If you continue with the habits you have now, will they get you where you want to go?
Our habits, or daily rituals, will slowly guide our lives toward one end or another. Most people don’t stop to think about this, but it is an important part of guiding your life and being productive.
Good Habits
You are as productive over a long period of time as you are in the habit of being. I am only going to talk about good habits today because, frankly there has been a lot written about bad habits. Here are some habits you might want to develop.
Write Things Down
The mind only has so much space. In order to stay creative, we need to take stuff out of memory and make a hard copy of it so we can think more and better thoughts.
This also prevents the loss of a good thought. Often we get going throughout the day and the demands of life cause us to forget things. Writing down an idea allows us to find it and remember it later much easier. Carry a little notebook with you or keep a note taking app on your smartphone and get in the habit of writing things down.
Do Things Now
Often we put off things unnecessarily. If you have time to do something, get in the habit of doing them right away. Don’t say “It can wait until tomorrow.” Tomorrow will have interruptions and delays and you might not find time for it. Now would be a good time.
Put the Most Important Thing First
If you have something that you really need to or want to get done in a day, get in the habit of doing it first. If this is writing, do it first. If it is working on your game, do it first. If it is calling your mom, do it first (unless it is like 5 AM and she wouldn’t be up yet).
This is often said as “Pay yourself first.” And most people use this phrase when talking about money, but it applies just as well to time. Take the first part of your day for yourself.
Have a Plan
Don’t just start things, take a little bit of time and plan them out. Come up with some clear, actionable steps to get you to the goal first. Once you have these, start immediately.
Make it a habit to plan your day.
Get Moving
It is hard to have the energy to make important decisions, do good work, or change bad habits if you are inactive all the time. Starting the day with a 15 min to 1 hour walk can give you a great boost in energy and helps slowly build fitness over time so that you have a larger reserve of energy to call on.
Keeping your body healthy through working out and eating right will help you have the energy to be productive and successful. Make it a habit to move more every day.
Shape Your Life With Habits
Use some (or all) of these good habits to get you on the course to your life goal.
Now go start good habits and make games.