If These 5 Habits Are Part Of Your Life At Any Age, You're The Realest Kind Of Person
No matter how old you are, these habits reveal unapologetic authenticity.
Centre for Ageing Better | Unsplash When you choose not to live as authentically as you can, it can have detrimental effects on your mental and physical well-being in the long run — and a huge part of that is that not many people understand what authenticity involves.
Being the realest of the real doesn't mean changing into whatever version of yourself you think others want to see. But, it also doesn't mean living without a filter. So where does that leave you? The simple (and complicated) answer is that it's a delicate balance, but if these habits are familiar to you, you're very likely an authentic person who values integrity over image.
If these five habits are part of your life at any age, you're the realest kind of person:
1. You take action, regardless of how you feel
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Don’t wait to feel good before doing stuff. Too many of us value our feelings as an indicator of what’s worth doing. You don’t need to feel good to act.
You must act regardless of the flatness, the fear, or the frustration. Everything changes when you design a life biased to leaning in and doing things.
You become a doer overnight. Now take it up a notch and do more. Now we’re cooking. The momentum will fuel you. Sparks fly.
Don’t question it. Just do. Now we begin to enjoy a life in motion. We feel better, and more happens in our favor.
2. You regularly prune your life
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Most of us take on too much, and we know it. We accept too many engagements. We buy too much junk that we never use. We take on too many projects that send us spinning.
Good pruners manage beautiful gardens. So, prune your life every day. Take stock of one area of your life and identify one thing you can subtract.
What item in your house no longer "sparks joy" that you barely use? Get rid of it (This doesn’t include an unruly child).
The same applies to your business engagements, relationships, and bad habits. Find one thing that gets the chop! Life is about continual simplification, not taking on more than necessary. You’ll be far less stressed and more effective this way.
Our brains have a limited capacity to process information and make decisions each day. Research on materialism has found that constantly being bombarded with choices can deplete our mental energy, leading to feeling drained, overwhelmed, and making poorer choices. Simplifying a routine decision or reducing the number of options available in a specific area frees up space and allows your brain to focus on more important tasks.
3. You speak out against injustice
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Vocalizing our concerns in public is cathartic. Something happens in our psyche when we translate a swirling thought into verbal reverberations via vocals. It helps us find solutions. And it helps others, too.
Verbalizing challenges and emotions is a powerful tool for promoting mental health and well-being. One study concluded that it fosters emotional processing, builds self-awareness, strengthens relationships, helps develop coping mechanisms, and contributes to a more open and supportive society.
4. You live in the world, not on a screen
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We all know that being glued to TikTok and Instagram isn’t doing us much good. Being continually flooded with dopamine from artificial and cheap sources is screwing with our heads.
These pitiful platforms are engineered to hook you in like a hapless puppy looking for bacon. Look to other sources of entertainment like reading fiction, people-watching, doodling, sun-gazing, bird-watching, or just watching the ocean waves crash in. There is immense power here because, as our minds are still during these activities, we receive creative insights that nourish us.
Research has argued that an over-reliance on activities that trigger rapid, intense dopamine surges can lead to a state of overstimulation and desensitization. By consciously integrating low-dopamine activities into daily routines, individuals can foster a more calm, centered, and fulfilling life.
5. You ask life-improving questions
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If we allow any old thought into our heads and stew on those concerns, we lose control. Take your power back by regularly asking soul-quenching questions that keep us on the right track — a creative and healthy track.
Ask questions like: "If I knew exactly how to solve my most pressing challenge, what one thing would I do to solve it today?" You may surprise yourself by how many solutions are already shelved away in that thick noggin of yours. Ask empowering questions. Ask questions that prompt a life of intrigue and enjoyment. You know the way.
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. He's the author of the Mastery Den newsletter, which helps people triple their productivity.
