With 2020 wrapping up, it’s time to start thinking about your goals for 2021–another year, another chance to transform your life into the one you have always dreamed of.
The key to any goal is to keep it simple and attainable–don’t overcomplicate it. Adopt habits and build from there. Below I write about five daily habits that will transform your life.
1-Exercise
According to a 2016 report by the WHO, 39% of adults over 18 are overweight. That figure is astounding and disturbing. Being overweight or obese increases your chances of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and many other ailments. It also increases your chances of contracting coronavirus.
While nutrition is also a key factor in weight loss, exercise will aid in achieving weight loss goals. It will also strengthen your heart, lungs, and other muscles.
The keys to making exercise a habit are five-fold-set a specific time, start small, lay out your workout clothes ahead of time, create a workout plan, and keep it fun.
2-Connect with family/friends
According to several studies, social interactions and maintaining a connection with others is what leads to happiness. Our close connection with others keeps us grounded and gives us a feeling of belonging.
The pandemic has made staying connected…difficult, but it is imperative we find ways to maintain our social interactions.
Some easy ways to do this are to schedule regular group chats with friends, zoom or face chat with family, schedule a weekly (socially distanced) coffee date with a friend, or simply make it a goal to text or call at least one friend or family member each day.
3-Learn something new
Setting a goal to learn something new every day can impact your life in many different ways. For instance, it helps to break your normal patterns of thinking and distract you from your worries. Also, learning new things builds confidence and gives you the ability to take on new tasks.
Learning awakens your curiosity, can take you to new and exciting places, and most importantly, empowers you to achieve great things in this life.
4-Read
Have you ever gotten lost in a book? Have you found yourself reading until 3 AM because you just couldn’t put it down? Reading reduces stress by transporting your mind to another world.
Further, reading helps to improve critical thinking skills, memory, and may even protect you against dementia.
A great story requires you to follow different characters, remember plots and subplots, and recall various character backgrounds. These new memories help create new synapses in our brain and strengthen others. Brainpower!
5-Journal
At the end of each day, it is important to reflect on the experiences whether positive or negative. Reflecting on your reaction and feelings helps to bring self-awareness. It also helps you review your daily goals and life vision. Were you on target? Do you need to refocus on another area tomorrow? Do you need to rewrite your goals?
Maintaining a focus on your vision and how you are working to achieve it will ingrain this vision in your subconscious.
Further, journaling has the power to improve your self-esteem and confidence. Each day, write down your successes and what you are grateful for. This will train your brain to focus on these positive aspects, diverting negative thoughts, and ultimately setting you up for success.
Long story short, you are now capturing the hidden gems of your life, memorializing them, and bringing them into focus.
Wrapping Up
There are many different things you can do in this life that will set you up for success, but these five set the foundation. I encourage you all to reflect on your daily habits and adopt those we discussed above. 2021 is just around the corner–let this be your year!