Psychology Says To Plant These 7 Habits Now To Enjoy The Good Life For Years To Come
Good habits equals good life. It's that simple.
Ridofranz | Canva Planting good habits matters, especially if you want to enjoy the good life for years to come. If you’ve ever tried breaking a bad habit, you know all too well how engrained they are. If some of these habits create added stress or don’t fit your lifestyle, ditch them. With time and practice, you’ll determine what does or doesn’t work for you.
I’ve made many mistakes and 'wasted' large swathes of time experimenting. But I look back with gratitude because these mistakes also led me to a handful of things that have worked well for me. Not everything needs to be majorly complicated or take time to serve us greatly.
Psychology says to plant these habits now to enjoy the good life for years to come:
1. Start a daily writing ritual
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You needn’t be a professional writer to benefit from a daily writing practice. You can write for yourself in a journal, which is highly cathartic, and a beautiful way to record plans and memories that you can refer to as a long-term record.
You can also write and share your ideas publicly, which has been one of the best things to bring into what I do, both personally and in my career.
You grow an audience, build self-confidence, learn more about yourself, create life-long connections, and hone an indestructible creativity muscle, just to name a few benefits.
A daily writing ritual, particularly expressive writing, can provide significant benefits, including improved mood, stress reduction, better coping mechanisms, increased self-awareness, and enhanced cognitive processing. A 2015 study found that a daily writing ritual allows individuals to process and make sense of their experiences.
2. Find an accountability partner
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There’s always that one habit we know is taking more than it gives. It drains your energy in the long run, even if it provides brief moments of pleasure.
Committing to cutting it out of your life could be one of the best things you do for yourself all year. You know it probably is.
Finding an accountability partner to keep you from slipping on the goal of abstinence is a great system for working on maintaining good habits.
Now you have skin in the game, and you’re much more likely to succeed. Work with other humans to keep your energy levels high.
Having an accountability partner significantly increases the likelihood of achieving goals by boosting commitment, motivation, and consistency through regular check-ins and the social pressure to follow through.
A 2017 study showed that individuals with accountability partners experience higher goal completion rates than those without. This is often attributed to evaluation apprehension, where people are likelier to perform well when they know someone is evaluating their progress.
3. Begin a daily reading ritual
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For many, reading is either something they’d rather avoid so they can play video games or binge Netflix — or it’s seen as a cheeky luxury.
But reading, especially paperback books you can touch, is an underestimated life-expansion tool.
Daily reading can significantly improve mental health by reducing stress, enhancing focus and concentration, boosting empathy, improving memory, fostering critical thinking skills, and slowing cognitive decline as we age. Thus, according to a 2017 study, it is a valuable activity for overall well-being.
We feel good when we read deep into a novel or a fascinating work of non-fiction. Our minds are not passively taking in information. We are firing, creating, and imagining. Reading fuels our creativity and inspires us too.
Reading can be seen as a form of therapy that simultaneously makes you more intelligent. It’s true. So set aside non-negotiable daily reading time. String 100 days of reading together, and what do you get?
4. Immerse yourself in movement
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Getting away from the desk and immersing oneself in the world of movement, adventure, and play shouldn’t be seen as a pleasant and occasional ‘luxury.’ I believe it has a place as a regular feature in one’s calendar.
Regular sports and adventure outings can significantly improve mental well-being by reducing stress, boosting self-esteem, enhancing mood, improving cognitive function, fostering resilience, and promoting a sense of accomplishment.
Research from 2022 highlights the positive impact of time in nature on reducing stress, improving mood, and enhancing overall well-being. Such activities get us out of overly critical modes and into the physical mode — something our bodies can yearn for if kept indoors for too long.
Couple these adventures with some social interaction, and you’ve got a precious and memory-forming event that can take place regularly to give you a much-needed boost.
5. Create or sell a mini-course
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Creating and selling courses are all the rage these days. They promise a way to make money while you sleep, as long as you create something people want and figure out how to sell it.
This is absolutely all possible, and many are succeeding well with selling online courses. Building courses can be risky and take a lot of time, so I suggest creating a mini-course before diving into something substantial.
This can be a handful of videos explaining something you can help with or even an ebook you sell through one of the many platforms that make this possible. Create something you can sell for at least $50.
This can create a decent little income stream and give you the confidence in selling online, so you can move on to bigger things should you want to.
6. Become mindful of your social media use
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Social media can prompt anxiety in many, and that’s understandable. You can use so many platforms (or misuse them), which can be overwhelming.
There are pros and cons. Self-awareness and using social media carefully, particularly in making an impact and growing a business, can work out well for you.
Be on several platforms — you may as well — because all bring various forms of attention that can help your brand and more. But I’d suggest honing in your focus and energy on one platform.
My platform of choice is X, though this could change over time. Get great at one, and build a sizeable community there.
You can meet great people this way, and your influence will rise. It will help feed people to your newsletter, website, books, and courses.
7. Set up a mastermind group
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Particularly if you work for yourself, it can be easy to drift away from society, working in your detached bubble. You can gain plenty of knowledge from books, courses, and videos online.
But sharing ideas and gaining mentorship from living, breathing humans adds a valuable social dynamic and sense of fulfillment to the work.
There is much value in setting up a mastermind group with like-minded (ideally, more experienced people) you regularly meet up with.
I’ve done this, and it’s helped me feel connected and provided amplified support. Being the organizer of such a group will elevate you as a leader and connector, adding strength to your undertakings.
Right now, I make a point to organize Zoom meet-ups with people, which also acts as a kind of loose mastermind with many varied minds.
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.