Disclaimer: it is always nice to get some inspiration. That is the purpose of this post. Many things that work for others might not work for you. This is especially true for habits.

I am a geek for habits. And like many geeks I like to do it all. Every beneficial and seemingly healthy routine piques my interest. I have learned over the years that you can’t do it all at once. You have to take it step by step. In this post I will share some of the habits and routines I am doing or that I save in my habit-backlog to implement them later. Those are things that improved my life as a two times dad, solopreneur, husband and working a full time job as a software developer. And that is what habits are all about. To improve our life and enjoy it as much as we can even when our days are full. This list offers a variety of ideas. It’s not exhaustive, and you can always modify most activities. I’ve divided them into categories to help you find what you need more easily.

Pick a few and implement them into your day. Evaluate your routines on a daily basis or after a while and ask yourself the questions: “is this really fun and how can I make it more fun?”. “Do I need to change something?”.

Categories:

1. sport/activity
2. Nutrition
3. Mindfullness
4. Education
5. Productivity

1. Sport / Activity
   1.1 Bodyweight exercises:
   2-10 Minutes. Check out these youtubers for their workout: HybridCalisthenics, RedDeltaProject or try the books of Mark Lauren
   
   1.2 Various challenges:
   If you want to get started, challenges are are fun way. Try things like the Push up pyramid or the plank challenge.
   
   1.3 Walking/hiking:
   Going for a walk outside has great benefits. You can turn it into a challenge and count your steps. Try to do one additional step every day for a year.
   
   1.4 Replace a drive:
   If you take public transportation consider walking for one stop before hopping on. If you are driving your car maybe some short rides can be replaced by walking or taking the bike/longboard.
   
   1.5 Join a club or team or a group:
   Many things are easier when done together. This is especially true for physical activity. Find a great activity that is fun and also physical challenging. I do martial arts once a week.
   
   1.6 Yoga, Taichi, Pilates
   
   1.7 I came across an app called ‘The Lazy Workout.’ It might be something you’d like. After all, it’s better to do a little activity every day than none at all.
   
   1.8 Stretching:
   Even when I’m not motivated to exercise, stretching is something I can always do, even if it’s just for a minute.
   
2. Nutrition
   2.1 Substitute most grains with whole grains:
   This is what I did and it worked pretty well. Whole grains make you full for a longer period and are not as processed as white flours.
   
   2.2 Cook/prepare one meal per day yourself
   
   2.3 Never eat infront of a screen:
   This was a game changer for me. Eating in front of youtube resulted in many additional calories because my brain was too busy focusing on the videos and not whether I was full.
   
   2.4 Eat at least one serving of fruit or vegetables per day
   
   2.5 Replace one meal per week with a salad
   
   2.6 Eat less processed food
   
   2.7 If you try to lose weight, use the sacel every day at the same place and time:
   Studies showed that people lose weight just by using the scale every day.
   
3. Mindfullness
   3.1 Metta meditation:
   Google it. it might be for you.
   
   3.2 Affirmations:
   There are plenty of different things out there. See if anything resonates with you.
   
   3.3 Prayer
   
   3.4 Power of positive intent:
   I stumbled across it recently when searching for methods to deal with anger. The Power of positive intent simply states that you can chose to see the world differently. Everyone you meet is not trying to screw you but rather they are trying their best with the resources they have. Check out this video on youtube: click here
   
   3.5 Pronoia:
   Pronoia is the opposite of paranoia. Instead of thinking everyone is out to get you you shift your perception. Everyone or even the universe is conspiring to help you. Even obstacles are there to show you the right way. It is also explained in the video from before: click here
   
   3.6 Listening to Eckart Tolle:
   I came across Eckart Tolle’s book the power of now back in 2016 and it changed my life. I now make it a habit to listen or read one of his teachings at least once a week. For me it is a grounding experience. He can take some getting used to. You could also try Mooji, Sadhguru or browse youtube for a while.
   
   3.7 Mindfulness meditation:
   There are many variations. Try one.
   
   3.8 Being mindful with my children:
   I try to be completely present when we play together. No distractions. No judgment. just observation and eye contact. I allow them to play as they want without any guidance. I feel it has strengthened our bond.
   
4. Education
5. Productivity