Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” That old Greek understood how important positive habits are to overcoming adversity and enduring the quest to become a champion. I have learned that champions aren’t just born; champions can be made when they embrace and commit to life-changing positive habits.
Inspired by others, I decided to examine my own habits. I saw how quickly positive habits built strength and resulted in a deeper sense of belief—in myself, in my vision, and even spiritually. This process wasn’t easy at first. I never got into any of the obvious things we think of when we talk about bad habits—drugs, drinking, or smoking—because from an early age I saw what they did to my brother and realized I didn’t want to make those same mistakes. I wasn’t perfect by any stretch (and achieving greatness isn’t about being perfect anyway), but my bad habits were less clear.
It took a lot of time and constant feedback to realize what wasn’t working in my life, and it will be an ongoing journey until the day I die. Over the years, I began adding positive habits and noticed a dramatic change in my results and the way I felt internally as well. Some of these include:
Constantly expressing gratitude
Try a gratitude dance or these daily gratitude practices.
Smiling at as many people as possible
It makes you look better, and not just in pictures.
Going to bed early
It’s just one of the expert-recommended ways to sleep better tonight.
Getting 7 to 8 hours of committed sleep
Those hours are vital to your performance all day long.
Making my bed in the morning
Making my bed in the morning
You’ll thank yourself later. There’s nothing better than getting into a well-made bed at the end of a long day.
Staying organized
It’s a quick and easy way to work clean throughout your day and finally finish that to-do list.
Acknowledging myself and others
Take a moment and recognize the special people in your life—including yourself.
Loving people wherever they are on their personal journey
Share love and you’ll receive it right back.
Eating clean
What you put into your body matters, so follow a clean eating plan to treat your body with respect.
Training my body
Find a workout that’s best for you and fall in love with it.
Saving and investing my money wisely
Invest in your future plans—whatever they may be—by saving money and resources now
Meditating
Yes, even you can meditate. Sync your breath with your mind and calm your heart.
Visualizing my results and creating a game plan
Visualize what you want. Plan for it. Get it.
Respecting others
And I mean, everyone.
Investing in my personal growth
Help yourself accomplish what you want to accomplish by investing in yourself, your education, and your plans.
Preparing before big moments
Whether it’s a job interview or a big presentation, be prepared and put your best foot forward.
Surrounding myself with inspiring people
Get your crew behind you to accomplish what’s possible.
Staying consistent with positive habits can be a challenge. I still go back and forth on them. There have been many times where I was working out intensely and in the best shape of my life, and then for whatever reason, I got off track. Before I knew it, 3 or 4 months would go by, and all of a sudden, I’d find myself exhausted halfway up a flight of stairs! The key to surviving and then thriving after these moments is to not beat yourself up when you do break a habit. Rather, you need to reconnect to your vision to refamiliarize yourself with why it’s important to stay true to your positive habits in the first place.
The tricky part about habits is that any one of them (good or bad), when you look at them individually, doesn’t seem all that critical. It’s when you take them in combination or as a whole that they become incredibly powerful. They can easily and shockingly thwart the same amount of progress that they can create. This is why we admire people with great self-discipline. It’s not because they were born great. It’s because they learned the power of habits and applied that power to create a lifestyle that supports the best version of themselves.
