6 Simple Habits That Can Fix 80% of Your Problems
I once read a quote by F. M. Alexander that says
“People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.”
The older I get, the more I understand how deep and true this quote is.
Certain habits lead to positive results,
and some enhance our productivity, making our lives better and healthier.
Ever since I removed myself from a bad circle,
started working out and improving myself,
and became serious about my life goals and purpose,
my life has changed for the better.
It didn’t happen overnight or through a miracle;
I had an intention, a plan, and I put a lot of effort into it.
Your habits and mindset can decide your future.
This article discusses habits that I have personally adopted to improve
my productivity and help me reach my goals more quickly.
Here are the Simple Habits That Can Fix 80% of Your Problems:
Schedule your day at night
This habit significantly enhances your productivity and maintains your focus throughout the day.
Planning makes everything more straightforward.
It provides clarity about your tasks and their purpose,
ensuring you don’t waste time on trivial matters.
You can use a high-performance planner
or a note-taking app on your phone to outline your tasks.
Mastering this habit can solve over 80% of your problems.
For my big task, I use Google Keep because it is
available on my PC and iPhone.
I use the Notes app on my iPhone to keep track of small tasks
and jot down ideas.
I wake up knowing what I will accomplish in the day,
which helps me say no to every distraction.
Complete any important task that takes 20 minutes or less
Work-related stress and anxiety often stem
from having too many tasks on your plate.
Even if these tasks are relatively small and require less time individually,
collectively they can overwhelm your mind.
To make things even more challenging, when your tasks are disorganized,
it can lead to additional stress.
Prioritizing your tasks based on their importance and urgency is a crucial skill.
For tasks that take just 5 minutes or less, it’s a good practice to tackle them immediately.
These tasks might include:
- Responding to important emails and messages
- Updating your schedule
- Spending time with your children
- Doing a quick set of exercises, like pushups
Prioritizing and efficiently managing your tasks can help alleviate work-related stress and anxiety.
This is a simple solution I use to lower my stress since
it is one of the things that decreases my productivity.
When I wake up, I journal about a dream I had,
then take a few moments to meditate.
After that, I respond to all emails for the day and update my team
on any important matters.
This simple habit helps me focus on the day’s most significant task.
Limit your social media time
Monitoring the time you dedicate to scrolling through social media is crucial.
Many people spend the majority of their day on social media,
which offers a quick dopamine boost but nothing productive.
Spending time on social media is not bad if you’re just relaxing
and productivity isn’t your goal.
I spend my break watching funny Instagram reels.
However, be mindful of the time you spend on Facebook or TikTok
to maximize your productivity throughout the day.
For better well-being, limit it because it is not too important
and causes more harm than good.
Have fixed priorities
These are tasks that must be completed regardless of the circumstances.
Priorities help you distinguish between what needs your
time, attention, and focus.
A person without priorities moves from place to place
without knowing where they are going.
My priorities during the day are ensuring my team is doing well
with their work, and I have completed a task I set yesterday.
Hanging out with friends, going to a party,
and playing games come later.
Priorities help you say no to unimportant things that want your attention.
Take care of your health
While working hard is important, your health takes precedence.
To maintain your well-being, consider these practices:
- Reduce pre-sleep phone usage and late-night socializing.
- Aim for an early bedtime to allow your mind and body ample rest.
- Avoid expecting to accomplish tasks with only 4 hours of sleep.
If you sleep well, you will wake up fresh and wanting to conquer all your goals.
Go out for a run or workout to stay energetic.
I sleep six hours every day, which isn’t ideal (my goal is 7 hours),
but I work out 4-5 times per week, which keeps me healthy and energetic.
I socialize through the weekend and go on a hike on Sunday.
This is my ideal routine for maintaining both physical and mental health.
Follow the 80/20 rule
Focus your time and energy on tasks that boost productivity
instead of those that consume your day.
When you begin your day with exercise
and engage in impactful work, your productivity soars.
This approach stems from the 80/20 principle:
20% of tasks generate 80% of results.
Prioritizing the right activities is key to efficiency.
It is a simple yet effective rule.
Many people may not relate to this; before I start writing,
I play ambient music to relax, and then I structure the whole article.
I write the heading, then all the subheadings,
and close it with the final thought before writing the body.
The ambient music silences all my unwanted thoughts,
and the highlights guide my mind to what’s next without any distraction.
Final thought
Life is too short, and it doesn’t stop for anyone.
These habits will accelerate any progress you are working on,
whether it is personal development or a significant goal.
You will start to notice that your focus is becoming sharper over time,
and that’s a bonus.
Start with a single habit first, and when you master it,
go on to the next one. Start small and steady until you adapt.
What’s the one habit you adopted that completely shifted
your productivity or mindset?
Drop it in the comments — I’d love to learn from your journey too.
Continue reading: Powerful Quotes to Elevate Your Mentality
