Habits for good days

“When you’re living a good day, what is one habit that tends to be part of that day? Can you find time for that habit today?” – James Clear

Intriguing question from James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter. Made me think, and now I want to list out these habits and why they give me a good day:

• Sleeping well – 8h, with score above 90%. Waking up fresh and awake is the best feeling ever. That tends to decide how I’d feel for the rest of the day. If I slept poorly, even small challenges are a struggle. If I slept well, big problems are more manageable.

• Meditation – In the morning when I wake, and at night before I sleep. It grounds me, starts off my day in a calm and mindful manner. And that tends to decide the trajectory of my mood for the rest of the day too.

• Creating something. – Even just shipping a small feature or a plugin, or working on a creative project, a piece of writing, is super fulfilling. It could be done just within 1-2h in the early morning. Nothing makes me feel more accomplished than having made something out. Anything.

• Eating well – This is all too easy to screw up, and easy to go unnoticed, but when I eat well, I feel strong, alert but light, no bloat, no gas, no mental heaviness. If the first 2 sets the tone of the day, diet is the thing that can mess it all up.

• Being out in nature – My morning walks in the park is one thing that I’ve come to appreciate a lot. On rainy or busy days when I don’t get to do it, I feel lesser for it. On weekends when I spend time outside instead of in shopping malls, I naturally feel better too.

• Being out with my wife and son – No explanation needed. Being with my loves, is always a joy.

That’s it. Just 6 things.