9 Tiny Habits That Will Make You More Highly-Regarded Than 98% Of People
The more highly we regard ourselves, the more likely we are to take action on the things that are good for us.
Toa Heftiba | Unsplash We can be experts at complicating our lives. We hold ourselves back because of the stories we tell ourselves. We have ridiculous, made-up neuroses like ‘imposter-syndrome’ and ‘comparisonitis.’
It’s pretty incredible just how much we limit ourselves in our minds. And it is a mindset thing.
John isn’t more successful than Martin because he’s ‘better.’ Martin just didn’t limit himself as much. And the more highly we regard ourselves, the more likely we are to take action on the things that are good for us.
Here are 9 tiny habits that will make you more highly-regarded than most people:
1. Reach out to another human.
Most of us are too busy over-obsessing about ourselves to think too much about opening up a communication channel to a person with whom we would not usually connect.
Send a friendly message to someone. Show them you are there. That is all. This instantly puts you in a responsible, compassionate position.
And this will amplify your self-respect right away.
Photo: Anna Nekrashevich/Pexels
2. Slow down.
It’s easy to think, in our overwhelm, that we must now rush to ‘get more done.’ This puts us in a panicked, rabbit-in-headlights state that is far from empowering. Go the other way.
When you’re stressed, you need to slow down. You see things more clearly here. You don’t become more respectable when you achieve something. You become respectable in order to achieve more.
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3. Write a Proud list.
Most humans skulk about all day in shame and fear.
Greg once said they were weird at school, and that stuck with them. They’re living out their diminished personality.
Write out a list of all the ways you’re weird and different. And then reflect on why every one of those things makes you proud.
Because they should. You’re a weird human, just like the rest of us. Seeing this connects us all, and it allows you to drop your shame.
4. Tick off something small.
It is in the doing that we come alive. To-do lists are ugly and terrifying at first glance because we see the whole dang thing.
Demonstrate to yourself that you are an action-taker and achiever by doing one small fragment of that list. Read a page. DM one potential client with a one-line message.
It’s a small dent, but your inner warrior knows no difference. Taking charge and doing is exactly what it says on the tin.
Photo: energepic.com/Pexels
5. Get on your knees and howl to the war gods.
I want you to embrace the physicality of pride. You’re a human on a mission. It’s created.
Do you want to create an exciting reality?
Adopt the posture of someone who’s knee-deep in a fearsome reality. You’re here to serve and protect. Enjoy the chemical shift that happens when you morph from the posture of the dead to the posture of the living.
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6. Flip your self-judgements.
This one alone will change your life.
I would guess there are several things right now that continually affect you and make you feel low. They are self-judgements you repeatedly think about yourself.
‘I’m so bad at focusing.’
‘I’m a terrible public speaker.’
etc.
Every single one of these judgments can be flipped.
Ask yourself, ‘If I was truly compassionate about myself, how would I view this?’
If you can’t focus, maybe you’re just super passionate about many different things, like me.
Find the flipside; then, you will have compassion.
When you let go of your self-criticism, you will have all the energy anyway.
Photo: Wilson Vitorino/Pexels
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7. Be a beacon of silliness.
Stop taking it all so seriously, and return to the fun you. This means reconnecting with those you once shared a joke with and firing up the Joke Machine once again.
Be silly.
Find any possible outlet you can to wreak silliness on the world. Few others are doing it. Set the trend again.
Be a beacon of sly and silly.
8. Draw a line in the sand.
That junk you keep consuming? Today’s the day buster.
It’s go time. More accurately — it’s NO time. No more junk. What three things do you need to do today to set the wheel in motion?
Tell five friends you’re quitting. Get a habit tracker. Find an accountability coach. Get real with yourself and follow through.
9. Decide to make life fun.
You’re not like most people. Most people develop a worldview that emphasizes the significance of external influence.
They say, life’s hard, and I need to do whatever I can to protect myself from the harshness of life. So they expect it to be tough. Their reality inevitably gets confirmed, and life is indeed seemingly ‘hard.’
Until they do what you’re about to do: Decide to make it all fun.
This is responsibility-taking of the highest order. But pssst, don’t tell anyone — it’s a secret that makes life way easier.
You create your entire reality, so why make it boring?
If there’s only one thing to take from this and absorb, realise you have the power to shift your experience. And all it takes is five seconds of awareness.
5…4…3…2…
Photo: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels
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Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.