12 Daily habits that will transform your life this year
Whenever you want to transform your life this year, look no further—I´ve got you covered! I created this guide with 12 valuable habits that will support you in making this year your happiest year ever. But before you can start turning your life around 180° you need to get answers – more specifically, set some serious goals:
For some, it can be like to get fit and lose weight. Others may want to be more productive, read more, learn a new language, travel more, be more in the present moment, etc. The list goes on and on.
But even if you have no clue what your goals for this year could look like – no worries – the following habits can support you in improving your life even if you haven’t set plans or know what to change this year.
This guide with 12 daily habits that will transform your life this year will support your self-development journey, make it easier to achieve your goals and establish your next steps for success this year.
1. Start your day early
Chances are high that you have already heard about this one many times. Maybe you thought, “Why should I wake up early?” Yes, for what reason? Why is everyone talking about this one so much? And how should this habit have the power to benefit your life?
First and foremost, let me clarify: It´s not about waking up ridiculously early for no reason, but “start your day early” means starting your day earlier than usual.
Why is this habit important?
You need to understand what waking up early means. Get clear about the message you send to the universe with this first intentional act of the day. Every time you wake up early, you say “yes” to your life. It´s a clear message to yourself and the universe that you appreciate this new day and are happy to spend it purposefully.
What do most people do in the morning?
Either they press the snooze button on their alarm whenever they can or wake up solely when they “have” to because work is calling or another appointment. However, the message includes that these people do not want to use the time given to them and prefer to stay asleep.
The question is: What person do you prefer to be? One who may say, “I just want to sleep a little longer” – do you want to be a “no thank you” person to the universe? Would you like this to be your first intentional act of the day?
By waking up early in the morning, you tell the universe you’re ready to start your day, to use your time purposefully and be your most productive and creative today.
You cannot live your life while staying asleep.
Initially, it may be difficult to estimate the true power of waking up early for no one else but you. Making the conclusion that you are worthy of being the main reason why you wake up early every morning and do this solely for yourself is extremely powerful and will transform your life this year.
Because if you decide that from today on, you will wake up every morning for yourself and not for something based in the outer world, you choose yourself. With this simple act, you’ll start to choose yourself over anything else in this world and can create a powerful morning routine and eventually transform your life this year.
2. Get enough sleep
If you want to get up early and get the most out of your day, quality sleep should be one of your priorities. This means it´s best to develop a healthy nighttime routine with habits supporting your sleep quality so that getting up early the next day with a clear mind and lots of energy to master the day ahead will be straightforward.
Why is high-quality sleep crucial?
Many things happen in our bodies and brains during the night while we sleep. For instance, a lack of sleep is linked with many diseases, including mental health issues. Our body is a fantastic machine that can repair itself during the hours we are asleep. Therefore, high-quality sleep is also essential for recharging and feeling energised when we wake up the next day.
3. Drink enough water
Drinking enough water daily is one habit that will transform your life this year and is crucial for a healthy and well-functioning body. Also, when you start drinking enough water (according to your body type and needs) throughout the day, you can support your brain functions. By drinking proper amounts of water, you can get a clear mind and feel super energised.
The topic of healthy water intake is HUGE – it covers millions of blog posts on the internet and uncountable books. Just google “how to drink more water,” and you´ll get almost 3 billion results on Google – that´s insane!
Drinking enough water can be straightforward.
Drinking enough water does not have to be a vast topic and can be very straightforward. You can get your daily dose of fluids from watery vegetables and fruits like melons, peaches, strawberries, cucumbers, salads, tomatoes, etc. These foods have in common that they contain large amounts of water, which is highly digestible because it already comes in the perfect form, enriched with the right amounts of minerals for our bodies to work effectively with.
Also, you can get your daily water intake by drinking plain water. If you don’t like the taste of it, then you could enrich it with lemon, apple cider vinegar or drink herbal teas.
So, let your first action of any new day be to hydrate your body with a glass of water after a night without it. This will help you to transform your life this year!
4. Get your steps in
The main message of this habit is not the moving part (even though we are about to talk about this in the next section), but that you are outside and getting fresh air and, as necessary as that, sunlight.
Most of today’s jobs require a very long period of staying inside. Or to stay inside all day long. Just think about all the office, retail, or industrial jobs. Most of the time, we work in conditions that do not guarantee time spent outside.
When talking about job requirements, most of today´s jobs also require sitting from 9 to 5 straight. But humans have all the requirements for movement—much movement. We are walkers by nature. Hence, sitting for most of our days is not the best way to support your health. This has been discussed throughout the years in many studies. Also, the CDC recommends “move more and sit less.”
Therefore, with today´s work-life balance, it´s crucial to make it an active habit to go outside, and the easiest way is to combine it with some activity like walking.
This way, you can profit from many advantages: You move your body and get sunlight (you need it to produce vitamin D – essential for your health) and fresh air – which is linked with many health benefits.
But how long should you walk per day?
Have you ever heard of the 10.000 steps rule?
This is the magical number when it comes to moderate movement. Many fitness devices and gurus aim for this as their daily goal.
I know, 10k steps seem like an enormous number – especially if you are used to being inactive most of the time. Let me take the pressure off you: It does not matter (at the beginning) if you start with a 5-minute walk or are already comfortable walking for one hour straight. The good news is that you can begin today at whatever fitness level you are currently at.
Let me clarify: Everybody has to start somewhere, and every successful fitness person has started somewhere tiny. It´s not important where you begin, but it’s crucial that you start at all and be consistent from day one. And whenever you decide that you deserve to move your body adequately, be aware that this is an act of self-love.
Make the decision that your body deserves time spent outside and quality time with yourself. Because this is what it is: quality time and some serious steps towards improved overall health. And this is precisely why this habit will transform your life this year.
5. Move your body
Your future self will thank you when you start moving your body more today for your overall health and well-being.
And if you still think that creating a habit of moving your body is far from a necessity, listen to this: Life is not about significant events; it´s all about the small actions we take every day. These small decisions we make daily. This will impact our future fundamentally because all these small actions will count up and eventually change your whole world.
You can start small.
And before you start panicking because I talk about this topic as if the world is going down if you do not move your body enough, you can start small—as small as you wish. Even 5 minutes of active movement daily in the beginning is better than doing nothing.
It´s all about the decisions we make. And if you decide only to move your body for a few minutes today, you set a foundation for much more. Maybe next week, you will be ready to work out for 10 minutes, and the week after, these 10 minutes will eventually be just a warm-up for you, and you want more activity to feel satisfied.
Life can be filled with miracles. But we often cannot recognise them as what they are since they are such small events. And suddenly, one day, we wake up and realise that the goal that was just a dream somewhere in our imagination has finally become a reality.
Always remember: You can be proud of yourself for today’s decision. For a few minutes, you decided to move your body today. And you can be sure – I am proud of you for being that brave.
6. Read one page a day
Books can be a valuable tool for transforming your life this year. You can get lots of helpful information (by picking the right books) for an affordable price through books. In my humble opinion, books are the most excellent and sustainable investment you can make for yourself. Because this way you can learn something new every day. From everywhere around the world, and this is for a low price.
Or better: there are books for everyone at any price range – even free if you borrow them at your local library, for instance.
Another benefit is getting through a book at your own pace. A book will always be there, waiting for you to read; it won´t and cannot go anywhere. The information a book holds within it is stored forever between the pages. Nothing can get lost. You can come back at any time and read the same passage hundreds of times if you want to. This way, you can soak in the information provided in it.
Unfortunately, with the incredible flexibility of a book also comes the struggle and the necessity for making a habit out of it – to find the time. Especially in this fast-living world we are part of.
Therefore, here comes the first habit of this blog post to play. If you wake up just half an hour earlier every morning, you can use this time to read. And if half an hour is too utopian, five minutes earlier will do just fine, since you can usually get through one page within five minutes.
Invest only five minutes in your personal development daily, and you will finish any book.
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7. No phone in the morning and before bedtime
Our phones are always near us, or at least not far away. This is great since it guarantees that we are available 24/7—which is also the cause of the problem. We are available nonstop and can access endless entertainment and information through smartphones.
We can stimulate our brains at any time and as long as we wish with the devices accompanying us throughout the day. Don´t get me wrong – this is simply a magnificent invention. It’s fantastic that we nowadays have all of these opportunities. Information is so easy to get nowadays, and we have millions of online and offline sources to learn something new daily.
But with all of these beneficial things that modern technology and the internet can offer, it´s also tempting to lose ourselves way too quickly in this digital world. We can sometimes lose focus on the things that should be important to us—things like our personal development, healthy habits, self-love, loved ones, dreams, and goals.
Start your day with proper intentions.
Therefore, keep away from your phone and other technical devices to start the day with proper intentions and focus. Focus on yourself, your body, and your mind. Get comfortable with the thoughts inside of you and spend time just by yourself.
Also, in the evening, when you prepare yourself to get into sleep mode. To calm down after you have mastered another day, your phone may not be the best partner to support you in getting into the proper manner. You can get distracted by all the impressions way too quickly.
Another point is that even if it seems fun, scrolling through social media and surfing the internet is stressful. At least for our brains. Endlessly scrolling through your phone can keep your brain active, even if you intend to go to bed soon. This ongoing brain activity can stop you from getting the quality sleep you need and deserve.
Let´s be honest; we get so many impressions from our surroundings throughout the day that when we intend to go to bed, we do not need any new sensations. Trust me on this when I tell you that any further information you could get in the evening through your phone can wait until the next day. Your sleep and well-being are so much more important than being up-to-date.
8. Write down your thoughts in a journal
With everything we experience daily, sometimes our brains are so full of information, thoughts, and scenarios that we do not know how to handle them properly. But there is an easy solution: write down all your thoughts that need a new home in a journal.
Whenever you start writing down your thoughts in a journal, you create a foundation you can work with afterwards. You can then conclude that the problem you thought in the first place was a huge one is not so massive anymore as soon as you directly face it. And eventually, find a solution and solve the problem this way.
This does not mean that you cannot talk about anything that bothers you with anybody anymore. No, not at all. But it means that you can find an outlet for all the thoughts stuck in your head, and also, you can start getting control over whether you want to share a story with others or keep it to yourself. You then can intentionally determine if a story is worth being shared – any story we share holds power.
More often, it´s the focus we decide to set. And if you emphasise problem-solving, you can finally let go of any drama because you will eventually find a solution. Being that confident in your capabilities can transform your life fundamentally.
9. Set boundaries
If you want to transform your life this year and create a life you want to live every day, you must prioritise your needs and boundaries.
Your boundaries start whenever a decision costs you your peace and happiness. If it costs you your identity and inner well-being, this is the moment to say No. This is when you should set healthy boundaries in your life and prioritise your physical and mental health needs.
Because if you betray yourself to serve someone else´s needs and put them over yours – it´s still a betrayal. And you are the one who has to live your whole life with yourself no matter what. There is no such thing as a break up from you. You cannot quit. There is no way out. You go with yourself until the very end, no matter what.
Therefore, your needs matter as much as the needs of others. But it’s too much to ask if serving them costs you your peace. It´s not worth it. When you start feeling miserable because of something unrelated to your reality, you are entitled to choose yourself over anything or anyone else.
You cannot help anyone as long as you feel miserable. As long as you are the one who needs help, you are not helpful to anybody. An injured person can never be the one who saves others. And it´s never shameful to set healthy boundaries.
There is nothing more important than your well-being. Only if you feel content can you share this feeling with others and start being helpful.
10. Do something good for others
How can this habit transform your life this year? Well, let´s talk about this.
If you can show kindness to someone who is not you, this means that there is kindness within yourself first. You can only give something you already have. Think about this for a moment.
When talking about material things, it makes sense immediately. You cannot spend money you do not have in the first place. You can only give an object away if you have possessed it before.
The same applies to feelings and character traits. Before you can start acting them out and showing them to others, you need to have a place within yourself where empathy, kindness, and all other emotions are stored.
Doing something good for others can transform your life this year in many ways. One of them is that being kind to others feels good. It feels fantastic to know that you are the source of another person feeling better. If others feel happier because of you, you may also feel happier instantly.
You can just try it out yourself. Please make your own experiences and give it a try. The next time you have the chance to be kind to someone, do it! Even if it´s just a smile or a few nice words to say to someone. Try to improve their day, and yours will be better, too.
11. Do more homecooking
Another powerful habit for transforming your life this year is home cooking. How come?
Well, many benefits come with cooking your meals at home:
- You can save money
- Make sustainable decisions
- Are involved in the whole cooking process
- You consume fewer calories
- Make healthier nutrition decisions (salt, fat, sugar, etc.)
- Get more connected with food
No matter what your opinion regarding home cooking is. It´s worth a try. And as I already said before, it´s not crucial to what extent you are practising a new habit. It´s only essential that you start at all.
You could start by cooking only one meal at home daily and then go from there and practice this skill further. Getting used to the habit of cooking yourself takes time, as everything else in life does, but at least give it a try.
12. Practice gratitude daily
If you´ve been reading this blog for a while, you´ve probably realised that I write a lot about gratitude—this is the most effective way to feel better (which alone would be reason enough) and do better. And this blog is all about being grateful and living your life gloriously.
For me, gratitude is a learning process. There is no such thing as deciding to be super grateful from day one, and then you’ll be grateful forever. No. It does not work like this (at least for me). Implementing gratitude in your daily experiences starts with tiny baby steps in the right direction. It would be best to appreciate the small daily successes around practising gratitude to reach your ultimate goal in this journey.
Shift your focus.
The learning process starts when you realise that gratitude includes shifting your focus. To be successful, you need to begin to appreciate the small things in life, the tiniest little events, that occur daily and, therefore, give you a chance to be grateful daily.
If you focus solely on the most significant events in life, I agree there could be little to be grateful for. But trust me, friend, if you go into details of every day, you will find things to be thankful for every day and every minute. You can start being so grateful for the most inconspicuous things.
But you need to set a proper focus. And this can only happen with practice. Acknowledging all these miracles the universe provides in your life may be challenging initially. But it will get easier over time and with consistent exercise. Eventually, you will become a pro at being aware of the divine in the small daily things and feel the most grateful you’ve ever done to transform your life this year successfully.
Oh, dear friend, here we are again. Another blog post is about to end, and I´m over the moon that you decided today to read through this freaking long blog post. I hope that with all the words I wrote down for you, you can find what your heart wants to know.
What you do is enough. You are enough.
Before you start the transforming process, please hear me out: no matter your decisions and what you intend to do, be patient with yourself. Your time to shine will come. But it would be best if you were patient. Give yourself the time you deserve to grow so you can eventually start blooming.
Until next time,
Keep evolving into your most glorious self!
