8 Habits That Brought Positivity to My Life

Life is a series of change presented with looming challenges, opportunities, happiness, pressure, roadblocks, stress, and bliss; and growth is allured from such circumstantial factors to positively improve the level of living with adopted principles, habits and routines.

There are times when life can be complicated with a lot of hitches, keeping up with goals, responsibilities, and task can be daunting; in a toxic environment, immersing in stress, with anxiety, low energy and apathy; the need for change is needed more than ever because change is the law of life.

It is a crucial factor of survival and it paves way for growth and opportunities; without the shift, there is no incentive for improvement.

In the first trimester of the year, I was on the back roll of succeeding with a lot of happening behind the scene of my life.

I was pushed to the limit with a lot of challenges, stress, and obstacles that made life overbearing at a firm point and I was helpless, at the verge of retiring from everything but I realized that valuable lessons are learned from all the events and you can never reach your true potential until you challenge yourself to go beyond imposed limitations by cultivating new habits, routines and improving the areas in your life that need change.

And we all have moments in our lives where we are required to shift or take a drastic difference that can introduce us to new phases, levels, and opportunities.

There are times we hit a rut in our lives and we decide that we need to make some changes that will set our path on the right track as life is a catalog of growth aligned in the gallery of surviving. The need for goals, priorities, logic, reasoning, and theories to be improved is an optimal factor of growth.

Growth lives in the uneasiness, the in-between, the unfinished sentences and in the season of becoming; so I employed some habits to change my life and the results were impressive. And these are practically applicable habits that are essential and beneficial to anyone whether you are into self-care or personal development.

They are habits that I have picked up over the course of my transformation and discovery journey that has been life-changing.

1.  Mindset Shift

The mind is the most important part of achieving anything, as mental change always comes before physical change.

The mind is like a muscle, the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand. Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside changes with it, so the first thing I did was cultivate a positive mindset.

I know this is easier for some people than others because our cards played in life are totally different but you can cultivate, develop and groom a positive mindset with effective and easy tips over here.

It’s always easier said than done, trust me, cultivating a positive mind and uplifting positivity from every situation was one of the difficult things I have ever done.

When tragedy unraveled without a directive, keeping sane and cultivating positivity was hard! One trick I employed was sharpening a positive vision. Even before situations unveiled, I upheld positivity and silent negativity, starting with the utterances I made.

As I visualized my life and my goals, my weeks and days influenced by positivity, things took a positive turn, one take-home lesson was “every mistake or failure made is an outlet of winning or learning so do not be afraid or limit yourself”.

I grasped every opportunity as a medium to grow. It wasn’t easy at the initial stages but as I accepted and became mindful of optimism, constructive changes walked into my life.

I eliminated negative thinking and adopted positivity, I affirmed that good things will always happen to me even in the most challenging battles and negative events are temporary and most times stepping stones to greater heights.

The theme of my life was built on positivity as I faced my fears, accepted failures, outlined lessons from it, welcomed changes, push through hard times, eliminated negativity and stayed authentic.

2.  Gratitude

In everything “give thanks”, because the more you express gratitude for what you have the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for. I learned to develop an attitude of gratitude and gave thanks for every step.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life, it turns what we have into enough and more. It can turn a meal into a feast and a house into a home.

Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgiving and change ordinary activities into opportunities. It is one of the strongest and most transformative states of being because it shifts your perspective from lack to abundance and allows you to focus on the good in your life which in turn pulls more goodness into your reality.

We often focus on wanting more, but if we take a step back and be truly grateful. our lives will be changed.

To practice gratitude, all you have to do is write down 3 things that you are grateful for every single day especially on bad days when you feel stressed, upset, disappointed,  and angry. This allows you to put up a positive mental framework in your head that things are going to be okay.

It doesn’t have to be a difficult or a demanding task; in the morning you can state one thing you are grateful for, in the afternoon another thing you are grateful for and in the evening one more thing that you are grateful for.

If you wake up each day with a sense of gratitude, you will infinitely be a happier person for gratitude is a key to happiness. The more you focus on gratitude the more it grows and the more it brings abundance, so cultivate more gratitude in your everyday life.

3.  Understanding The Reason Behind Seasons

Life is a catalog of events simultaneously hanged to create an adorning piece, sometimes some edges are sharp, the pawns are big and other times smaller but the beauty lies in the sufficient arrangement of each piece to form a meaningful portrait.

This portion of reality is often hard to accept, as it is daunting to sometimes accept the unexpected cards life shows to us; affecting the way we choose to play. Sometimes the game comes to an end too soon, other times it is prolonged with penalties.

So, we have to be prepared to face the inevitable challenges that unfold with living; the clouds on dark storms, the whisper of fear each time we try to take steps of courage, we have to understand there is no adventure without challenge, you can’t fulfill your purpose or manifest without hurdles, impediment and obstacle of survival hence you have to be prepared to face every challenge.

One thing I want you to understand is that things don’t just happen or choose you, they unfold to you for specific reasons and purposes so you will have to learn to see beyond the normal circumstances and learn to probe deep into the reason of the season.

Sometimes all our hidden qualities are sharpened and given life by obstacles and challenges we encounter. Once I understood this, my life changed with prosperity, I may have to overcome certain tragedy because my destination requires a better version that I am yet to discover, so I do not underestimate the reason for seasons.

Seasons come to teach you, elevate, motivate, encourage and lead you to a better dimension. I know this can be difficult to accept and cultivate, but programming your mind and tending to it helps.

In those hard times, you can ask  questions like

• What are you here to teach me?
• What do I have to learn?
• What does this situation need to teach me?
• Where is my destination with this?
• What do I need to do differently?
• What do I need to accept and move on?

Above all, asserting that you are in charge and so you can’t be suppressed, fazed, detained by disappointment, roadblocks, anxiety or depression. They are not here to stay but to pass and call out your improvement so do well! 

In this process of aligning with reasons and seasons, you have to stop complaining, playing the victim or blaming others for problems and learn to take responsibility because you are in control, you can shape your life in the way you want it nobody is going to change your life but you.

Sometimes survival itself can be choking detaining every strand of strength, detecting the need can be hard and all you need to do is to simply breathe, say these words and try again.

‘’I am in control

challenges are not here to disfigure me

but to prepare me for a dominating journey’’

I can’t help but lay a lot of emphasis on this point, let growth be anchored to every phase instead of simply shaming, complaining, blaming and reducing your peace.

You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage; instead, it is important for you to understand that your experience, facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages.

Perspective they say is everything when you are experiencing the challenges of life. Positively align your perspective because just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition we develop growth and our perspective by overcoming challenges and adversity.

I personally have faced silent difficulties and challenges playing a role that suppressed me but I am here today with a degree of power that was developed from the challenges so please, I want you to remember keenly that every circumstance or event is an opportunity to learn, to discover, invent and reinvent. In fact, take charge and motivate yourself with challenges because every negative pressure or challenges is an opportunity to rise.

Our challenges and obstacles give us layers of depth and interest that make us unique so face them head-on with no restrictions today.

Know that where you have been had shaped
where you are
you’ve blossomed in beautiful ways
so give yourself grace

This may be so hard but honor your bloom and trust your wilt, it makes the journey worth the while.

P.S You are allowed to trust your process and yourself; you’re allowed to take risk, in the process, you are allowed to fail before you succeed, you are allowed to not know what you’re doing or where you are going, you are allowed to start over again and again, you are allowed to learn  from your mistakes and do better next time so take it slowly one step at a time.

So today,

UNPACK

–  Opinions of others

–  Self-criticism

–  Past mistakes

–  Emotional trauma

–  Rejection

BRING ALONG

–  Self-forgiveness

–  Positive self-talk

–  Courage in taking risks

–  Supportive relationship

–  Truth and authenticity

4.  Self-Care

Self-care is an intentional activity that enables us to take care of our mental health, simply put, self-care is an aid to help us live a balanced life, it is something that we do that refills us. Investing in self-care yielded massive profit for me, incorporating it into my life gave me a firm boost.

Before self-care was initiated, I exhausted myself in the course of working; I barely created time for myself, I worked all through the night and worked harder in the morning and by the time evening rolled around I was too tired to be productive.

I knew I needed a change but I didn’t know how to go about it until one day, I stumbled across some self-care strategies and decided to give them a try. As I started implementing those self-care tips and strategies into my daily activities, I was able to declutter unnecessary activities and draw closer to the mindfulness of positivity.

I was able to release thoughts and energy that were toxic to me and didn’t serve my higher self; my productivity and growth level tripled tremendously, my life was rebranded and so the power of self-care can never be overemphasized.

Loving yourself adequately, validating your worth, creating adequate time for yourself, feeling your pain as you make space for understanding that you are shedding, you are alive, growing and learning to live in the process.

Some self-care strategies and tips I implemented were:

• Taking a break

We are not machines without a limit of operations; sometimes we need to take breaks and relax.

• Prioritizing what must be done

Decluttering my to-do list, stop compiling activities and eliminating things that are unnecessary.

• Making self-care a habit by implementing it into my daily routine.
• Having warm baths.
• Stretching in the mornings.
• Staying hydrated.
• Turning off electronics 2 hours to bedtime.
• Spiritual communication.

The list is really long, for more strategies click here.

I want you to understand that your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship, so you have to value the power of self-care.

I learned to care for myself, show up for myself on days when believing in myself was a myth, I refused to suppress my light to accommodate other peoples shadow and this set my life on a productive role.

So I just want to conclude by saying this “love yourself first and everything will fall in place”.

5.  Meditation

This is a vital tool for growth; meditation is simply a firm connection to your inner sanctuary, it enables you to correct your thought, detach from the weariness of chaos soaring on your peace. It provides an anchor for your thoughts, provides a platform where you could check into your subconscious and re-new positivity.

Meditation is transcending into the spiritual, having a firm connection with the divine in the quietness and stillness as you channel better into your inner part.

It is a sanctuary of peace where you connect and observe how the mind works.

In the course of survival, chaos is driven and takes hold. The need to watch our thoughts and the analysis it upholds is extremely important; watching your mind, what slips into the subconscious and how you anchor positivity calming your body and soul.

This is a habit I have been cultivating for the past 6 months; I try to meditate every night and when I do, I notice that I am less stressed, I sleep better, I am more in tune with my body and purpose, I get creative ideas and I am more productive.

I developed and cultivated the bait of synching with my inner consciousness before I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning it helps me declutter negative thoughts hovering around my sub-conscious and make peace.

Meditation is a very powerful tool that is yet to be used by a vast majority of the public, it can solve so many of our problems and tremendously improve our lives.

Meditation is not just tangled around the spiritual but it helps a whole load of health problems such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, lower blood pressure and it relieves pain.

It is something that changes the way you experience every moment of your life, it is all about what goes on in your mind.

By meditating, you can concentrate more effectively, change your brain in ways to function and increase your productivity level. There are so many ways meditation can influence the body and the brain;

I meditate by:

• Soaking myself in a quiet environment.
• Sitting comfortably.
• Paying attention to something, from my breathing; inhaling and exhaling.
• Letting thoughts come and go, not encouraging or blocking them.
• Focusing on a positive mantra.

The mind is so powerful and we become whatever we feed or connect to it; if you haven’t been meditating, give it a try and you’ll see the process will positively impact your life.

6.  Developing Productive Routines

Developing productive habits increases our level of control; setting the right tone for activities to unveil is a vital factor of success. This single habit that I adopted set the wheels of my life on a different seamless track,  I could make goals, set up my priorities, crush them, take care of myself, have adequate time to explore and function effectively.

I started by cultivating a morning routine that is sure to supercharge my day and then a night routine that sets my morning without fatigue and tiredness. Setting the tone for every day is a fundamental ritual to success, the best strategy in forming good and healthy habits.

My mornings were usually tumultuous with fatigue, I didn’t wake up early or have breakfast or keep track of my goals but the need to be productive came at me and developing a routine guide made the process easier.

When it’s time to work I do, when it’s time for some relaxation I honor and when it’s time to go to bed, I totally abide and this single act brought a tremendous shift to my productive sense. I became more organized, I could keep track of activities and I became better at everything.

Keeping routines surely improves your health, well-being, and productivity. When things go right as planned, it gives the rest of your day adequate momentum and energy. I adjusted my routine and my time management increased leading to more accomplishment, achieving goals and making gradual changes.

I developed routines like:

• Preparing the night before.
• Outlining my to-do list and prioritizing the most important activity.
• Starting every day with positive input and mind.
• Meditating.
• Soaking in mindfulness,
• And creating time for myself.

7.  Patience

Nature doesn’t hurry and yet everything is accomplished.

I am a very impatient person,  I become apprehensive when I don’t see quick results, I like dwelling and getting results immediately and that can mentally drain a person.

But I came to the understanding and acceptance that life is a tree; from its roots, it springs up, it blooms with time else if forced its harvest becomes premature with no benefit and so I decided to take things slowly and patiently doing my very best. And my motto was to keep going when everything is tough and just keep going when it’s long!

Patience is not passive, it is concentrated strength. Patience is the only true foundation on which to make one’s dreams come true.

It is a companion of wisdom for the times I was irrational and acted on impulse the end result caused me a lot and that is something I don’t want to keep occurring and as the saying goes everything comes to him who hustles while he waits; so I am patiently dealing and approaching life.

8.  Time Consciousness

Time is everything! The ability to prioritize your to-do list, declutter unnecessary activities is a mandatory factor for positive growth and development.

When you prepare for things and tend to them at the outlined time, you can keep track of your productivity level, make changes and achieve more rather than cultivating a lackadaisical behavior towards your responsibilities.

Managing time helps to stay motivated while we avoid procrastination; the trick to successful time management is setting up a schedule or a master time table and prioritizing your list of goals.

When you cultivate personal time management, you are setting a commitment of efficiency for yourself. When you have great time management, you are giving yourself more space to be in control and to progress. When you create a good plan, you’ll have time to do all the things you want to.

When you set up a time plan, you are able to attend to your priorities and walk your way down the least important task. After setting up a firm schedule you’ll notice that your motivation is increasing while your progress is moving ahead, your stress level reduces and you feel so good inwardly.

When you do not have a schedule, you are only hurting yourself because people with poor management time suffer from disorganization and discomforting issues.

Time management is extremely important because it affects every area of your life so try to cultivate a time management format.

I have to drop this in as an additional habit- Learn something new every day! You should always learn to be a student in this lifetime, cultivate the habit of learning something from a podcast, the new media, twitter, google, movies, etc. It is important to stay passionately curious; reading is one knowledge acquirement that helps.

Reading a book is a lifetime knowledge and there is so much out there to learn and reading will help with that. Learning has a way of expanding your mind as it makes your mind more conscious and sharp so do not neglect opportunities to build the knowledge of your mind.

These might not be new tips but the essence of cultivating these habits into your life increases your level of productivity and set your life at a high beam so I want you to pick at least one of these habits if you haven’t been practicing anything just for 30 days for a start you will be pleased with the results.

Remember change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy, but with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.