Discover how to achieve your goals by mastering the art of consistency. Learn actionable steps to transform your habits and reach success.

Discover three proven strategies busy people use to create healthy habits that stick. Learn how to identify your deeper motivations, track your progress effectively, and leverage existing habits to build new ones. These actionable tips can help you achieve your health goals and transform your life.

Are you tired of setting ambitious goals, only to lose momentum and watch them slip away? As someone always striving to optimize and achieve more, I know how frustrating it can be to feel like you're spinning your wheels.  After countless experiments and iterations, I discovered a system that has been an absolute game-changer for me. Combining the power of ChatGPT for high-level strategic planning. With the tangible accountability of a physical planner like the Self Journal. In this guide, I'll walk you through exactly how to leverage this tool stack to gain clarity on your goals. And break them down into actionable steps to stay focused and motivated every day. By the end of this article, you'll have a proven framework for achieving even your most ambitious dreams with consistency and ease. The Power of the ChatGPT + Self Journal Stack Before diving into the nitty-gritty of implementation, let's understand why this tool combo is so effective. As someone who's struggled with the breaking down of big goals, ChatGPT is a game changer. It's like having an intelligent, strategic planning partner available on demand, 24/7. By speaking with AI like a goal coach, you can gain clarity on your big-picture goals and why they are important. From there you can break them down into manageable steps, and even generate creative solutions to challenges along the way. But here's the rub: while ChatGPT is incredible for high-level strategizing, it can become a distraction too. It's easy to get lost in a sea of ideas and possibilities without ever taking tangible action. That's where the Self Journal comes in. By putting your plan into a tangible, paper-based format, you create a physical level of commitment and accountability. It's not an app that you close down and forget about, but a journal right in front of your each day to keep you on track. Not to mention that the act of writing down your goals is scientifically proven to be more effective. Writing down and seeing action items forges a deeper connection to your goal. Defining What Matters Most Before jumping into AI, you need to get clarity on what you want. Your big goals should align with your core values and long-term vision, ensuring that you're investing your time and energy into pursuits that bring genuine fulfillment and purpose to your life. Take a moment to sit with yourself and explore the deeper motivations behind your goals. Ask yourself questions like: What do I want to achieve, and why is it significant to me? How will accomplishing these goals impact my life and the lives of those around me? What values do these goals represent, and how do they contribute to my overall sense of purpose? By gaining clarity on the underlying drivers of your goals, you'll be better equipped to stay committed and motivated throughout the journey, even when faced with challenges or setbacks. Remember, your goals should inspire and energize you, not feel like a burden or obligation. Braindump the big goal This is where I describe the end state I want to reach and have ChatGPT break it down into key milestones and components. This clarifies what's actually involved.For example, let's say your big goal is to write and publish a book. You might start by saying something like, "I want to write a non-fiction book on productivity hacks for entrepreneurs. Can you help me break this down into manageable steps?" ChatGPT will then generate a list of key tasks and milestones, such as ideating your book concept, outlining your chapters, setting a daily writing goal, researching your topic, drafting your manuscript, and so on. Refine the plan with follow-up prompts One of the most powerful aspects of ChatGPT is its ability to engage in a back-and-forth dialogue. So as you review the initial list of steps, think critically about any areas that need more clarification or specificity. Ask follow-up questions like, "What are some best practices for outlining a non-fiction book?" or "How can I stay motivated and accountable to my daily writing goal?" The more you iterate and refine your plan with ChatGPT, the more clarity and confidence you'll have as you move into execution mode.By the end of this strategic planning session, you should have a clear, comprehensive roadmap for achieving your goal, broken down into specific, measurable action items. Making it Real with the Self Journal  Now that you have a crafted strategic plan courtesy of ChatGPT, it's time to bring it into the physical realm. This is where the rubber meets the road - where you'll transform those high-level ideas into tangible, daily actions in your Self Journal.Start by setting aside some dedicated time to sit down with your Self Journal and your goal roadmap. Transfer you action items and milestones into your Self Journal. Breaking them down into specific, manageable tasks that you can do on a daily and weekly basis.  For example, if one of your milestones is to write a book outline, you might break that down into smaller tasks like: Brainstorm potential chapter topics (30 minutes) Organize chapter topics into a logical flow (1 hour) Write a 1-2 sentence summary of each chapter (2 hours) But the benefits of using a physical planner go even deeper. As you work through your daily and weekly tasks, you'll be able to see your progress unfolding in real-time. Each completed action item gives  you momentum and motivation, keeping you engaged with your goal. When (not if) you encounter challenges or setbacks along the way (you will), your Self Journal becomes a valuable tool for reflection. Putting it All Together: Your Daily Goal-Crushing Routine  Now that you understand the power of the ChatGPT + Self Journal stack, let's integrate it into your daily routine. Here's a simple, step-by-step framework that I've found to be effective: Start each week by revisiting your ChatGPT-generated master plan. Take a few minutes to review your overall roadmap and identify the key milestones and action items you want to focus on in the coming days. Transfer those priority tasks into your Self Journal Breaking them down into specific, manageable steps that you can accomplish each day. Be sure to allocate your actions realistically based on your current schedule and commitments. Each morning, write down your top 3 priority tasks These should be the actions that will move you closest to your goal, even if they feel challenging or outside your comfort zone. Keep track of your day As you work through your day, use your Self Journal as a grounding tool to keep you focused and on track. Write down in your timeline what you're working on and when you get off-track. Whenever you feel yourself getting distracted or overwhelmed, return to your Self Journal. Then re-commit to your next small action. Daily reflection At the end of each day, take a few minutes to reflect on your progress. Celebrate your wins, no matter how small. Use your Self Journal to record any insights, challenges, or breakthroughs you encountered, and consider how you can apply those lessons to the next day's efforts. Stay consistent Rinse and repeat, day after day and week after week. As you continue to leverage the power of ChatGPT and your Self Journal in tandem, you'll be amazed at how much momentum and progress you can create towards your goals. Of course, no productivity system is complete without a healthy dose of flexibility. There will be days when life gets in the way. When you fall short of your intended progress, or when you need to pivot your plan altogether. That's not only okay - it's a  normal and necessary part of the growth process.  The key is to use your ChatGPT + Self Journal stack as a tool for adaptation and resilience. Lean on the AI to help you troubleshoot challenges and brainstorm new solutions. Use your physical planner as a space for honest reflection and recommitment. And above all, trust in your own capacity for growth and achievement, even in the face of setbacks. One final note: while the ChatGPT + Self Journal stack is a powerful tool for goal achievement. It's important to remember that no productivity system is a silver bullet.  The key to success lies not the tool or technique, but in your own commitment, consistency, and willingness to show up each day. But when leveraged with intention and discipline, this stack can be an invaluable ally in your journey. A way to supercharge your focus, motivation, and progress towards your most ambitious goals.

Life is full of twists and turns and ups and downs. But it’s reassuring to know that we have the power to switch on our own joy.  Even on the busiest of days, there’s always an opportunity to make space to feel good.  The secret is to make time to indulge yourself.  Give yourself permission to focus on self-care, put yourself first, and make time for what makes you happy. This involves cultivating the mindset that empowers you to drop the ‘shoulds’ and the ‘musts’ and push off any guilt so you can make a little more time for the things that light you up.  The upside is so worth it.  If you’re able to switch on happiness, not only do you feel elevated emotions, but you’ll also empower yourself to ride the wave of productivity, creativity, and optimism that follows.  So how can you make happiness a regular occurrence?  The secret is two-fold.  1. Discover what brings you joy. 2. Embody the habits that make you happy Let’s explore this two-part puzzle in more detail.   What brings you joy? It sounds obvious, but if you want to feel happier, first spend some time figuring out what brings you joy.  Here’s the secret… You don’t have to reinvent your entire life, and you don’t need a big budget either. Instead, put together a list of go-to activities and moments that make you feel good in your skin and switch on all the feel-good vibes. For example, your plan might include:  • Reading• Meditation• Yoga• Self-education• Practicing gratitude• Walking barefoot on the beach• Wild swimming• Having a massage, a facial, or a mani-pedi• Driving out somewhere• A long, leisurely cup of coffee• A lie-in• A Netflix binge • Mini-break or an overnight stay• Watching a great movie• A hug• Cooking a delicious meal from scratch• Writing• Dancing• Playing a game• Crafting• An in-depth conversation with someone you care about - Deeper Talk can help• Listening to a great podcast [quick plug! We recommend Writing Your Best Self!!]   The secret is to discover what brings you joy. Make your happiness a habit  With your list complete, it’s time to figure out how you’ll weave more of the things you love into your life. It’s tempting to say that you don’t have time - and you’d be right. We all live hectic, busy lives after all. But here’s the thing; your happiness doesn’t depend on your amount of spare time. Instead, it’s all about the way you allocate your hours.  In other words, with the right planning strategies, you can mastermind your day [and therefore your life] to evoke more everyday joy. Here’s how…  Choose your non-negotiables.  A non-negotiable is something that you do regardless.  It’s an activity that’s such an ingrained part of your identity that you figure out a way to make it happen - even if the odds are stacked against you.  When it comes to your happiness, pick a selection of activities that you’ll make your non-negotiables.  Consider picking activities for different timescales. For example: • Daily habits: You might switch on happiness with a great book, practicing gratitude, and taking a walk in nature.  • Weekly habits: You might designate Sunday mornings as your lie in time - fuelled by an incredible cup of coffee • Monthly habits: Treat yourself to a monthly massage or an overnight stay somewhere so you can explore a new place Use your schedule What gets scheduled gets done.  If you leave your happiness habits to chance, the likelihood is they won’t happen. Instead, something else will swallow up your time, and you’ll be left feeling frustrated with lower happiness levels than you needed to settle for.  Your Self Journal is the perfect place to ensure you make time for the things that bring you joy.  Schedule your happiness habits with the same rigor and commitment as you would a client presentation, work deadline, or other appointments. Block out time in your day to make space for the things that make you feel good and allow other commitments to fit around your non-negotiables.  Let go of the belief that you don’t have enough time because chances are you will!  After all, how much time do you waste through procrastination when you’re feeling demotivated or bored?  When you infuse more of what you love into your day, don’t be surprised if your creativity and productivity soar. When your cup is full, it’s a lot easier to pack more into your life without depleting your energy. Drop the guilt A lot of us were raised on the belief that hard work leads to success. It’s one of the reasons we can feel guilty for taking time out and making space for the things that bring us joy.  Here’s the thing… If you allow guilt to tinge your happiness habits, they won’t feel as good.  What’s more, if you’re feeling your best, then it’s going to be a lot easier for you to perform at the top of your game. If you have a hard time making time for you, it’s time to change the story.  Make time for happiness, and pretty soon, it could become your secret effectiveness weapon!  Reflect on your success Reflection is a proven way to learn from your efforts so you can tweak and improve going forward. Your Self Journal has a weekly review page where you can reflect on your week as well as take some decisions about how you’ll make the next week as good - or even better.  Use this space to understand the difference your happiness habits are making to your mental and emotional well-being.  • Do you include the right habits - or do you need to swap in something else? • Are you making time for the things you love? • What difference is your happiness time making to you and your life?  When you see a progression, it’s a lot easier to inspire yourself to keep on moving forward.  Keep yourself accountable Finally, ask yourself how you’re going to make your happiness habits stick.  One way is to use a habit tracker. Simply check off each day to create a winning streak. Before long, your streak will create a chain that will be more painful to break than you get the habit done.  You can discover more accountability suggestions when you listen to how to stay accountable to yourself and your goals. “Happiness is a direction, not a place.” — Sydney J. Harris Happiness is something we create - it’s not something that we obtain.  It’s also a feeling that fuels the good life - which is why we all crave it.  So don’t leave your happiness to chance. Instead, make your happiness a habit with the help of this simple five-step plan. I wonder how your life will evolve as a result.

“We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?” - Steve Jobs There’s something beautiful and powerful about knowing your life has touched another’s in a positive way that makes us feel good. Knowing you've made an impact makes you feel valuable. It gives your life a bigger context that extends beyond you alone. It elevates feelings of connection because through impact we remember how we’re all connected and not alone.  The impact you make doesn’t need to be huge for it to matter. You might impact lives by starting a non-profit or by creating a product that transforms how people live.  But equally important is the conversation you have with someone who’s hit their limit. Or the mentorship you give to a rising star who benefits hugely from your influence.  What’s more, your impact creates a ripple effect that spreads out into the world in ways you can’t imagine or predict.  What might the person you’ve helped do for someone else?  It’s a mystery of life and a reminder that no act is too small to be significant.  So how do you maximize your chances of making an impact in the way that you want?  These ten mindsets are a great place to start.  Let’s dive in! 1. Love yourself  People aren’t only touched by what you do. They are moved by who you are and how you make them feel.  People respond to your energy and your vibe, which is why impact gets amplified by your level of self-love. There’s a correlation. The more you appreciate who you are, the less you’ll doubt your instincts - which means there’s an increased likelihood that you’ll follow through on your impact idea. So do what you can to cultivate self-trust. You’ll find it’s a lot easier to follow your heart with confidence when you’re sure you’re taking the right action.  There are plenty of ways to increase self-love.  Journaling is a great place to dive deep into the inner work and boost your self-awareness. A gratitude practice will inspire a positive mindset and switch on optimism. Have a play to see what methods work for you. 2. Expand your comfort zone Making an impact isn’t always easy. Chances are you’ll face your fears and take on new challenges. But that’s part of the magic of making your mark. In the process of inspiring others, you’ll also discover that you can do more than you ever imagined possible.  In the process, you realize you’re more influential than you thought previously.  So be brave and lean into courage.  Learn to find comfort inside the discomfort and enjoy discovering how powerful you are.  3. Go the extra mile The extra mile is ridiculously under crowded. Most people stop just before they reach the area where another step can make all the difference.  What could you do beyond the point where others stop trying or give up to make a difference?  4. Serve others  Any time you help someone out, you make an impact.  Whether you do a random act of kindness or volunteer for a charity, every act of service makes a difference in the world. Not only that, but every time you contribute, you feel good too!    5. Share your story Change starts with you.  Anytime you lead or reveal possibilities, there will be others who feel inspired by your actions and want to get involved too.   So lead the way. You never know who you’ll inspire when you choose to go first.  Share your stories, speak from your heart, and express your truth. Leverage your life experiences as examples to show others what’s possible.  It’s a beautiful way to make an impact.  6. Make a stand for the things you believe in Your voice has insane power. If you can articulate your beliefs and values in an empowered way, you can have a lot of influence - and even ignite change.  And don’t think a single voice can’t do much.  Just look at people like Greta Thunberg and Rosa Parks, and you can see the far-reaching impact that one individual can make.  Speak out and advocate for the causes you believe in.  Be the example and spark thought-provoking conversations that get others thinking. Who knows where your voice could lead.  7. Check your balance between creating and consuming We’re in the information age where information is virtually infinite.  There’s barely any room for boredom these days because entertainment and conversation are at our fingertips [literally]. There is a negative side to this entertainment on tap. If we’re not mindful, we can quickly lose ourselves in the internet abyss - emerging hours later wondering what we actually achieved.  If you spend all your time consuming, there’s less space and scope for your ideas.  So find the right balance.  Make room to get inspired with your own creativity. Get into writing, poetry, dance, painting, crafts - whatever gets you excited. Art touches people in beautiful ways. How could you impact others with your unique expression?  8. Give compliments As humans, we all long to be seen and heard for who we really are.  Don’t underestimate the impact that a well-timed, specific compliment can make on another individual. Compliments work because they show that you’ve noticed something valuable and beautiful in another person. They allow others to feel acknowledged and noticed.  • Tell your VA how much you value what they do for you.• Tell your child how great they are at hugging and smiling.• Tell your boss their leadership inspires you. Go the extra mile by being specific instead of vague. Specificity feels entirely different to receive.  9. Plan your impact It’s one thing to have an idea about how you’ll make an impact; it’s another to take action on your idea and turn a vision into reality.  Don’t leave things to chance.  Turn talk into action by figuring out the practical steps that will help you manifest your vision. Identify milestones, set deadlines, and build the habits needed to move the needle.  Magic really does happen when you see your ideas through from beginning to end. 10. Cultivate resilience  Progress can feel painfully slow at the beginning. You may even start to wonder if your effort is worth it at all. But just like a stationary car is hard to move initially, once you overcome the inertia the momentum builds.  So don’t give up!  Keep going, knowing the energy you’ve invested has to show up somewhere. And if things don’t work out as you hoped, don’t take it personally. Instead, get comfortable with setbacks and extract the lessons from your ‘failures’. This resilience will make you tougher and inspire you to weather any storm.  How are you making an impact in your life and your world?  I hope these ideas inspire you. 

"The human capacity for burden is like bamboo - far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance." - Jodi Picoult. With so much uncertainty, it’s not surprising that stress and anxiety levels are on the rise. Now, more than ever, we need to take care of our mental and emotional health.  The good news is there’s always something you can do to change the way you feel - even if that feeling only lasts a short time.  One thing you can try is mindful living - a practice that can help relieve stress and calm anxiety.  Let me show you how… What is mindful living?  Mindful living is about being focused in the present moment - something that’s not as easy as it sounds.  If you could step outside of your body and observe how you move through your day, you’d see that you spend a lot of it either thinking about the past or rushing to the future. Instead of being in the moment, you’re stressing about the argument you had with your kids over breakfast, or you’re anxious about how tomorrow’s pitch will go.  You’d also notice how distracted you are…  From the constant pings of email notifications to the stream of social updates, your environment is waiting to pull you out of the moment.  And that’s not to mention the 100s of daily decisions that take up bandwidth! It’s a problem because when you’re disconnected from the moment, you feel ungrounded. In turn, your stress and anxiety levels rise.  Mindful living practices can help you combat this… Five ways to practice mindful living 1. Mindful meditation.  Detached from the present moment, even a few minutes of deep presence can be overwhelming. In the silence, you notice how much your mind races with its estimated 50,000 thoughts a day!  Over time, mindful meditation can help you feel comfortable sitting with what is.  The goal with meditation is just to be.  Don’t try to switch off your thoughts entirely. A silent mind is hard to create - especially if you’re new to meditation. Trying to be ‘perfect’ will quickly turn you off your practice! Instead, every time you notice yourself getting lost in thought, bring your awareness back to your breath.  As a busy person, you may wonder if daily meditation is a realistic goal for you. The good news is that even a short practice can leave you feeling calmer and focused.  The BestSelf Co. free mindfulness challenge is a great place to start. 2. Start a gratitude practice.  A daily gratitude practice has been a pillar of BestSelf Co. right from the beginning.  As we studied the secrets of high-performers, we realized that gratitude was a practice many people swore by - and for a good reason.  Gratitude guides you to notice and appreciate the things you have in your life right now. Regardless of what’s happening in your life, there’s always something to appreciate. For example, you can choose to notice the breeze in your hair, your coffee’s aroma, or how the paper feels under your pen. As a presence practice, gratitude also cultivates a sense of positivity as you become aware of how plentiful and abundant your life already is.  And because gratitude sparks feelings of positivity and abundance, it’s a practice that makes you happier too.  3. Journal Journaling is a powerful way to slow down your thoughts enough so that you can observe them and work through them. Through journaling, you get to be curious about what’s happening for you - in any given moment - and in the process extract wisdom, insight, and personal power. Journaling can also help you understand the resistance you have to sitting in the present moment. For example, you can:  • Explore your worries and fears • Work through the reason you still feel triggered or upset by a past event • Get clarity over a decision that’s keeping you distracted • Get curious about the things you do to keep you from the present - such as comfort eating, flicking through social media, or lighting a cigarette • Explore what you’re feeling - and why Journaling is mindful because instead of allowing your thoughts to take on a life of their own, you get to extract them from your head and put them on paper. This can give you clarity and closure. It can help calm your mind too because sometimes when you read back your thoughts, you’re able to make better sense of them.  The net result of emptying your head is more bandwidth and less clutter.  In turn, it becomes more comfortable to sit with yourself in the moment. [For more journaling tips, prompts, and interviews, check out the Writing Your Best Self podcast].  4. Lose yourself in creativity Whether your jam is writing, playing music, painting, dance, or something else, there’s something beautiful about losing yourself in creativity.  When you get into a flow state, time becomes irrelevant, and all distractions disappear.  Instead, you’re absorbed in your imagination. You align with your creative essence, and that magic moves your body in beautiful ways or turns a blank piece of paper into a work of art.  When you’re lost in your ideas, any fear evaporates; replaced with a willingness to take risks, explore new techniques, and push your limits.  In this beautiful state of presence, nothing else matters - and any thoughts of anxiety or stress are long forgotten.  5. Quit the multi-tasking  Multitasking is a myth. What you class as multitasking is actually your brain rapidly switching from one task to another.  Multitasking can drain unnecessary energy because the constant task switching causes your brain to jump from one point of focus to another.  In the process, you can get distracted.  Far better to focus on one task at a time - and lose yourself inside of it. As you give everything to that one task, you’re able to dive deeper into it. Magic can happen when this deep work is allowed because you uncover new ideas. You make more imaginative connections. You do better work.  And you’re more productive and creative too!  A one task rule also makes you more present. Instead of worrying about what you’re going to do next [or stressing about how you’ll fit everything in], you can get your head down.  You can start mindful living now You don’t have to spend your entire day in mindful living - although you can if you want!  The beauty of this practice is you can start small - and build on it.  For example, you can start with five minutes of gratitude a day or a 20-minute journaling session. Or you can weave in a 10-minute mindfulness practice after lunch - whatever works for you.  The rewards are clear.  The more you embrace the present moment, the more your stress and anxiety levels have the chance to fall.  What mindful living practices will you start today?

I couldn’t avoid the truth any longer! After completing the BestSelf Co.’s Benchmark Quiz and seeing written evidence that my life wasn’t where I wanted it to be, I knew I had to do something. And top of my list was my health. As a writer, I spend a LOT of time sitting at my desk. I love my work, but it’s very sedentary. Worst of all, sometimes I get so lost in my imagination I can be static for hours! The problem was I wanted a better work-life balance and that meant I had to change a lot of things… I wanted to feel stronger and healthier. I wanted to drink more water and move around more. I wanted to try and practice yoga daily, but I was worried I was taking on too much making the whole transformation too overwhelming. Which begged the question… Is it possible to take on multiple good habits -without compromising my work or burning myself out? I gave myself 30 days to find out. Armed with my BestSelf Co. Habit Roadmap and Self Planner [plus my commitment], I wanted to know if I could successfully integrate the following TEN good habits [all new] into my life - without overwhelming myself. Daily yoga practice Drink at least 2 liters of water Journal Read State affirmations Eat no chocolate! Close all three activity rings on my Apple watch Do something that makes me happy Take deep breaths Answer a deep-dive question Keep reading and I’ll share the results I achieved and how I was able to achieve them. The results! Over a 30 day period [the equivalent of 300 checks], I missed: - A day of reading - 2 days of questioning, and - A day of affirmations Other than that, I achieved a 100% hit rate. What’s more, I noticed some big transformations taking place as a result of these good habits: - I’m getting stronger and more flexible. My muscles are toning, I can hold certain yoga poses for longer, and I’m not shaking like a hurricane in a leaf when I do plank pose! - I have a lot more energy to run after my three kids. - I’ve been much more productive. Rather than squandering my time, I’ve been filling it with my habits - and I feel a darn sight better for it. - I feel more confident in myself - because I’ve done what I said I was going to do [even when no one has been watching.] In conclusion, it IS possible to introduce lots of changes at the same time. In short, habits work as a tool to create a big transformation relatively quickly. Here’s why… 1. The power of autopilot Good habits really come into their own when you no longer have to think about doing them. Instead, you reach the point where you feel weird or uncomfortable if you don’t do your habit [think not cleaning your teeth before bed!] The reality is humans like the status quo. Safe within our comfort zone we know who we are and what we can do. Everything is predictable and that feels secure. But shake things up, and we can feel a bit antsy and uncertain! It’s one of the reasons change can be hard - and why we resist change [even change that’s good for us]. But done regularly, good habits become something you do on autopilot. In short, they become part of your identity. Take my habits… I used to be a sedentary person. Now I’m a person who practices yoga daily, drinks more water than tea, and always closes my activity rings! In short, habits on autopilot change you at your core. It’s much like Zig Ziglar implies in one of my favorite motivational quotes. “What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. When you get to this point, habits stick because you just do them on autopilot. You no longer need willpower or motivation to get to the yoga mat or do your daily writing. You don’t suffer from decision fatigue because you’re wondering how to fit them in. Instead, you just do it because that’s who you are and what you do. 2. Consistency is king You can’t become a hydrated person by drinking 10 liters in one go. In fact, that’s dangerous!Similarly, you won’t be able to write an entire book in one sitting. Your brain will fry! But you can achieve both of those goals if you take daily steps CONSISTENTLY. For example: - You can drink 2 liters a day - every day. - You can write 500 words - every day. - You can fit a 30-min power walk into your day - so you can chip away at those activity rings in a manageable fashion. Bite-sized steps don’t feel overwhelming. In fact, they are entirely do-able. What’s more, when you take action consistently, your results multiply because of the compound effect. When you turn your goals into daily habits, you’re ALWAYS moving the needle forward - because you program yourself to take the right actions, every single day. 3. Schedule it We all lead busy lives! The challenge with taking on new things is figuring out where to slot them into your day! You know how it goes… if you don’t plan time, it just doesn’t happen. Thank goodness for my Self Planner! Looking through my list of chosen good habits I knew some would be easy - and some would be more challenging. For example, when was I going to do a 30-minute yoga session? And what was the best time to read? Here’s how I jigsawed together my day: Scheduled yoga for 1 pm. I decided this would be a good way to break up my day and boost my energy for the afternoon. MOVE activity ring - this one was easier. I started to walk the kids to school instead of taking the car. Journaling & deep dive questioning - I rearranged my work schedule to spend the first hour of my working day doing these tasks. Reading - before bed. Something to help me wind down and feed my subconscious. Deep breathing - after I wake up and before I get out of bed 2 liters of water - keep a liter bottle on my desk and note down on my Self Planner each time I finish one In other words, I planned my good habits around my day - and where possible tagged them onto things I was already doing. I used my Self Planner to schedule habit time - to ensure it didn’t get swallowed up by anything else. This created a bonus win… By squeezing my time, I became more productive too. With fewer minutes to waste, it became a lot easier to focus on the work tasks at hand. Double win! 4. Habit tracking In the earlier days of this experiment, I needed a motivational boost. It was hard to find the energy to walk the kids to school [especially after arguing over lunch boxes and teeth cleaning!] Being so stiff and inflexible, I felt embarrassed when doing my yoga. It was hard to say no to chocolate as it had become such a staple snack for me. I needed something more to boost my confidence and keep me going. And I found that daily motivation in my Habit Roadmap. The Habit Roadmap is a powerful tool that allows you to track up to 12 daily habits and 8 weekly habits. With 90 days of tracking, you can create a three-month visual of your performance and achievements. Simply write down your good habits and put a big check each time to complete them. Before long, you start to build up a chain of wins that inspires you to complete another day. I love seeing my checks lining up and filling my wall. I’m proud of my discipline and my commitment to keep showing up for myself. One day at a time, I’m recreating the person I want to be with the help of this powerful tool. You can do this too Over the last 30 days, I’ve transformed from someone who lived from the neck up and spent all day drinking tea and writing into someone who enjoys moving and wants to make healthy choices. Thanks to a collection of good habits, I’m more connected with my physical body. I feel stronger and more flexible. I feel detoxified and healthier from the inside out. And I have so much more energy. What’s more, this doesn’t feel like a fad. This transformation doesn’t feel like something that’s going to stop when I’ve lost a few excess pounds and toned up. Instead, these good habits have helped me align more closely with the person I really want to be - and that feels powerful. Ready to see how good habits could transform your life? When you’re ready, your Habit Roadmap is here to provide daily motivation, support you, and inspire you - every step of the way.

When we want to be our best self, it’s easy to think that you have to overhaul everything. But take that approach, and the task soon becomes overwhelming. It’s terrible news! Overwhelm puts the brain [and body] into stress mode – and when brain fog and confusion strikes, it becomes hard to do anything. We have to remember that change is NOT easy. The reality is that humans are creatures of habit! We like our comfort zones [because we know who we are in that space]. We don’t like change because it forces us to do things differently. So ease up on yourself! You can change your life, but it doesn’t have to be an overnight thing. Instead, you can make significant improvements to the way you feel [and the things you’re able to do] when you put your focus on your habits. When habits are your go-to methods for change, you don’t need to take the big leaps to create a transformation. Instead, you can leverage the power of momentum and the compound effect to let your best self thrive. Let me show you how… Habits are everything! “We become what we repeatedly do.” ― Sean Covey Habits are the things you do automatically, without thinking, and on autopilot. For example, cleaning your teeth, making your bed, or eating granola for breakfast. When your habits are ‘good’, autopilot is hugely beneficial because it takes very little brain energy and momentum to check them off. Instead, you just take action. Your habits create your identity. As Sean Covey says in the quote above, they dictate who you are. So if you want to be more successful, more courageous, better at writing, healthier, stronger – you name it. You won’t achieve these things overnight. Instead, they happen when you take action day-by-day, one step at a time. Better still, your life-improving habits needn’t take up stacks of your time. Instead, there are plenty you can do that will take you no more than 10 minutes a day. Let’s explore some of these now. 1. MEDITATE for calmness A busy, hectic life can create a chaotic, overloaded brain. In this state, it’s harder to think, trickier to make decisions, and more challenging to stay in control of your emotions. Meditation is a 10-minute habit that can help you create that calm, peaceful state within. If you can sit for just 10-minutes a day, you can cultivate a clear space inside that you can retreat to whenever things become too much. Cultivate this skill, and you get better at ensuring outside influences don’t get the better of you. It’s why meditation has become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s also a habit that many top-performers and high-achievers swear by. Meditation can be hard in the beginning – especially if you have an overactive mind! But stick with the habit, and you’ll soon become more zen! A great place to start is Headspace’s free trial. 2. IDEA-GENERATION for innovation We’ve all heard the stories of how a single brilliant idea changed someone’s life. If you’re someone who’s able to keep coming up with ideas, you’ll tap into a power that makes it easy to problem solve, create, innovate, and consistently add value to your business or career. It’s tempting to look at those people who always seem to have access to a river of ideas and think it must be a natural trait – but this isn’t true. Idea-generation is a practice as well as a skill. It’s a muscle you can strengthen with the help of your habits. Here’s an idea to try… Each day, spend 10-minutes tackling a problem and challenge yourself to come up with at least ten different solutions. Don’t worry; you don’t have to give ten genius answers! A chunk of your thoughts will probably be duff, but that’s part of the creative process. You have to be able to clear through the noise to be able to get to the good stuff. This daily ritual will turn you into an idea-generator – a title you can own and a skill you can use to enhance all areas of your life. And if you’re looking for a tool to help you commit to this habit, check out the Edison Deck. With 150 problem prompts to explore, this deck will keep you busy for months! 3. JOURNALING – for self-awareness The more you know yourself, the better equipped you are to be your best self in the outside world. Hands down, journaling is one of the best practices you can adopt to help with this. A daily journaling practise will help you tune in to what’s happening for you on a day-by-day basis. Through journaling, you can get in touch with your beliefs and values. You can work through problems, and you can craft solutions and map out your goals. You can even dig into your past to better understand your actions and behaviors and understand at a deeper level why you do things the way that you do. With journaling, you can overcome your limiting beliefs and empower yourself to achieve bigger goals – it’s why so many top-performers have made journaling a habit. It’s super easy to get started with this habit. All you need is your notebook, pen, and some time to dive into your inner world and ask questions. And if you get stuck with the blank page because you don’t know what to write, the Wordsmith Deck is here to help. Packed with 150 journaling and writing prompts, this tool offers inspiration on steroids! 4. CONVERSATIONS – for connection and self-expression How often have you heard the saying that your net worth is your network? It’s a fact that the people you interact with have a huge impact on your life. People influence everything from opportunities to the depth of friendships in your life. And one of the best ways to strengthen that network is through the power of conversations. Most of us get stuck with superficial small talk. It’s not threatening, and it’s easy to do, but it doesn’t allow us to really get to know another person. But cut through the surface level to ask the more profound questions and your level of connection increases. Getting in the practice of asking better questions is a habit that can enhance all areas of your life. From the questions you ask your children, to the conversations you have with your partner, all the way to the people you meet at an event or a conference. If you can ask the right question, bam! Our range of conversation decks can help you cultivate this crucial habit. - Choose Little Talk to converse with kids - The Intimacy Deck for your partner - The Icebreaker Deck for any other conversation opportunity Spend ten minutes a day with these decks and see how your relationships improve. 5. REFLECTION – to extract your lessons and learnings If you want to move forward faster, it’s smart to get into a habit of reflection. One of the reasons we get stuck is we keep doing things the same way – even if they don’t work. The trouble is, we can’t be aware of how our actions hold us back, unless we reflect on them. This easy daily practice needn’t take any more than 10 minutes. Simply end the day by asking yourself some thought-provoking questions. For example: - What did I do well today? - What could I have done better? - What should I stop doing in the future? - How could I have felt happier? - How did I leverage my time? - What opportunities did I squander and why? - Etc. Simply choose questions that resonate with you and use them to extract the day’s lessons and celebrate the wins. If you can reduce the time it takes you to learn something that doesn’t work – and change it, the more your best self can grow. 6. PLANNING – to leverage your time and maximize your day When it comes to becoming your best self, one of the biggest objections you have to overcome is a lack of time. You know how it is… You have an idea for what you want to achieve, but somehow the day gets the better of you. You finish work with a pile of outstanding to-dos, and the evening gets lost in a Netflix binge or a social media fix. Then you promise to do better tomorrow to make up for it! Time is our most valuable resource, but a lot of people don’t treat it that way. Instead, we waste minutes because we’re not intentional with our plans. This challenge is easy to fix. Simply spend ten minutes of your day planning out how you want the day to look. Treat every task or activity in the same way you do a meeting or an appointment – schedule it! When something is on your calendar in black and white, you’re less likely to procrastinate or spend longer than you should be catching up on emails or checking through low-level tasks. Both the Self Journal and the Self Planner will help you master this habit. Each has space to plan your day in 30-minute chunks. Make this granular approach to your planning a habit, and before long, you’ll be getting a lot more done in a lot less time. This is how you make time for all the new habits you want to build. Schedule them in your planner and they’ll be as good as done – especially when you integrate habit seven as well. 7. TRACK YOUR HABITS – so you’re not tempted to skip a day We started this article by exploring how hard it is for humans to make changes – even good ones! We’re creatures of habit and staying in our comfort zone is always the safest bet. As a result, even if you start with masses of enthusiasm, there will come a time when you feel the urge to let your new habits slip. For example, you’ll feel tired or bored – or you’ll make an excuse or justification as to why it’s OK to skip a day. And you know what happens next! The second you take your foot off the pedal is the moment you allow yourself to fall back into your old ways. So how can we get around this? One of the simplest things you can do is hack motivation – something a Habit Tracker will help you achieve. A habit tracker is a visual tool that allows you to track a winning streak. Award yourself with a check each day you complete your habit. Before long, this streak of checks creates a chain that becomes too painful to break. In short, a tracker makes it more likely that you won’t drop the ball. The Habit Roadmap allows you to create a 90-day streak for up to 12 daily habits and eight weekly habits. Simply write down the habits you want to build and pin on your wall in a visible place. Use this tool to keep yourself going, and your new habits will become part of your identity before you know it! Start today – and then keep going You can do anything when you start small and chip away at something every single day. It’s consistency for the win and if you master this skill, you can mastermind big wins. So take this opportunity to choose the 10-minute habits you want to infuse into your life – and remember to share your commitments in the comments below [it’s a good practice to hold yourself accountable.] Choose something from the list above – or add something of your own. Then remember to plan time into your day and monitor your progress with a tracker. Imagine how you’ll feel in 90 days if you’ve meditated daily.Or journaled consistently.Or sharpened your ability to ask questions and speak with people. The action you take on a single day may not look like much. But over time, your daily habits will compound into exceptional results. Then it’s best self, here you come!

Habits are our Achilles heel. No matter how hard we try and what external changes we make — houses, our sense of style, friendships and more — habits keep following us. It becomes especially difficult when we start allowing these habits to take over our lives. Learning how to break bad habits should be as easy as following a formula. It should be as easy as identifying what we want to stop doing and simply to stop doing it. But that's easier said than done, especially when life gets stressful. In stressful times, that bad habit can become our crutch — something that gives us relief and comfort. It’s okay to leave your dirty clothes all over the floor, but when you have bad habits that stop you from pursuing your goals and being genuinely happy, then it’s time for real change. There are many theories on breaking bad habits, but the following are the three most powerful and effective ways you can do so. Start Small and Replace Bad Habits with Good Ones Leo Babauta, the writer behind Zen Habits, has written extensively on how to go about making a change. Babauta has quit smoking, lost weight and gone from couch potato to exercise lover. He listed several strategies to successfully break bad habits and replace them with new ones. First, start off by identifying the triggers of your bad habits. Maybe you eat junk food whenever you have a big assignment thrown your way. Or you start biting your nails whenever something goes wrong in life. Each one of your bad habits has a trigger. Identify the trigger and you can break the habit. Next, find a healthier good habit to replace the bad habit. Instead of eating junk food to relieve the stress of a big assignment, go for a run. Instead of nail biting when things are going wrong, reach out to a close friend for support. Babauta encourages us to create reminders so we never forget our goals, and he stresses the importance of positivity when going through this process. Never underestimate the power of an encouraging sticky note on your snack drawer! There are two additional key points that stand out from Babauta’s guide: Start small – If it’s getting off the couch and working out you’re after, start with just one push-up. It sounds like nothing, but it also means you have no excuse for not doing your single push-up of the day. No matter how late or tired you are, one pushup is always doable. Have someone to hold you accountable – Accountability is there to help you keep going when things feel too hard. You only need one person who cares about your well-being to know about your new habit. Have them hold you accountable by pushing you and stopping you from indulging in your bad habit. Treat It Like a Business Plan A well thought out strategy is powerful for any business when you have goals you need to reach. Without a strategy, it will be much too easy to give up when things get difficult or when you don’t know how to proceed next. So if you’ve got a bad habit you’d like to break, make a strategic plan. To start, identify your triggers and list them out. Then, write down a simple way to replace the bad habit. For example, if you’re looking to lose weight, start by cooking a healthy dinner every night. If you’re unsatisfied with your current job and want a different one, email one person a day who may give you a better opportunity. If you want to quit smoking, find someone you can reach out to for support every time you feel a craving for a cigarette. From there, you need a way to track your progress. Use a calendar as a road map. Hang it in a room you go into every day and make an “X” on each day that you go without indulging in your bad habit. You can also carry a notebook with your goals highlighted so that you never forget them. These tools will help you stay focused. Drawing out your goal is even more powerful. Visualize the habit change you want to achieve by creating a vision board. Carry images in your diary, have a vision board in your office or create one online. You can use Pinterest or a specific vision board tool. Get to Know Your Bad Habit Often, our bad habits are a sign of something else. We see people struggling with weight loss because they use eating to cope with stress, anxiety or depression. Others never work towards their career goals because fear holds them back. And often, we don’t even realize that our bad habit is keeping us from realizing our full potential. During his TED Talk, psychiatrist Judson Brewer spoke about how we should look at our bad habits more closely to understand them. When do we most indulge in them? Do we fall into our habits when we are happy or only when we are frustrated or sad? Can we think of a time when we didn’t need this habit to keep going? Through these questions, we can identify the triggers of our habit. More than that, we can dig deeper to understand what’s causing us to use this habit as a crutch. How to Break Bad Habits for Good Failing to achieve your goals because of bad luck or a misguided decision is one thing, but failing to do so because of a bad habit is even more tragic. Bad habits are our guilty pleasures, ones that often cause a great deal of self-loathing. It can feel impossible to ditch our bad habits, but with the right strategies it is possible to kick those old habits and replace them with healthier behaviors.