Editor’s note: This article was first published in June 2018, and its references to Facebook, LinkedIn as the online CV and Obama reflect that time.
How to be more successful, how to be happier and how to have better health. It all depends on habits. And to make it simpler and more enjoyable, we are going to take on certain habits one day at a time, with the aim of keeping them for good.
We previously looked at some habits of the rich that you can easily start applying. And since it is all about building habits, and sometimes we do not know where to start, several professionals launched the #BiBetter programme, a 21-day self-improvement programme in which each day we take on a habit that can make a difference, with tasks that most people know they should do but do not, or keep putting off.
21 days to be happy and more successful and healthy: 21 habits to make it possible
Day 1. Floss, and do it every day for the rest of your life
It is estimated that more than 50% of people do not floss, when according to specialists it is probably the most important part of brushing your teeth. It is a small habit that we should turn into a routine, and our smile will thank us for it in the future.
Day 2. Start sweating every day, and do it for the rest of your life
Exercise is a magic cure for all kinds of problems, both physical and mental, and sweating is the best known way to eliminate toxins from our bodies. By sweating we keep cholesterol, heart problems and sexual problems a little further away. In fact, if you cannot be bothered to go running, you can practise “bed exercise for couples”, one of the most complete and healthy kinds. Exercise will help you be happier.
What is more, according to a recent study I read the other day (I cannot remember where), the idea that 5 minutes of exercise does not improve your health has been debunked. The article said that if our goal is to avoid health problems, there was not much difference between 5 and 30 minutes of exercise. If, on the other hand, you want to build muscle, you obviously have to put in more time. So that does away with the excuse of not having time.
Day 3. Keep a diary
Psychologists have been studying expressive writing and have found that people who have kept a diary for decades have come to terms with certain problems in life much better than those who did not put down in writing how they felt at the hardest moments of their lives.
A Harvard study found that professionals who wrote a diary also performed better in their jobs. In other words, keeping a diary can help you be more successful.
Day 4. Start reading a book, and keep doing it every day
Although the original publication says to start reading a novel, personally I would not advise you to get into the habit of reading for entertainment, but of productive reading; once your daily productive reading is done, then turn to entertainment.
There is no need for me to list the benefits of reading every day again. Just remember what George R. R. Martin wrote: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one.”
See also: How you can be smarter: 9 things you should do
It is true that many psychologists recommend reading fiction because it opens the mind, but other people feel as I do: with so much to read from real people with real advice, I would feel I was neglecting something more important if I sat down to read a novel.
Day 5. Have lunch with a colleague you do not know well
We tend to surround ourselves with the people we know best. And this happens at work too, so sometimes already having a closed circle of colleagues can make us miss the chance to meet other people who could be very interesting.
So strike up a conversation with people you do not know very well, go for a drink with them, and you will probably end up glad you got to know some of these new people.
Day 6. Go to a museum
According to psychologists, museum visits have a long list of cognitive benefits that help you be more creative and read and write better.
According to a study published in the New York Times, students showed stronger critical thinking skills and were more socially tolerant after visiting a museum, and the same benefits apply to adults. Personally, I find museums boring, but if you have it in mind or have never been, there it is as your task for day 6.
Day 7. Help someone without asking for anything in return
We are not talking about giving a couple of euros to a homeless person, because that is easy, takes no effort and will not be rewarding for you either. Put generous behaviour into practice by helping someone with a task that takes real effort on your part, and that leaves that person truly grateful.
If we help someone or brighten someone’s day, we are not only helping that person but also helping ourselves. Their satisfaction and sincere gratitude will raise our oxytocin levels. In fact, people who do nothing for anyone tend to have higher cortisol levels, which indicates that they live more stressed and bitter lives.
Day 8. Start keeping track of your spending
We need to know where every euro we spend goes. You can use one of the free apps available or an Excel spreadsheet. But start keeping track, and over time you will greatly reduce those small everyday expenses that quietly add up.
Day 9. Get rid of anything you have not used all year
How many clothes do you have in your wardrobe that you have not worn for years and probably never will again? That pair of jeans you are fond of but will never wear again?
Let go of your emotional attachment to those things and start transferring it to the people who love you. You have several options: sell the things you do not use or give them to people in need, so you get rid of much of the junk you store and make someone happy. If you do it to earn some extra money, I also recommend looking at some of the options you have for earning an income from home.
Also, make it a rule to buy clothes only when one item leaves your wardrobe to make room for another. That way, loss aversion will also stop you buying clothes for the sake of it.
See also: 17 money tips to improve your personal finances this year
Day 10. Get your email up to date
If you are one of those people with 9,376 unread messages in their inbox, spend whatever time it takes to bring your email up to date. Unsubscribe from newsletters that are purely advertising or that you were added to without your permission. In short, keep only a handful of subscriptions.
Day 11. Call and try to meet up with people you have not spoken to in years
There are 3 types of interpersonal ties in society: weak, strong and absent.
In 1973, a study described “the strength of weak ties”, finding that it is not the strong ties you share with close friends and family that help you get ahead professionally or in personal growth, because they tend to have access to more or less the same people and information as you.
That is why acquaintances sometimes do much more for us than many friends. And it is not because our friends do not want to, but because the acquaintances were in a position and willing to do it.
Day 12. Go and see a live show
You can choose a concert, a musical, theatre, dance, classical music… whatever you like best. It is another way of appreciating culture and having more experiences.
Day 13. Take a trip somewhere you have never been
They say travel opens and broadens the mind, but you do not have to go to China, especially in Spain, where practically every province has different customs from the next.
Even so, seeing the cultures, customs and ways of life of other countries has led some people to find business ideas they later applied in their home city. That, for example, is the case of Starbucks.
Day 14. Do something creative
Paint a picture, make clay vases, write a book… do something that requires you to bring out your most creative side. The benefits? It boosts creativity, strengthens the brain, reduces negative emotions and increases positive ones. And if something decent comes out of it, put it up for sale on one of those new selling apps.
Day 15. Update your goals and objectives in life
Design your life plan and set clear, concise goals and objectives, but small and achievable ones so you stay motivated as you reach them. And fight for them every day, taking a step that brings you closer to that goal each time.
Remember that people who do not know where they are going rarely reach their destination.
See also: Why you do not have money and success, according to Jordan Belfort (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Day 16. Take control of your online passwords
Most people ignore the advice to update their passwords from time to time, which leaves them vulnerable to hacking. Today Google offers its users two-step verification, which adds an extra layer of security: if you log in from a device other than your usual one, it asks for a code that it sends to your mobile phone.
We only realise how important it is to update and manage our passwords when the damage is already done.
Day 17. Make a financial plan
If you have not done so yet, you should. You need to define exactly how much money you need to save to reach a specific financial goal. Finally, you need to be clear about how you are going to earn more money, how you are going to save more, how you are going to get a better return on your money, and how you are going to shorten the time it takes to reach a certain amount.
Day 18. Thoroughly update your LinkedIn page
Take a little time away from Facebook and finish your professional LinkedIn profile, because it is increasingly becoming our professional presentation online. In fact, more and more HR professionals look for candidates on LinkedIn.
You could miss out on a job opportunity if a competitor’s profile says more than yours. Think of LinkedIn as your online CV.
Day 19. Reach out to 2 people you admire and have never met
You are unlikely to get coffee with Amancio Ortega or Obama, but you would be surprised how rewarding a connection with one of your favourite writers, a business owner, a blogger, an artist or an athlete could be… If you admire an influential person, give it a try: you already have the “no”, and a “yes” could be very rewarding. Tim Ferriss talked about this in The 4-Hour Workweek.
Day 20. Spend at least 3 hours in nature
Your second-to-last mission can be fun and has some important benefits. When was the last time you got lost in the middle of the hills, surrounded only by nature and far from the city?
Spending time in nature lowers stress levels, restores mental energy and improves your vision. And it is healthy and much cheaper than a psychologist.
Day 21. Cook a meal with unprocessed food
Although this should not be something you do now and then but every day, let’s at least try to enjoy, from time to time, food in its natural state, away from fats and processed foods. Let’s give our bodies a break, and if we do it with a group of friends, all the better.
This article draws on the work of Richard Feloni, Drake Baer and Kevin Loria, who compiled for Business Insider these 21 simple steps, backed by various scientific studies, to improve our health, happiness and success. Adapted and modified.
Featured image: Rachel Lyra Hospodar, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
