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We often believe that doing something monumental in our life dictates greatness in our life. We thought grand gestures will sweep people off their feet, also transforming us into the best version of ourselves.
But nope. Actually, it wasn’t about loud results at all. It’s quite the opposite.
The truth is that small, simple habits can deliver more profound changes over time.
That 1 degree shift in your actions, just like marine navigations, eventually and totally changes the course of our lives.
As mentioned in Luke 16:10, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”
Indeed, if we’re committed to changing our little ways for the better, we can overcome even the bigger responsibilities in life!
It starts with discipline, my friends!
In this post, I’ll be writing the simple habits that I changed in my life, which made me more active and appreciative of life, leading to more tasks done, less overthinking, and more energy.
7 Simple Life Changing Habits I Did That Made Me Happier and Productive
1. Walking an hour a day.
I’ll be honest. If office workers scored a 5/10 for movement, my lazy self would have been at a solid 2, working from home, especially if we talked about the me two years ago.
Although I loved working in the comfort of my own space—sometimes even from my bed (guilty as charged!)— living a sedentary life didn’t bode well for me in the long run.
In just four years, my stamina plummeted. It was an all-time low.
I’d get winded just reaching the second floor, and my knees… my poor knees gave out, which was honestly one of the scariest moments of my life.
Thankfully, they’ve healed, but I’m still pretty cautious.
As you can see, I missed out on one very important thing.
Movement.
And it’s only recently did I learn how movement can be one of the foundations of a long, healthy life.
It’s not even going to the gym or intense workouts that will make you healthier and happier. Look at the Blue Zones, geographic areas with long life expectancies.
They got no intense weight lifts or cardio, or a complicated diet, but they’re living long, healthy lives.
Rather, simply and consistently accomplishing their daily activities such as gardening, farming, and their daily chores allowed them to achieve such health.
Simple, consistent movements like daily chores, gardening, walking, and farming promotes longer life span.
Unfortunately, it’s no longer the 1920s where sedentary jobs were, maybe, 10% of the workforce. Now, it’s almost reversed. We’re stuck in desk-bound jobs!
Now, one habit that I tried very hard to have discipline on is walking an hour a day.
At first, dragging myself out the door is tough, but it’s made a huge difference when I finally got the hang of it. I feel more focused and stronger. Mind, definitely fog-free.
Studies also show that walking 3800 (around 1.8 miles) steps a day decreases 25% chance of developing dementia. Walking also lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
No complicated routines but see, an hour’s walk covers roughly 3 miles already, and that speaks volumes when if we take our health into account.
It’s a good, easy way to get yourself moving!
2. “Less Sugar” Diet
I wouldn’t say I have a sweet tooth, but I did fancy a chocolate bar now and then, especially as a snack or after a meal.
Plus, I was drinking 3-in-1 instant coffees 2 to 4 times a day. Yes to that caffeine!!!
However, I discovered a gem recently as I decided to lose weight for a friend’s wedding.
I tried intense exercise, but one day I stumbled upon a podcast called Diary of a CEO, featuring Jessie, the “Glucose Goddess.”
Her insights on sugar’s effects were eye-opening, especially with how it contributes to not only the damage of physical health, but also our anxiety and declining mental well-being.
After her interview that I watched in January 2024, along with many others claiming the same studies, I went on a “NO SUGAR” diet, completely cutting out sugar.
Boy, the first two weeks were hard. It turns out all the food I usually eat contains sugar.
I took a hard turn and swapped white rice for brown rice. No more bread, candies, or fruit juices in a box. I now got used to drinking black coffee with no sugar.
Not to mention, I went through a week of withdrawal, relying on water, fruits, and deep sighs to curb my sugar cravings.
After four months, I rarely experienced brain fog and don’t get sleepy after lunch.
I also lost 8 kilos and stopped craving sugary things. My body felt lighter, and I was more active than I had been in the past four years.
That’s also why I could manage to walk an hour a day.
However, our environment is full of sugar temptations.
Occasionally, I give in, so now I’m following a “less sugar” diet because it’s difficult to always say no, especially as a Filipino, where the culture is to always share mouthwatering food!
3. Wake up early
This may be difficult to pull off if you’re a night owl. However, for those who get their jobs done in the day, waking up early would be a great start.
Catching the sunrise is incredibly healing—not just for the Vitamin D, but for the way it warms your heart and lifts your mood.
There’s something deeply fulfilling about starting your day without rushing straight into work.
When I wake up at 6 AM, I have time to read a chapter of the Bible, take a short walk around the neighborhood, and breathe in the fresh morning air. I can tidy up, sip my coffee, and gaze at absolute nothingness.
Waking up early gives us a meditative time to slow down which is good for our mental health.
Also consider sleeping early. It’s torturesome to wake up early when you don’t get 8 hours of sleep.
Read: 30-Day Happiness Challenge (Tiny Habits That Will Make You Happier)
4. Minimize your screen time
While phones are essential, I sometimes loathe this technology for two main reasons—it messes with my sleep and drains my productivity.
I usually start feeling sleepy around 9 PM. My body signals me to turn off the lights, settle down, and SLEEP!
However, out of habit, I grab my phone first. I end up listening to podcasts, watching debates on YouTube, or reading novels. And voila! It’s 1AM.
I was so confused about how I could stay up until midnight when my body already knew it wanted to sleep.
Well, a short Google explains how the light from our phones interferes with our brain’s sleep cycle.
That’s why I decided to cut back on phone usage and replaced them with screen-free activities like reading books. It’s better to learn new things than to doomscroll.
I’m currently reading “Surrounded By Bad Bosses and Lazy Employees” By Thomas Erikson. The first few chapters are a real banger!
5. Organize checklists
Do you ever feel like you’re not progressing in life, like, you’re stuck and don’t know what to do next in life?
I have so many goals that it feels like I’m trudging through sand, struggling to move forward. A real-life scenario of analysis-paralysis for me.
In previous years, I’ve been so conscious of this pattern, and thankfully, I now know how to immediately counter such dragging emotions.
The simple solution? I write checklists.
Whenever I feel overwhelmed or lost, I grab a pen and jot down my plans. I have daily checklists, a monthly one, and even a timeline stretching to 2026.
This fuels me to keep on going because once we have painted a clear picture of our path, the next steps would be obviously to go out there and explore it.
When we feel lost, we just need a map. It’s that simple. And checklists can serve as that guide.
See, I’m not a super organized person—I love a bit of spontaneity to keep life interesting—but in moments of uncertainty, I need a direction so I can purposefully walk towards my goals and tasks.
Checklists do the job.
Tackle your tasks one by one, and don’t try to do too much at once. Focus on finishing one thing before moving on to the next.
That’s my next tip: avoid multitasking.
6. Avoid multitasking
I admire people who can multitask. They look so efficient and productive. However, you know what I learned the hard way? You can only successfully multitask with tasks you know inside and out.
For example, when I helped out at my mom’s cafeteria, I could easily juggle serving customers, running errands, and washing dishes because I did that for 8 years. The same goes for household chores.
However, this multitasking skill isn’t as useful in bigger life projects that we’re still figuring out. Truth is, you can do anything, but you can only flourish in whichever task you’re focused on.
As I mentioned, I’m a spontaneous person and enjoy actualizing my idealism. I’m a daydreamer and my list of goals goes on.
I ran my passion blog in 2020 – it flourished and reached like-minded people and was one of my main sources of income.
I wrote an e-book – it’s up for sale until now!
Also, I managed a YouTube channel from scratch – it grew to 12,000 subscribers with around 38 videos.
I started a small photo printing business – and got all busy for two months with the surge of orders.
But last year, in 2023, because I tried to multitask and juggle all these goals, everything went crumbling down. Divided attention means divided progress, which didn’t yield any results at all.
I don’t regret it, though. I still encourage trying new things to satisfy our insatiable curiosity.
However, if we want to get serious and commit to what truly matters after some trial and error, we drop everything else, avoid multitasking, and FOCUS!
That’s one habit that drastically shifted my perspective – do things one at a time, and you’ll see tremendous progress.
I only get great things done when I’m not being a scatterbrain inserting 10% on each separate task. No-no.
We give our full attention to our tasks, one project at a time. Just wait and see how your goal skyrockets!
Read: How To Focus When You Have Too Many Goals In Life
7. Journal
Journalling has three major benefits:
- one, you can creatively and genuinely express your thoughts,
- two, you get to track your growth,
- and three, it gives room for deep self-reflection
Through journaling on my notebook, I let out my true emotions, and be honest with what I feel. I can be vulnerable, or creative.
On the other hand, publishing my stories on online platforms like Medium (where I started) helps me restructure and reframe my thoughts.
Well, when you’re writing for an audience, you’re forced to actually think and seek lessons about your experiences, rather than just endlessly ranting.
This is why I enjoy both methods.
I could track down my line of thinking and because I slowly understood myself as I write, my mindset has improved, changing my perspectives and the way I express myself to the world.
Journaling and publishing online ended up transforming me through consistent self-reflection. It has strengthened my mind and emotional well-being!
You could also start journaling by asking these 34 journal prompts for self-discovery.
That’s it. I hope this gave you insights. These simple life-changing habits worked for me. I hope it helps you, too!
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