Instead of saying yes to everyone who asks something of you, pausing for a moment to consider whether you have the time and other resources to do it is better than agreeing to everything only to fall through on the commitment or burn yourself out.Sometimes you need to say no so you can say yes to yourself and have enough time to do the habits and achieve the goals that YOU want to do.

Say No to Say Yes

There is a saying that you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. People rub off on each other, whether it be mannerisms, sayings, or beliefs.By surrounding yourself with others who are also working to achieve goals, improve themselves, and who have the habits you also want to have, you will create an atmosphere where you can all support each other and thrive together.

Create Positive Peer Pressure

”One of the most effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where your desired behavior is the normal behavior...Your culture sets your expectation for what is ‘normal.’ Surround yourself with people who have the habits you want to have yourself. You’ll rise together.”

"From now on, then, resolve to live as a grown-up who is making progress, and make whatever you think best a law that you never set aside. And whenever you encounter anything that is difficult or pleasurable, or highly or lowly regarded, remember that the contest is now: you are at the Olympic Games, you cannot wait any longer…"

To build habits, if you can turn it into a challenge to yourself you will build momentum with each day you successfully do your new habit.You could join a 21-day challenge or practice habit building techniques such as "Don't break the streak" or temptation bundling. Whatever method you use to help you start your new habit, viewing it as a challenge to overcome, reframes starting the new habit into an opportunity for you to learn, grow, and overcome any resistance you might initially feel.

See Everything as a Challenge

"Labor passes quickly but the fruit of labor endures." -MUSONIUS RUFUSIt is the same with discipline: "the vigilance is temporary, but the fruit of that vigilance can be enjoyed long after the sacrifice has been forgotten."When you are trying to choose whether you will go for a run, begin working on a project, or completing your daily journaling habit, just remind yourself:"Discipline now, freedom later. The labor will pass, and the rewards will last."

Discipline Now, Freedom Later

Are You Still Struggling With the Same Things You Were Last Year?(And maybe the year before that?)Ryan Holiday writes, we need to stop expecting things to just simply happen. He references Marcus Aurelius’s book, Meditations, to one of his pieces of advice: Marcus tells himself to “be his own savior while he can.”Ryan says, "And we do that by starting with some foundational habits and mindset shifts." In the following ideas Holiday suggests some foundational habits and mindset shifts to adopt so we can actually achieve our goals.

The Secret to Building Better Habits to Achieve Your Goals This Year

Ryan writes about how atomic habits (James Clear book Atomic Habits) are how we can think small by starting with a small change and small habit."An atomic habit is a small habit that makes an enormous difference in your life."He goes on to say, "Clear emphasizes that repetitive actions accumulate and add up in a big way over time. Don’t promise yourself you’re going to read more; instead, commit to reading one page per day."Thinking big is great but starting with a small habit is much easier. Once you get started you can build from there.

Think Small

“If you dwell with a lame man, you will learn how to limp.”

The one habit that makes all other habits possible is Patience.We always want things yesterday. We want progress, rewards, and success now.But practicing delayed gratification and patience, remembering all good things take time and that there is always a process, you will almost always be more successful; no matter what your goal is, nothing great is achieved overnight so patience is essential to goal achievement.Because great things do take time, increasing the timeline you give yourself can help you keep realistic expectations. Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you think it will.

Lengthen Your Timeline

“Sleep is the source of all health and energy.”

When you start your day off with the important things, no matter what comes up unexpectedly, you know you did what matters most.If you feel like your goals and habits that support achieving those goals are important to you, then get them done before anything else has a chance to get in your way."Well-intentioned plans fall apart. Our willpower evaporates. So it’s key that we prioritize the important things..."

Do The Important Things First

A productive day begins the night before by prioritizing your sleep and setting a consistent time that you go to bed."All the other habits and practices listed here become irrelevant if you don’t have the energy and clarity to do them."Getting a full night's sleep means you wake up feeling you best and ready to tackle the day. If you want to achieve your goals and adopt the habits necessary to be successful, start by setting a consistent bedtime.

Set a Bedtime

Just like setting a bedtime for yourself is a good habit in an evening routine, so is getting what you need for the next day ready the night before.Mornings tend to be anywhere from unorganized to downright hectic; there never seems to be enough time. Whether you slept in past your alarm or had kids to get ready to go to school, the mornings never seem to go exactly how we planned.If you get in the practice of laying out your clothes, your kids clothes, making lunches, and/or getting anything else prepared the night before, you can avoid unnecessary chaos in the mornings.

Lay Out Your Supplies

"The path to self-improvement is rocky, and slipping and tripping is inevitable. You’ll forget to do the push-ups, you’ll cheat on your diet, you’ll say “yes” and take on too much, or you’ll get sucked into scrolling Twitter." That's ok, it happens to everyone."No one is perfect. We all have bad days. It’s okay to feel a little discouraged."Just don't give up, continue to show up day after day, and success will find you. If you mess up, just come back to the habits you’ve been working on.

Keep Coming Back

Starting new habits and achieving goals can be a struggle. However, by adopting these foundational habits and mindsets you will set yourself up for the personal and professional development you desire.

ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER, PHILOSOPHER AND WRITER

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