, and in time, walking actually became a hobby as I also use the time to do other stuff like:
listen to an audio book & course
meditate – count my steps
think about my dreams and goals
dream building – be aware of everything around you and find new items that you can add to your dream board (see #31)
TIP: walk barefoot on grass from time to time because there’s no better way to connect yourself with nature.
4. Go Away for a Weekend Every Month
We live in a busy world (most of us) and it’s pretty hard (if not impossible) to find balance when you’re constantly working on getting somewhere. Make a habit of going away for a weekend every month with your family and/or friends – you owe this to yourself for how much you work every day and sometimes we tend to forget that we are not machines, we need sleep, rest, nature, loved ones, good food, joy and time off from time to time.
A weekend is too much or too expensive? Go somewhere close by for an entire day and do your best to disconnect from everything that happens at work, but understand that the first few times it can be really hard to totally disconnect.
The biggest benefit is that you’ll get more creative ideas by constantly disconnecting yourself from daily activities and habits, besides experiencing more joy, see new places and meet new people.
5. Draw Something
Drawing is great for developing a balance between the left hemisphere, which we tend to use the most because it’s the one that deals with words, logic, number, analysis etc., and the right hemisphere which is where all the “creative juices” are hidden – this is the part of your brain that deals with rhythm, color, imagination, awareness.
So, if you believe you have a lot of ideas, you can skip this one, but who would want to consciously keep themselves away from more awesome ideas anyway?!
Did you know that Leonardo Da Vinci was ambidextrous, paranoid dyslexic, and could draw forward with one hand while writing backward with the other? That’s what I like to call mastery.
6. Eat Out Once a Month
Some of you will be like “only once?” while others will be like “I can’t afford that often…” or “I like to prepare my own food” and I totally get you, but here we’re looking for more balance.
Cooking at home is great, but we need to feel taken care of once in a while and just enjoy our partner’s company. Allow yourself to eat out once a month at a nice restaurant and feel good about it because you are wonderful and you deserve it!
No cell phones, please! And even if you’re not a big drinker, like myself for instance, you can enjoy a glass of fine wine without feeling guilty – it’s good for your health too!
7. Stop Skipping That Vacation!
Even though work is a big part of a human being’s life and I believe that it keeps us from not going completely nuts, we need time off once in a while. But most, we need to learn how to make the most of that little time off that we get every year.
If you take the time to relax and recharge your batteries you will feel more joyful and happy, which is exactly the kind of emotions that have the power to make all your dreams become a reality. Living in a higher vibration is much more important than all the work that you could possibly do in that one week of vacation.
You might not see this advice anywhere else, but take a small loan if you have to and just go on vacation this year, feel good about it and deal with everything else later. You might find that, by the time you come back, things will look much brighter in your life. Just because sometimes, a short vacation may be all that you need.
8. Wear More Colors
Because style is one of the main topics I cover on my blog and I am very passionate about it, I always recommend a change of wardrobe. We need to make changes and challenge ourselves once in a while if we want to keep ourselves mentally healthy, and I believe that adding more colors to your outfit can be a fun challenge.
From where I stand, balance equals more happiness, but in order to feel happier you need to wear happy clothes. It’s pretty hard to feel happy when all you’re wearing every day are black, brown and gray clothes. Be bold and try on a green shirt, yellow pants, a pair of red sneakers or a dark blue coat.
Too scary? Start small!
Men can start with a pair of colorful socks, a colorful striped tie or just a pocket square.
Women, depending on your style, you can also start with colorful socks, purse, scarf or even shoes. You can find more style tips on estilo-tendances.com – one of the websites that I own.
9. Eat Organic Food
Fortunately or unfortunately for a lot of people, we are what we eat. A big chunk of our everyday balance comes from what we eat and drink, but what I’ve learned is that small changes can produce big results and that it’s better to introduce new healthy foods than to get rid of all the “negative” ones.
Try to introduce 1-2 healthier foods in your diet every week and soon you will realize that you don’t crave the bad stuff that much because your body gets used to the new way of eating. My girlfriend, Roswitha, taught me that it’s easier to make lasting changes by adding good foods in your diet because it produces less frustration.
Change is easier than you think! A study conducted in Sweden showed that by eating only organic foods for two weeks, the pesticides levels dropped by 95%. This is good news because even if all your life you’ve been eating infested foods, you can turn that around in a matter of weeks by deciding to go organic.
It’s not about how much you eat, but about how nutritious is your food. Buying from trusted sources locally can increase the nutrient value in your foods, which will make you eat less and feel better, plus you’ll support the local food market instead of putting money in the pockets of big companies.
10. Bach Flowers Remedies
I’ve discovered Bach Flowers about a year ago, but I’ve only been exposed to their amazing healing power about 6 weeks ago when I went through a tough period in my life (like we all do, right?!) and I’ve managed to get out faster than I’ve ever imagined with the help of these amazing holistic therapy called Bach Flowers Remedy.
Bach Flowers are very similar to homeopathy, but they work on a deeper level, on a vibrational level. I say they are great for overall balance because they work with your emotions and have the power to heal negative emotions. You can use them for anxiety, depression, tension, sadness, but also for perfectionism, procrastination, different fears, self-pity, to bring more faith into your life and to also help you say “no” when you have to.
The remedy was invented by Dr. Edward Bach who spent years experimenting on himself different emotions so that he can find the right remedy in flowers.
Disclaimer: because they work on such a deep level, you need to have patience, this is not an instant happiness pill, but it has the power to make you happier on the long-run. See a professional therapist, give it time and observe the changes in your life.
11. Declutter Your Life Once in a While
A lot of people tend to get stuck to what they own because it makes them feel rich, which in fact, the underlying feeling is lack and that’s exactly what they’re putting into the Universe “I don’t have enough” – this is the exact reason why some people will never get rich or have enough.
On the other hand, when you consciously go through your stuff and donate (or just throw) old stuff, you make space for new ones to come into your life, you tell the Universe “I have enough” and the Universe will provide more so that you will always experience the feeling of “having enough”. At the same time, everything is energy and if you stick to your old things, you risk to do the same on a mental level: old habits, old beliefs, old patterns, etc., which will keep you unhappy and broke.
In order to experience more abundance and prosperity in your life, you have to learn how to circulate energy – be it money, clothes, gifts or just thoughts. If you’ve never done this before, start by just donating two clothing items that you did not wear in 12 months. Two items is enough to give you a glimpse of how it feels to get rid of stuff, but it’s safe enough so you don’t freak out that you’re losing something.
Forgiveness is another form of decluttering your life. If you want to move forward in life, you have to leave some of the baggage behind and choose to see that you’re setting yourself free. Ho’oponopono is a great exercise that will help you release hate, resentments and negative feeling toward anyone.
12. Find Your True Voice
When we are kids, we tend to copy everything our parents do, good or bad because we did not learn to discern yet. But, there comes a time in our lives, if you constantly work on yourself, when you can’t cope with some of the voices in your head anymore, you feel like they are not on your good side.
Check out these powerful exercises to discover yourself!
Check out my authenticity worksheet which will help you to discover yourself, your true voice, through powerful questions and exercises. You can download it for FREE as part of the “Marketing & Business Bundle for Creative Entrepreneurs” which you can access here!
That is the moment when you have to stop and ask yourself:
“Do I really believe that?”
“Is this my authentic self?”
“Is this helping me in any way?”
“Do I still want to listen to this voice?”
It’s a not-so-nice (at times) process of letting go the old stuff, but it’s really just preparing you for the better. Remember that you don’t have to do it all by yourself:
ask friends to just listen to you and confront some of the voices
ask your life partner to help you out
see a therapist for a few sessions – it might be the easiest, faster and most effective way of dealing with this.
This is the exact phase I am going through right now, but I trust the process and I believe it’s all for my highest good because I can’t reach the goals that I’ve set up with the past baggage I am carrying right now, so some stuff needs to go.
Conclusion
These are just some ways that will help you live a happier and more balanced life, but will also help you better deal with frustration, disappointment, and lack. It has been researched that we all have a certain level of happiness (or balance if you want) and no matter what happens to us in life, good or unfortunate events, we tend to bounce back to the level of happiness we had before that particular event.
This means that, if we constantly work on our happiness (or balance) level, we will be able to better deal with all kinds of situations and keep a positive attitude toward life at any moment.
A few lessons to remember from this article:
taking a short break once in a while can increase your level of productivity and creativity, so just go on vacation
working with mind maps can develop both sides of your brain which will give you more balance in your everyday life
making time to play regularly will help you experience more joy, which is a high vibration feeling
you are what you eat so start adding, at least, one new organic food to your diet every week
finding your true voice can save you hours of self-sabotage and doubt
throw away old stuff and forgive people (and yourself) so that you can move into a better energy
Hope this article was helpful and opened up your mind to new possibilities. Let me know in the comments below what are the steps you take regularly to make sure you live a balanced life.
This article was first published on PickTheBrain.com – view original here!
There’s no secret to a better life, everyone has access to all the available information these days, especially on the subject of daily success habits, but how many of you can really commit to doing a few of these habits/practices regularly?! What I’ve learned is, that if you want to be successful (and we’re talking long-term – the only success I believe in)you have to change your lifestyle. Where do you start? You start with, as Tony Robbins says, what you do every day. Success is in your daily activities, recently called habits!
In this article I talk about the importance of working to improve your life (self-development) and I give you a list of 17 daily success habits that I’ve actually tested and I still practice every single day.
Why It’s Important To Work on Yourself and Have Daily Success Habits?
Before you get into any new habit or activity, I believe it’s vital to understand why it’s important and how it can actually improve your life. I am a very logic-oriented person and I also want (and like) to know why it’s good to do certain things or adopt certain habits – I can’t just do it “because it’s good for you” or “because the doctor said so” – I always look for the logic and science behind everything (where possible).
As human beings, we don’t like to more forward until we’re pushed, but I really don’t believe this to be true! I believe that we are perfect as we are and that in our purest state we are interested in our self-growth (be it spiritual or not) and we are growing on auto-pilot. And I know you’re thinking this is not your case or your friends’ case or anyone you personally know, but before you judge me for being “unrealistic”, stop for a minute and think if your education as a child was growth-oriented or not.
One of the most important lessons most of us were never thought is to be aware of your life. Awareness is not thought in school (I’m positive enough to believe this will change in the next 50-100 years at the rate we’re currently expanding our consciousness as a planet) and most of our parents did not have the proper education to teach us about self-development (the concept was premature 30-50 years ago).
Please don’t go blaming your parents for not giving you the proper education (remember, we are the captains of our lives!). Instead, acknowledge that your might not be growth-oriented, offer your parents compassion and find actionable ways in which you can change that starting today (hopefully, I got you covered).
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A LIST OF HABITS THAT SOUND GOOD AND I JUST SHARE THEM HERE WITH YOU. THIS IS A LIST OF HABITS THAT I’VE TESTED AND I DO ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS ARTICLE DEALS WITH HOW IT CAN HELP YOU AND OFFERS YOU POSSIBILITIES TO HEAL YOUR LIFE AND FEEL HAPPIER.
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A few reason why it’s important to always work on yourself: body, mind and spirit (soul):
the Universe is ever expanding and moving forward. If the Universe is always moving forward and you’re not doing anything to grow, that means you are actually moving backwards! You cannot stay the same, you’re either expanding or shrinking your consciousness.
it helps you become the man you’ve always dreamed of. We all have dreams, but most of us listened to people that told us that “life kicks in and you cannot achieve your dreams – be realistic!”.F$*k being realistic! Working on improving yourself on a day to day basis will help you become more aware of your strengths, weaknesses and which areas of your life can be improved in order to achieve your dreams.
be more kind – it’s pretty damn hard to be bad, frustrated when you are happy about your life! Trust me, I’ve been on the both sides
become successful
prevent illnesses and disasters – most of us wait until something really bad happens (illness for example) to change a habit, to change their lifestyle. This is how we were thought, but by doing something every day to keep your body, mind and spirit in balance, you will actually avoid a lot of pain!
PRO HABIT TIP
You don’t have to do them daily to become a habit! You make the rules in your own life. You can run daily, but only meditate 4 times/week and do yoga 3 times per week – that’s fine. The important thing is to be persistent and do it every week.
So, here are some ways in which you can improve your life through daily success habits starting right now! Remember that you are your own boss and only you can decide if, after reading the whole article, you will go watch TV or spend 10minutes doing one of these exercises.
17 Daily Success Habits For a Better Life!
1. Get enough sleep!
I know, I know, you’re thinking “who opens up a great habits list with sleep” and that most people tell you to “sleep 4-5h/night and work, work, work”. You can try both of them and see what works for you. However, what I recommend is to get enough sleep if you really want to have creative ideas and be able to deal with all kinds of situations that may arrive in your business or life.
Of course, it’s nice to talk about people that slept 4-5h/night and became successful, but no one tells you the story behind the story: were they really happy, did they feel accomplished, will they do it again? Not many people talk about breakdowns and, because I want to inspire you to be more authentic, I really appreciate those that do. Take Ariana Huffington, for example, who became a sleep evangelist after going through a complete breakdown while working too many hours and ended up in the hospital.
There are, however, certain projects that require you to sleep less in order to finish them (and I really encourage you to take on new challenges and test your limits), but don’t do that for more than 2-3 days in a row if you want to keep your enthusiasm high and have good vibes!
2. Run For 15 Minutes in the Morning
This is one of the most recent habits that I’ve “tested” and I am seeing great results, and because it’s just 15 minutes it’s easier to schedule it in the morning.
I wake up, drink a glass of water to get my inner machine (body) moving and go for a 15-minute run – I am fortunate enough to be able to run along the banks of a river, but no place it’s perfect, just start moving. I always leave 2-3 minutes to just walk at the end of the run – helps to stop the sweating. After that, I hit the shower and prepare my morning shake (more on this below).
Track Your Results!
It will make you feel better to know how much you ran this week, month or even year and I recommend you use some kind of tracking app that will inspire you to keep on running and will also give you insights on how fast you were, how many calories did you burn and all kinds of other statistics. I use Runtastic, but there are other great apps as well – here’s a list of them.
TIP
Do not start before you do a short stretch – nothing too complicated, just move your legs, back and do a few lunges.
Some of the Benefits:
for me, it really helps me get past the morning tiredness
it also helps to start the day with a lot of energy
clears up negative thoughts
get some fresh air (this kinda depends on the area that you run, but the earlier you wake up, the better)
great “me-time” – most of us tend to live crazy busy lives just because they believe “that’s how it is”and forget to have some really important time with themselves. Take advantage of those 15 minutes to build a (better) relationship with yourself!
Of course, it can be for more than 15 minutes – this is just a comfortable place to start. I like to start small (better said, I learned to start small) and work my way up, if I believe the habit brings me joy and happiness.
3. Practice Mindfulness
I started this daily success habits about two years ago, but I have to say that I never kept up with the practice of doing it daily. At one point, I did it for about two full months in a row, but then “life kicked in” and I stopped doing it.
I can say that I kinda meditate every day, but not mindfulness. Some days I practice guided meditations (they just feel easier) or I just sit and connect myself to the universal energies(visualize how energies flow through me from above and below – really cool!), and some days I justdo a short compassion meditation where I picture myself as one with the entire world and visualize how I send positive energy to the whole world.
Here’s a short animated video by Andy @Headspace about how much effort you should put into meditation:
Mindfulness, however, is very powerful and can help you better cope with stress and feel better about your life! Being mindful means to just sit and acknowledge your thoughts and emotions – you don’t have to change anything (maybe that’s why I find it so hard to follow – haha).
TIP
Nothing very interesting will happen – you won’t fly and stuff like that. So the less expectations you have, the better. Being mindful is all about observation and acceptance.
I might add that being mindful is a process of trying to observe your thoughts and emotions without getting involved, a process that never stops because your mind will inevitably wander every now and then and all you have to do is realize that and get back to observing your thoughts. Sounds more simple than it is, especially for a perfectionist like myself.
Recommended Apps:
my number one favorite app is Headspace – it’s something about Andy’s (the founder and the guy that guides you) voice that is so relaxing, calming and comforting and resonates perfectly with me. Even though it’s guided meditation, it guides you to understand and practice mindfulness! I’ve tried lots of others, but so far this one’s my favorite and I’ve even upgraded to the pro version. You can try it out for free for 10 days and see if you resonate with Andy – it’s worth it! They also have some really cool animation videos that perfectly explain what being mindful really means (like the one above and below).
Calm: this is Roswitha’s (my girlfriend) favorite and they offer a wide variety of guided meditations for gratitude, compassion, stress relief and much more. They have a free and paid version.
Holosync: this is on my wishlist. A very powerful meditation app that uses theta waves to induce you in a state of meditation that, they say, it takes years of practice to achieve.
Breathe: they have guided meditations, but you can opt to just have a background sound and do mindfulness. They have a cool feature to “check in” and see how you feel, and based on that they recommend the best guided meditation for your mood.
Omvana: the first meditation app that I’ve ever used and it works like a marketplace (kinda like the app store) where you can purchase (they have free ones as well) guided meditation tracks for anything you can think of and also background sounds. Probably the best feature is their mixer, where you can mix a meditation track with your favorite background music and play with the volumes.
PRO TIP
Try not to judge. And I say “try” for a good reason because in the essence you will always just “try” to judge less and less. You might never get to a point where you will be free of judgment, so all you have to do is accept that you’ve judged again and go on with your meditation.
4. Practice Yoga – Sun Salutation
When I first heard about yoga I thought that there’s no way it can be that effective. Then, a few months ago, I started yoga ritual: sun salutation, and started to really feel the benefits of doing it regularly (couldn’t manage to do it daily, but I do it 3-4 times/week).
The best thing about yoga is that it helps your entire being (body, mind and spirit) feel better:
BODY – because you stretch and release tension. On the long run, it helps you become more flexible as well. It can also help you heal your body because most of the poses are strongly related to a specific organ in your body.
MIND – the breathing during yoga helps release negative thoughts and smoothens the mind – it’s also a kind of mindfulness because you are in the now, in the present moment, focused on your breathing and body.
SOUL – first of all, it helps you build a better relationship with yourself during those few minutes that you do yoga every day. You’ll end up loving yourself more, which is basically a spiritual practice.
How To Do Sun Salutations
I am not an expert so I won’t go into all the explanations on how to do it, please watch the video below or read this article to find out more about how you can start the practice. There are other yoga poses that you can do daily, I just like this one because it’s a sequence that is easy to remember.
PRO TIP
You might find it easier to set 30 minutes for yoga three times per week than to just do it daily for 10 minutes. For me, it works better and I feel less pressured this way.
5. Pray!
I am not a religious person, even though I believe in God/Universe/Source or whatever you’d like to call it/him/her. I believe in my kind of God, one that loves us and helps us, not the one that you have to be afraid of. I believe that God is everywhere around us and I also believe that there’s only God, no evil guy with a fork below us waiting to torture us for eternity. God is in everything – in us, in the flowers, in the animals, in the mountains and everything that is alive in this Universe.
Praying, if done right (there’s no such thing by the way!), can be really powerful and all you need to have is faith! Why I say there’s no such thing as “the right way to pray” is because it really depends on what you BELIEVE! If you believe you’ll get everything you’ve asked for without being specific or without being grateful, you might just get it. I recommend that you start by being grateful for what you already have and ask from a point of gratitude and faith that you will actually receive what you want at the right moment for you.
Asking for What You Want is GOOD!
This takes me to another belief: we are on this planet to be happy, not to sacrifice anything for being happy after we die! You can have everything you’ve dreamed of and God is more than happy to provide everything for you IF you just ASK! God does not judge you for “wanting too much”! Ask whatever makes you happy and feel worthy of it. God really wants us to live in abundance, love and joy – life should be fun!
I stumbled upon this exercise almost a year ago at a mastermind group in US, where Laura from HolisticInitiatives.com explained to me how and why it works.
How it Works?
Every morning (or whatever rule you make), right after you wake up (I guess you can brush your teeth and drink a glass of water – at least that’s what I do) get a sheet of paper and “download” all your thoughts. Write down everything that crosses your mind: from judgments, song lyrics, gratitude logs, resentments, to-dos, fears, doubts, things you appreciate about yourself – EVERYTHING! There’s really no right or wrong here!
When do You Stop?
Some say to aim for three (3) pages and I find it to be too much for me. I’d say to make sure you at least write down a page or so and then start your day.
Why it Works?
It works because it helps you release tension, resentments, negative thoughts, fears, doubts and all the other garbage that you carry every day. This way, your mind will feel more at ease, will become calmer and, in time, you will feel a better sense of peace with yourself and those around you.
Again, by doing it just once you will get zero results!
7. The Evening Reflection Exercise
This is a very powerful exercise that I’ve learned from a therapist a saw about two years ago. It helped me to better understand myself and my actions, but also to see where my life can be improved.
How it Works?
Every evening before you go to sleep, take 5-10 minutes to reflect upon your day and write down what was:
better
worse
the same
different
Look at all areas of your life: emotions, thoughts, events, people, opportunities, etc. Start small with just 2-3 different things at each point and you’ll soon find yourself with lots of other ideas that come to you and you’ll become more aware of your life.
Ideally, you’ll want to evolve into having more things at “better”and “different”, but “worse”and “the same” can give you great insights on what’s not working in your life and will help you take the necessary steps into changing those patterns, habits or things.
8. Go For a Walk
This is one of those daily success habits that ended up becoming a hobby for me. I started going for regular walks about 2 years ago after reading that it can be very beneficial for your mental health. After going for a few walks, it slowly became one of my favorite things to do every day, especially as I enjoy to observe the nature and interesting building and houses – it also works as dream building!
TIP
If you want to be healthy, don’t let a day pass without you leaving the home. As human beings we need the sun, we need oxygen, nature and it’s crucial to go out every day, even just for 10-15 minutes.
Combine Walking With These Activities
listening to your favorite audiobook(I only recommend you listen to self-development ones!)
observing the nature and get some fresh air
mindfulness – focus on your breath and count your steps until 10 and then start over
dream building – it can expose you to different things that you might like to have. It can open up a world of new possibilities and it can help you clarify what you really want! Look for houses, cars, people, clothes, gardens, even businesses or character traits – just observe.
Listening to audiobooks while walking opened up a new world for me where I could learn more while relaxing. This is really the best way that I recommend in which you can digest audiobooks and, if you’ve ever tried to sit and listen to an audiobook, you’ll find this to be true.
If you are feeling sad or depressed, try looking far in the distance – it’s scientifically proven to help you feel better.
9. Keep a Gratitude Journal
I know you’ve heard this being recommended everywhere, but that’s only because this daily success habit is so powerful!
Gratitude works on the principles of the Law of Attraction, like attracts like, this only means that you attract more of what you’re focusing on. If you focus on being grateful for all the awesome things in your life, you’ll end up getting more things to be grateful for. Isn’t that amazing?!
Start by getting a journal (check out my self-development journal for gentlemen) or a notebook and use it just for this exercise. Every day, in the morning or evening, write down just three things, experiences, people, feelings that you’re grateful for. That’s it! Do it daily and you’ll see amazing results in your levels of happiness.
TIP
Set up an alarm on your phone to remind you to do the exercise every day, otherwise you will forget, especially in the beginning.
You can also use apps like “Gratitude!” if you find it easier (they have a built-in reminder), but I recommend the pen and paper.
10. Take a Nap! Seriously.
…and we come to the importance of sleep and being well-rested again. Here’s a fact: I enjoy sleeping and I crave a nap almost every day.
How to Properly Take a Nap?
First of all, let’s get clear on one thing: when I talk about naps, I actually mean power naps, which means that your nap time should be around 20-25 minutes long. No more, nor less than that!
Secondly, rest on your back (place a pillow below your knees to lower the pressure on your lower back) and set the intention of going to sleep by telling yourself that!
Thirdly, there are a few different things you can do while power napping that can seriously improve your resting time:
Start with a few deep breaths – helps to calm the mind, slow down your heart rate and help you relax.
Listen to nature sounds or alpha waves (use Youtube – it’s free!)
Short guided meditation in which you become aware of all your body parts, which will help you to release tension.
Listen to solfeggio frequencies while you sleep.
You will make up refreshed and ready to go on with the rest of your day, even though you’ll feel like you could sleep more. Pinky promise!
TIP
Use a light blanket to cover yourself because your body temperature drops when you sleep/rest.
11. Universe To-Do List
I really hope to surprise you with this one habit because it’s not your average to-do list. I’ve first heard about this from IIN(Institute of Integrative Nutrition) through Roswitha, who studies there to become a health coach, and I’ve seen great results for the two months that I used it daily – let’s say that about 70% of what I wrote became reality and pretty fast!
TIP
After you finish your to-do list, go through it again and find that ONE thing that if you do it, you’ll feel accomplished!
This to-do list is 2 in 1: on the left side you have your regular to-do list and on the right side you have a to-do list for the Universe/God/Source.
What Should You Write on the Universe To-do List?
Anything you can possibly think of! There’s no formula here, just write down what you need and forget about it! After you finish writing both to-do lists, rip off the one for the Universe and trash it. Seriously! You can say out loud or in your mind that “these is not my business, God/Universe will take care of these for me”. All you have to do is believe that it will be taken care of and that everything you wished for will eventually come to life at the right time for you!
TIP
Do this exercise the night before – you’ll sleep better, feel more relaxed and feel more confident about the upcoming day!
PRO TIP
After you’re done, speak your universe to-do list out loud before you throw it away – it’s even more powerful when you hear yourself speak your wishlist.
12. Write Down Your Ideas
This is one of those daily success habits that it’s done only by people who trust themselves and have a high self-esteem. Why? Because the rest will talk themselves out of every great idea or insight that they get with thoughts like “who am I to have such a great idea”, “it will never work for me”, “that’s just stupid”, “I don’t have the knowledge”, etc.
By writing down your ideas, you actually tell your mind “I trust you, give me more”. Don’t believe that you’ll remember it because the sad truth is that so many things cross our mind every day that you’ll have a hard time remembering it the day.
Some ideas will seem weird or crazy or even stupid, but remember that you’re always evolving and a stupid idea today might be a smart/creative idea in a month or six months.
How To Get Organized?
I use Evernote to organize my thoughts in Stacks, Notebooks and Notes. I’ve tried several other apps, but I’ve always gone back to Evernote. There are times when I am in a rush and just open up the iPhone Notes and download my ideas in there. About twice every year, I go through all of them and organize them in Evernote. I find this to be very useful because I have to go through the notes, read them and this helps me remember ideas that will eventually produce new ones.
13. Tapping – Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
Tapping was the first self-development exercise I did in late 2012 when I started on this journey of getting to know myself better and grow all areas of my life. I’ve first learned about EFT from my good friend, Laura, that I’ve mentioned above and I remember skyping with her in order to teach me the basics. Since then, I’ve done it probably more than 1,000 times and it worked like a charm most of the times.
The science behind tapping is pretty simple: it combines Eastern acupressure point (or meridians) with Western psychotherapy to give you the best of both worlds. In other words, it helps you release the negative energy stuck on your meridians (which are energy points in your body discovered more than 5,000 years ago) while helping you re-program your brain through affirmations.
There are more than 15 million people using tapping in the world and there are so many success stories – just google it.
You can start doing it on your own, but if you want fast results I recommend you find someone that was trained for this (google it).
I love this habit so much that I cannot wait to wake up and drink (I actually like to make it thicker and just eat it) my morning shake, right after I run, while watching Seinfeld, Friends, Ellen Show, Jimmy Fallon or a TED talk. I know it’s not the most healthy thing I can do (eating + watching a tv show), but hey – we choose the areas in our lives where we are allowed to cheat!
I am pro mindful eating and I encourage you to do so, but nothing compares to a good laugh in the morning(yes, I only watch videos that make me feel good, laugh or inspire me).
Ideas on What You Can Include in Your Morning Shake:
nuts
almonds
protein powder: whey, soy, peas – depending on your preference
bananas
apples
oranges
cantaloupe
peanut butter
broccoli
beetroot
spinach
macca
moringa powder
spirulina
honey
ice
strawberries
cauliflower
carrots
buckwheat
chia seeds
oatmeal
hemp seeds
anything else that crosses your mind (and it’s eatable)
You’ll be able to create your own recipe after doing it a few times and experiment to see if you like it thicker or not. I just like to mix pretty much everything that I got in the house.
TIP
Always aim for organic products, or at least, GMO-FREE! (not genetically modified).
These are just a part of the daily success habits that I’ve tried over the years, but these seemed to have played the biggest role in my life so far. There are, however, hundreds if not thousands of other habits that you can try and see how they work for you. We are all different, so what works for me, might not work the same for you. Experiment, experiment and experiment again, but always remember that you have to stick to a new habit for at least 2-3 months in order to see some results and conclude if it works for you or not. A journal, where you can track your progress and insights, will help as well, otherwise you might feel like it did not work.
PRO HABIT TIP
If you, for example, you decide to do yoga 3 times/week and you end up Saturday night realizing you haven’t do it at all, you can go ahead and do it 3 times that day, but it won’t be as effective as doing it in 3 different days.
Share your favorite habit below along with your number one reason!
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