What was your life-changing moment?
I used to think that life-changing moments would come during significant events like starting college, a new job, or moving to a new city. But in hindsight, I’ve realized that the real game-changer is the little things I do every day – my habits.
From my daily routine, like when I wake up, to what I eat and how often I exercise, all these small actions add up to shape my life and determine my daily focus.
These daily habits make the difference between a purposeful life and just going with the flow. The best part is that it’s not all that difficult to change your life. For me, all the good habits I have today started with just one.
The First Good Habit
When I was younger, I was the skinniest kid in my class. In high school, I weighed just 50 pounds, and even in college, my weight didn’t change much. I had to wear loose clothes, and I never felt confident enough to go shirtless. I lacked energy and motivation.
During high school, I made a few attempts to hit the gym during summer breaks, but it always played out the same way. I’d start strong, but then life got in the way, and I’d end up quitting the gym after a couple of weeks.
However, during the process of forming good habits, I realized that not all habits succeed on the first try. It’s normal to face setbacks. The key is to figure out why it didn’t work and give it another shot.
So, fast forward a few years, when I was working and didn’t have the luxury of long summer breaks, I decided to give the gym another shot. I got up early, put on my sneakers, brought a water bottle, and hit the gym every day.
From that moment, it went from a week to a month. After one month, I started noticing small changes. After three months, I had gained 10 pounds, felt healthier, and began to see some muscles. Most importantly, I had more energy than ever before.
The other habits
What made the gym habit truly life-changing was how it affected other good habits. With regular workouts, I began to pay attention to my diet, ate healthier, stayed hydrated, took vitamins, and gave up bad habits like drinking and smoking.
Within six months, I had gained over 10 pounds, reaching 132 pounds, and making it easier to fit into clothes. For the first time, I was proud of my body. Improved confidence made it easier to connect with others and build new relationships.
These results inspired me to keep improving myself. I started reading, learning new skills, and writing. I devoted more time to habits I believed would help me achieve long-term goals.
Looking back, the person I am today is the result of a habit I started two years ago.
Thinking small
Starting a new habit can be tough; it takes time and self-discipline to keep it up. However, once a habit sticks for a while, it becomes second nature. You don’t really think about it anymore because it’s a part of you, and that’s when it’s a real habit.
Every day it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day. That’s the hard part. But it does get easier.
BoJack Horseman
I love setting big goals, but I’ve realized that to achieve them, you need to change the small things you do every day.
When starting a new habit, I often ask myself, “What can I change today that, if I keep at it for a year, will get me closer to my goals?”
Time and energy are limited, so it’s essential to focus on things that will give you the best results for what you want.
Because success is, in fact, a habit.
