5 Habits That Can Change Your Life

A long time ago I read a true story about a lady, who transformed the faceless landscape of an industrial suburb into something close to a fairy tale. Just imagine 5 acres of colorful daffodils, spreading over a mountain peak and the surrounding slopes in great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow and salmon pink.

No wonder, people driving by the daffodil ‘garden’ could not believe their eyes. Most of them stopped to take pictures. The braver ones walked up to the house to find out more.

What they saw was a large poster attached to the front door. Its headline read “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking”. Three answers were simple, “50,000 bulbs”, “One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain” and “Began in 1958.”

For me this “Daffodil Principle” represents the concept of how much we can change our own life and the world we live in, one day at a time.

It is the same principle that stands behind the power of habits – small action steps taken day in and day out, unnoticeably add up to huge life transformations over the years.

Here are the 5 Positive Habits that can be easily adopted today:

1. Drink an extra glass of water per day.

We all know that we are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but there are still only a few of us who follow this advice. Now 8 glasses of water per day may sound overwhelming, but drinking one extra glass is something you can definitely do starting today.

You might not notice the difference right away, but 10 years from now, when your skin looks much younger and your body much slimmer, you will be happy you adopted this habit.

2. Do something nice for your partner.

It can be a ‘thank you’ note on the fridge or a neck massage after a long day at work. Many relationships end, because people begin taking for granted the person that they love. If you feel that routine or your work starts taking over your personal life, make an effort towards having your partner feel special, beautiful, cherished, appreciated and cared for. Invest in your happily ever-after…

3. Look for one positive thing in every person or situation.

Our mind is hard-wired to seek the negative first. Trying to find at least one positive thing about every person or situation we encounter, helps us to approach life in a more objective way and make sounder decisions.

4. Always take one thing with you as you leave the room.

This is a simple organizing concept that I learned from Julie Morgenstern’s book ‘Organizing from the Inside Out‘. I don’t know about you, but not putting things in place right away is the #1 reason behind the clutter on my desk and my apartment. Not throwing out an old document here, forgetting to take an empty water glass back to the kitchen there – and you have yourself a messy desk! Always taking one thing with you when you leave the room is something that does not require a great effort on your part. But you will be amazed at how much easier it is to keep your house clutter-free.

5. Take 20 minutes of your 'TV watching' time and watch one TED video.

TED brings together the smartest people in the world who share their life's work in 20 minutes. All the TED videos are extremely motivating, educating, and just plain jaw-dropping.

I guarantee you in 1 month your IQ will go 20 points up.