You and I have spent the better part of our lives pursuing success,
but we can’t change this eternal truth: The best things in life are
(nearly) free. Good health, time with loved ones, relaxing with our
pets, and the simple comfort of a cup of coffee at the kitchen table on a
quiet Saturday morning…you don’t need to live in a palace to appreciate
these things. It truly is the little things in life that matter the
most.
There are also many things money can’t buy. For example, some of us
have health issues, due to misfortune or genetics, that can’t be fixed
no matter how much money we throw at them.
Some mornings we get up on
the wrong side of the bed. Murphy’s Law applies to us too. Yes, even JTFBlog readers have struggles.
On those days we must turn to the scientifically proven rituals that
are within our control and guaranteed to improve our well-being.
Here
are 5 habits to do every day for a better life, and none of them cost
more than a few dollars to get started.
1) Give Gratitude
Being grateful should not be limited to Thanksgiving. As The New York Timesreported, “having
gratitude has been linked to better health, sounder sleep, less anxiety
and depression, higher long-term satisfaction with life and kinder
behavior toward others, including romantic partners.”
It’s tempting to let one’s cynical nature reject the idea. I
almost did. I grew up relatively poor on a farm just outside of
Stratford, a small city in Ontario, Canada. We lived frugally, wore
hand-me-down clothes, and clipped coupons for groceries. This upbringing
left me with a scarcity mindset until my early thirties. When I was
first introduced to the concept of gratitude, I was skeptical and wanted
to reject it. But I gave it a try and added daily gratitude journaling
to my habits. It’s become one of the most important parts of my life,
and will add to yours as well.
If you don’t already have a Gratitude Journal start one today. It takes just a few minutes to fill out. You’ll simply list the people,
things, and activities you are grateful for, and the achievements you
made each day. If you are going through any type of health, financial,
or marital struggles, I promise gratitude journaling will give you the
right perspective on life.
2) Meditate for Minutes
How much would you pay for a pill that promises less
anxiety, more focus, improved patience, greater creativity, and a better
memory, all without side effects?
All of these benefits are freely
available to you through meditation.
It does not take long, nor is it difficult to experience
the benefits. As little as a minute of slow, deep breathing calms you
down and lowers blood pressure, and just a few minutes per day delivers
an incredible return on investment. Click here for a 3-minute meditation program.
Admittedly, it’s not an easy habit to keep. I started and
stopped several times before finally making meditation a daily habit in
2013 and it’s now been almost 1,000 days in a row I’ve meditated for at
least 5 minutes. The secret is to effortlessly incorporate it into your
daily routine, and that will likely mean doing it within the first
thirty minutes of waking up.
Sit comfortably, either in a chair or on the floor (with
your hips elevated on cushions to make it comfortable). Bend your arms,
palms up, touch your index finger to your thumb, close your eyes, and
breathe slow and deep. It’s okay if your mind races. If that happens,
return your focus to your breathing.
When I began meditating, I counted
the number of breaths, and tried to do one more breath each day. Do
whatever it takes to get started, and eventually you’ll come to love the
internal benefits of feeling calm and being better able to control your
emotions.
Start with just a minute for the first few days. If you can
go longer, that’s fine. Next week aim for two minutes. Build up to at
least five minutes, and preferably 15-20 minutes per day. It will make a
world of difference in your physical and mental health…for free.
3) Write a Thank You Card to Someone Every Day
My father, whom I loved dearly, was a bitter, jealous man, and I’ve
fought all my life to escape the shadow of his demons. Two summers ago I
found myself jealous over the success of a good friend. Feeling ashamed
of these thoughts, I decided to turn bitter into better. Instead of
envying my friend, I wrote him a note thanking him for being an industry
leader and congratulating him on his success.
Writing the thank you card was a big mental breakthrough.
It lifted a burden of guilt from my heart. A big smile crossed my face
as I dropped it in the mail knowing it would arrive as a surprise. Now I
write a thank you note every day because this little act of
appreciation has made a big difference in my life.
4) The 3 E’s: Exercise, Eat Right, & be Early to Rise
We are incredibly fortunate to eat whatever and wherever we want. One
of the greatest meals I ever had was a rich, five course lunch at the
Antinori winery in Tuscany. But tempting as it might be, we can’t eat
like that everyday. It’s fine to enjoy one or two meals of your favorite
food and drink in moderate amounts each week, but history proves a rich
diet is a recipe for gout, diabetes, and an early death. Fortunately,
we have the opportunity to eat delicious meals made from nutrient dense,
organic foods.
When it comes to exercise, you don’t need a $5,000 treadmill or
$2,500 weight machine set-up in a dedicated home gym. You’ll look and
feel better – and younger – from a simple program of walking and body weight exercises.
Finally, it pays to be Early To Rise. My longtime mentor
and ETR’s founder, Mark Ford, shared one simple tip for giving me more
energy. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. When I took
Mark’s advice on this, after ignoring him for years, it was like finding
the missing piece of my daily energy puzzle. Gone were the 2 o’clock
energy slumps, the Monday morning blahs, and the desire to hit the
snooze alarm. It’s so simple, yet so effective.
5) Think Big
You don’t have to be told this twice. As an ETR reader, you’re
already successful, and you’ve been thinking big since the day you were
born. But there are benefits to formalizing your big thinking.
James Altucher, best selling author of Choose Yourself,
suggests writing down 10 big ideas every morning. I recommend doing
this before or after your morning meditation session. All you need is a
journal and a pen. Add this exercise to your day to ward off the
complacency that might be creeping into your life. It will help you make
big breakthroughs on any problems in your business and personal life.
These five activities remind me of my great fortune every day, give
me the energy and enthusiasm to keep on pushing on during trying times,
and form the foundation of my spiritual and physical wellbeing. I am a
lucky man, fortunate to count you as a friend and to have had success in
business, and these five habits remind me of that everyday. Add them to
your daily routine and I know you’ll get as much from them as I do.
Response Magic 
