10 Habits To Level Up My Productivity, Health nd Happiness
1. Early morning workouts
Working out first thing does wonders for your physical and mental health. You build momentum for the rest of the day and avoid having an argument with yourself about exercising later. Plus you jumpstart your metabolism.
2. Clean the kitchen no matter the time
A household of 8 with 3 meals per day creates a lot of dishes. Most nights work doesn't finish until after 9pm. But I have an iron rule to clean the kitchen before going to bed. Invest the time to start the day in a clean environment.
3. Weekly newsletter
I started writing online two years ago and every week I share a newsletter. This has become an important part of my weekly review process. Because it allows me to reflect and become more intentional about my life.
4. Same lunch during the week
I have the same lunch. I used to try and vary it, but once you find food you like, that is quick to make and which provides you with good energy, why mess with it?
5. Daily time in nature
Most of my working time is either spent in front of a screen or in meetings. Often back-to-back. To reset the brain and also our eyes, we must find time to relax and just be present. Nothing beats daily time in nature for that.
6. Embrace adversity
Life is hard. But it is 100x harder when you avoid hardships and try to just cruise along. Embracing hard work, time outdoors when its cold, a nasty workout or other challenge will help you re-program your mind and be at ease when life throws you curveballs.
7. Quality moments with the family
Our loved ones are our top priorities, right? But when life's busy, who suffers most? To avoid that regret I spend quality moments with each of our kids and my wife daily. Best is when we go out exploring together.
8. Plan the night before
Build a positive momentum by spending 5-10mins each night reflecting on the day and intentionally planning out tomorrow. But remember to forgive yourself as even the best planned-out days will not survive contact with the real world.
9. Friction to stop cheap dopamine hits
No matter how good our intentions are, a quick look at social media can often turn into a half hour of wasted time. I have my phone on black & white mode during the day and leave it outside the bedrooms to limit those cheap dopamine hits.
10. Weekly ‘date-walk’
Dating your spouse is mandatory for a healthy and loving relationship. We don't have a babysitter, so we choose to do a 'date-walk' once a week when the kids are in school. Those 60-90mins together have transformed our lives.
