How To Form Good Habits In 2019:

We all want to create better habits in the new year.

Unfortunately, for most, we never put in the work to make those habits a reality.

We hope that by wishing these things into existence that they will happen for us.

Going to the gym, eating healthy, creating content. These are things that most of my readers want to do.

We can not talk our way into having these good habits. They can only be accomplished by taking massive action.

Reality:

How many more “new years” are going to go by without you achieving the goals that you set?

When are we going to stop “talking about” our goals and act on them?

How do we take action to make sure we are living our best life?

For myself, I want to lose weight and increase my happiness. I want to make sure I am consistent with my exercise routine. My phone needs less scrolling social media and more gaining knowledge through books. People in my life need to understand when I say No to them it is because I want to work on my own personal projects.

These things above and more I have been saying for years. How can I finally make these goals a reality?

The answer is all in habits. Things that I can do every day and check off that will get me closer to these goals.

Listed below are the things that I will be doing on a daily basis to achieve this in 2019. It’s a New Year. I am finished with talking about goals. It is time to start actually doing them.

1% Better Every Day:

Taking small actions add up over the course of a year. Focus on small, achievable habits that will compound over time.

Too many times I have not gotten something done because I was focusing on too much.

I wrote about this in my article Reading: How To Create More Content Through Learning 

Instead of trying to read more and not getting any reading done, try to read one chapter a day from a book.

We want to accomplish big things in a year, but it’s the small habits that will get us there.

The best way to get started with something is to start small. Once we get the ball rolling is when we can start to build.

Set Up Sign Posts:

The best way to hold yourself accountable with your goals is to set up signposts.

Let’s go back to reading. In my article, I said that I keep the apps I want to use on my first screen. The apps I use too much (social media) are on other pages. This way, when I open my phone I have my Kindle, Bible, and Comic apps right in front of me.

It helps me to open one of those and get some reading done rather than scrolling mindlessly on social media.

I also have my daily To-Do list app on my front screen (TickTick). By having that on the first page of my phone, I know that there are tasks that need to get done and I check it often.

Prepare:

It has been said for years that if you want to go to the gym in the morning, to lay out your workout clothes the night before.

This can be used for a multitude of different goals we set.

Do you want to read more? Have the books in front of you.

Want to stop social media consumption? Move those apps to a different screen or delete them entirely.

Trying to increase your happiness? Have your meditation app right in front of you.

Creating better habits is all about preparation. It comes down to having systems in place that make the decisions easy to execute on.

Adding On To Existing Good Habits:

In 2018, I decided to start streaming again. One of the biggest components of growing your channel is to network. This means, going out of your way to, not only, make friends but to help people.

I have always put helping people high on my list of priorities. When I started to meet people through streaming, I had countless opportunities to help.

The help came in the form of diversifying content creation. I had already been blogging, doing YouTube, and podcasting. So when someone came to me and asked about how to make more content, I had answers for them.

I already had good habits of understanding how to take one piece of content and use it across multiple platforms. The fact that I added helping fellow content creators to that habit not only helped me understand more about what I was doing but how to help others as well.

Eliminate Toxic People:

“You are the average of the 5 people you surround yourself with.”

We hear this over and over in this space. The reason being is, at least for me, its true.

In 2018, I met so many other content creators. Watching them work and grow lit a fire under me to do more.

If you want to grow on a platform, find people with similar interests as yourself.

Spend your time around the people that inspire you. Try to find someone that you look up to and don’t be afraid to ask for advice.

Also, find friends that hold you accountable for your habits. If you say something and don’t do it you will feel bad because you, not only, let yourself down but others as well.

Break Out Of Your Comfort Zone:

In 2018, I decided to try the OMAD (One Meal A Day) Diet. I started in December and (so far) have lost 12lbs.

Fasting is a habit I have been doing for a while now.

The problem is I am a binge eater. I could be doing great with the fasting, but one piece of food, no matter how small, will put me in a tailspin of bingeing.

Instead of trying to fast for 16 hours, I decided I would fast as long as possible and eat at the end of the day.

You see, when I am fasting, I can control my eating habits.

I thought to myself, “If I could not eat until I got home and my work finished, there wouldn’t be any room to binge eat. I could get all my calories in one meal and be satiated until bedtime.”

So I tried it and so far it has worked like a charm.

I count my calories and make sure I am hitting my macros while being in a calorie deficit.

I had a good habit that I was periodically sabotaging and turned it into a great habit.

It took some convincing to break out of that comfort zone, but, once I did, the benefits have been mindblowing.

Make Habits Fun:

There is no better feeling I get than ticking off my To-Do List.

The trick is I put any and everything into my TickTick app on my phone.

When you could get home and check off a bunch of items on your todo list, you get that dopamine fix.

It doesn’t matter how big or small, just get something done.

The fun part is to log EVERYTHING. This way you are getting that feeling of accomplishment for even the most minuscule tanks.

Meditated that day? Check it off.

Ate healthily? Check it off.

Got some cleaning done around the house? Check it off.

Its all about the small victories that lead to big-time success over the course of a year. Log everything down and you will feel incredible at the end of every week. Not to mention, you are making habits fun.

Develop Systems:

Create systems for your day. Develop habits that, no matter what, set you up for success throughout your day.

I have many systems in place.

My alarm goes off at 5 am? I go to the gym.

If I park my car for work 15 minutes before I go in? I create a podcast or, if it’s already recorded, meditate.

When I get home I sit down at my computer and write.

All of these things are automatic for me. I set myself up to get things done. The time slots and tasks are already chosen for my day before I wake up.

The only thing I need to do is to go through my daily routine to signal my brain to activate the system for that task.

Check out where you have free time and set up a system in place to get more done.

Life Happens:

If one day something comes up where I can’t take action on one of my systems, I throw it out for that day.

I could pull up to work late and have to go in immediately. That means no meditation or podcast for that day.

My alarm could go off later than 5 am. No gym for that day.

The thing is I don’t beat myself because I know I crush it every chance I get.

If something happens in my life where I can’t get something done, it’s on to the next one.

The trick is to not let it discourage you to take action the next day. Another thing is to execute on the rest of your systems you have set up.

Just because I don’t get to the gym doesn’t mean I can eat like crap. If I don’t meditate it doesn’t mean I am going to be miserable for the rest of the day.

When life happens, deal with it and execute on the things that you can.

Do Not Let Outside Sources Determine Your Execution:

When I wake up the first thing I want to do is check my phone.

The problem with this is that it is detrimental to my success.

When I open Twitter and see all this negativity, it is not a good start to my day.

In 2019, I had to start minimizing my consumption of crap.

Instead of opening social media, I open a book.

On my commute to work, I use Audible to listen to an Amazon Best Seller in Non-Fiction.

My podcast list had to be dwindled down to only the ones that help me in my life.

I only have so much time in my day to give attention. The habit of making sure it is going to the right places has helped me a ton in the new year.

We can get so caught up in nonsense it is ridiculous.

Not only does focusing on creating and not consuming increase my output, but it also allows me to focus on the main problem – myself.

There are many things I can focus on in the day that will improve my life. I do not need to have that time sunk into things that don’t move me towards my goals.

Live Up To Your Own Expectations:

We all have expectations.

The problem is that most of us don’t live up to them.

If we want to have better habits in 2019, it is time to start putting in the work towards those expectations.

We are not setting up our own goals and boundaries to just let them pass. They are being set up for us to succeed.

Take the time NOW to set up the identity that you want in the new year and, under no circumstances, not live up to that.

• If you are a content creator than create content
• If you write then you should be writing
• Hitting the gym and eating right is a lifestyle, stick to something that is doable long term

Set up habits that propel you to meet the expectations you have set in place.

The key here is to make sure the expectations are achievable and not far out.

Burnout will only happen when we set up expectations that are too far outside our abilities.

Look in the mirror, set up an identity, and execute towards that new identity every day.

It’s Not About The Tools But The Execution:

I talk to so many people that won’t start because they feel they do not have the tools to execute properly.

Content Creators think it is the gear that got people to where they are. This could not be further from the truth.

We create because it is a burning passion within us. The message will always be more important than how we deliver it.

When I talk to creators, I get scared. People tell me how all the stars and planets must align perfectly in order to just start.

They are making more work for themselves before they have even created anything!

Within seconds, I understand why they have never gotten their projects off the ground.

When I create, besides the message I am delivering, my checklist is very small. The content has to get out there while maintaining my busy and hectic life. Not to mention, I need to minimize the background work to prevent burnout.

The reason I develop all of these systems is to make sure the content gets out regardless of outside circumstances!

We hear this all the time but it is true: Start small! The momentum will yield results and you will get so much more done.

There Will Be Hard Times:

You will not be perfect at all times. The process of developing and maintaining new habits is hard.

On some days, you won’t read, you won’t create, or you won’t get to the gym.

I am here to tell you that that is OK. You are not a failure because you went off the plan for a day.

If you mess up your systems one day, don’t worry about it. The trick is to make sure you get back on the horse the very next second you can.

Deviating from the plan happens. What will make sure your new year is successful is not turning minor failures into major ones.

Messing up is actually part of the plan. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and continue taking action on the habits you have set for yourself.

If it helps, come back and reread all the examples I have laid out for you here in this article.

Perfection is the enemy of progress. Do not let it derail all the work you have already put in.

Conclusion:

The new year is here! It is time to start taking action on all the habits you want to cultivate.

You may not hit every goal you set out to do but what is the alternative? Not making any progress towards anything? Waiting for a whole nother year to get started?

We are adults here. It is time to start making progress towards the life we want. The road is going to be hard but we are more than ready to conquer the year.

Let’s get it!

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