Forming Keystone Habits Is The Start Of A Better Life!

Keystone habits are not talked about as much as they should be. They are the habits that hold everything together. Keystone habits are named after a keystone in construction, which is a stone that holds an arch together. So what I’m getting at is getting keystone habits created will improve other habits.

Why Should You Care About Habits?

You may be wondering why it matters if you have a keystone habit and that’s fair. It is important to have keystone habits because they are something to build on. One example of a good keystone habit is working out. When you first start working out things are difficult but over time they improve. If you want to continue to see progress you may need to change your diet. If you smoke it may also get you to quick because of the difficult breathing.

A few more examples of common keystone habits would be reading, writing a journal, making your bed, or eating dinner with family. If you look at each one you’ll notice how they build up new habits. If you are in the process of forming a good habit consider that your keystone habit and build off of it. Just because it works for one person doesn’t mean it will work for you but creating great habits should always be one of your goals. 

Reading

If you read often you will have a more worldly perspective leading to new habits. Reading can also teach you about new habits or concepts that you’ve never heard of before. 

Journaling

Writing a journal will make you think about your day, you’ll see places for improvement and want to make the change. 

Making Your Bed

Making your bed starts your day off with something you can say you finished. You will want to keep checking things off your “to do” lists. It’s the easiest way to start the day of with an accomplishment.

Dinner with Family

If you start eating dinner with your family you will want to get more involved in everyone’s lives. You will grow new habits together.

As you can see changing one aspect of your life can make a big difference. Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you started to read more? What about going and using that gym membership you’ve been paying for? One new habit that sticks will change your life everyday. 

How Do You Develop New Habits? 

The sad truth about habits is that there is no cookie cutter formula for habit creation. Scientists have put an incredible amount of effort into studying habits but everyone is different. That means that everyone will have different results when forming a habit.

On the bright side we do know that being systematic about habits will help in forming them. You shouldn’t worry about how long a habit takes to form. What is more important is making sure you continue practicing the habit. The repetition is what builds the habit.

Systematizing Your Habits

As mentioned before a habit is formed by being systematic. There are three common parts to a habit and each is just as important as the lost. They are known as the the cue, the routine, and the reward. Charles Duhigg can be credited for putting the parts of a habit into such a simple concept. He explains them really well in his book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business”.

The Cue 

The cue or trigger is the thing that sets off the habit. This can be a time, a place, other people, your emotions, or a reaction to an event. When the cue happens this is when you start your routine.

The Routine

The routine is the habit itself. It is the action that you do without thinking about it. This can be anything from going to the kitchen to grab a treat or going out to smoke. Once the routine gets going it is hard to stop and may feel automatic. Without the routine something feels off about a situation and it can ruin your day.

 The Reward

The whole reason the habit exists is to get the reward. In most cases it will be related to dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical in your head that gives you pleasure or joy from a situation. Once you have finished your routine your brain will tell you you did a good job and reward you.

The Plan

Now that you understand these three principles it’s time to make a plan.  If this is a new habit you will have to create a cue, for an old habit you will be identifying. The next thing will be the routine. The routine is the action of the habit, if it is a new habit decide what the routine is but make it small. Small habits are easier to form than big ones. If you have a habit it’s time to change it. If you change the cue and the routine to something positive the reward will still come.

Take some time and write out either what your new habit will be or what you want to work on. Keep a notebook around as you build your habit and document how things feel. The beginning is the hardest time. As you spend more time on your habit it will feel easier every day.

How do you choose a new habit?

Choosing a new habit can be difficult. The easiest way to get started is to look at what will benefit your life the most. If you feel like you could lose some weight look into starting a habit of exercising. This doesn’t mean buying supplements, getting a gym membership, and a personal trainer. Make it simple like doing pushups before or after work. A great app for this is the 7 Minute Workout. It’s easy to do and doesn’t take much time. If you feel like reading suits you better take a look at getting ebooks on your phone. You can always read a few paragraphs instead of checking social media.

What really matters when picking a habit is picking one that suits your life. If you try to jump into something that you don’t care about it will be much harder to do. The easiest habits to form are the ones that you enjoy doing.

Sticking With Your New Habit

There are four things to keep in mind when forming habits.

1. It’s not going to be easy.
2. You are going to have to self motivated because this is about you.
3. You will have to show discipline.
4. Delayed gratification is key.

These 4 concepts may sound challenging but they really aren’t. It is much easier actually get out there and do something than think about it. If you sit around thinking too much you will overhype how hard it will be. Motivate yourself to get out and do what you want, use the 3 parts of a habit to break it down. Know that it will take some time but it will pay off in the long run. If you stick to your habits in the end you will have a happier life.

Habits Change Your Life

It is pretty obvious that habits can change a life. All of us know at least one person that smokes too often or drinks to often. Those are habits that formed from doing the activity regularly. Spending the time to create a good habit can have positive impacts in all aspects of your life.

As long as you are picking healthy habits to form there is no wrong way to do it. If you pick exercising eventually you will start eating healthier. If you start reading more often you may start to write more often or get into new hobbies you didn’t know existed. The people around you will also be inspired by what you are doing.

It is important to remember that you are living your life for you. Forming habits makes life easier you can go on autopilot and still do great things. If you are ready to go out and start building new keystone habits make sure you like this post, share on social media and sign up for our newsletter. If you’re really feeling confident about your habit tell us about it in the comments!

Positive Affirmations Make a Positive Impact

Do you ever hear the term “positive affirmations”? If you read enough about success you’ll come across it at some point. Affirmations come from the idea that if you tell yourself something or hear something enough times you’ll believe it. That means that positive affirmations are positive things that you are told or hear regularly that influence your life. The actual definition of an affirmation is the action or process of affirming something or being affirmed. It can also be emotional support or encouragement. The things you believe in most are what create your reality. If you tell yourself you’re going to have a great day you more than likely will.

Examples of Positive Affirmations

Telling yourself you’re going to have a great day is a start but let’s take a look at a list of positive affirmations that are easy to get started with.

• I learn from my mistakes
• I never give up
• I make the best of every situation
• I am successful
• I am wealthy
• I am the creator of my own destiny

As you can see these affirmations examples are all about you. The best way to word them is by using the word “I” and terms that make it sounds like it’s happened already. You want to convince yourself that you can do it because you already have. Create the confidence within yourself and make it powerful.

It can be tough to imagine a situation to use positive affirmations on at first. Remember you can use them for work, school, life, or wealth just to name a few. Imagine How much better your job would feel if you created an affirmation for work. You could inspire coworkers to do the same and eventually boost office morale. If the whole office is more productive because of you it’s almost guaranteed you’ll get rewarded.

Teach Them Early

Positive affirmations for kids is also a huge thing you can start early on in your child’s life. If you are a parent you do everything you can to make the best life you can for your children. Imagine how much more they could accomplish if they convinced themselves they can do anything. Teach them to tell themselves “I am the hardest working student in my class” or “I’m the best athlete on my team”. These ideas will push them to the next level.

The Importance of Positive Thinking

The way you think will change how you view the world. Have you ever had a bad thing happen early on in your day? It can be difficult to bounce back because you focus on negative ideas. Positive affirmations area great way to start thinking positively.

Affirmations are powerful and should be used as often as possible. You can use them in the morning to start your day, if you are struggling and need reassurance, or before bed. It’s really up to you and you may need to experiment to get the best results. Many people believe that you should say your affirmations out loud. It may be helpful for you to do this but it isn’t necessary. Positive affirmations are a thought so just thinking of the idea will help you tremendously.

Positive Impact on Your Life

It may seem odd at first but positive thinking will impact how you feel. They are good for creating more happiness and positive emotions. It also promotes big thinking. If you tell yourself that you are going to be a millionaire everyday you will start thinking about how to reach big goals. Your happiness and big dreams will start to influence the people around you. Imagine how your life will improve if you family, friends, coworkers, or employees start having a more positive outlook. There’s no downside to thinking more positively.

Big People Believe in Big Thinking

The idea of thinking big has been around for a long time. Every nation, religion, or company has been created by someone with big ideas. Positive affirmation may not have been what helped every big thinker along but it did help a few and here are some examples

Napoleon Hill

He is known for his book “Think and Grow Rich” as you can see it has to do with thinking. One of the quotes he is most famous for is “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.” He used positive affirmations for success because he knew it would help build an empire. As a result of his positive thinking his empire was able to teach others how to be successful and think positively. 

Henry Ford

The man that brought the automobile to the average person was known for thinking big. He is credited for saying “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” He knew that the way you think would correlate to what kind of life you had. Even without finishing school (dropped out at age 15) he still went on to become one of the most well known businessmen in history.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey daydreamed of his future success. He was so committed to the idea that he would become successful that he post dated a check 10 years in advance for $10 million. The check was for “acting services rendered” he kept that check in his wallet until it fell apart. He eventually reached his goal. His positive thinking helped him achieve his dreams.

Will Smith

Almost everyone with access to TV or the internet knows who Will Smith is now. Before he became a major celebrity he still believed he was. He believed that he was an A list celebrity you just didn’t know him yet. That powerful thinking was able to push him to fame. Will Smith believes that if you aren’t making someone else’s life better than you are wasting yours. That is powerful thinking, he will change the world.

It’s Time

You’ve read about how positive affirmations will make your life better. You’ve also read about how successful people have used positive thinking and affirmations to become famous world wide. Now it’s your turn to create a positive affirmation for yourself.  This is only going to take a few steps.

Step 1

Find something that you think you want because it will make your life better. This could be anything from having a great day to becoming the wealthiest person in you family. Make sure that it is something you want.

Step 2

Create a phrase to go along with what you are trying to achieve. This should be a statement that includes and “I”. It’s also a good idea to use words that are past tense like you’ve already done the task. I’m having a great day is a good example. Here are a few examples to go along with the wealth and success. “I am a successful businessperson.” or “I am a millionaire, I work hard for my dreams.”  Whatever it takes to motivate you and make you feel good about what you are doing.

Step 3

This is the final step. All you have to do is find the best time to tell yourself your affirmations. A great time to do it is in the morning while you are preparing for your day. You can also add to it as the day goes on or if you start feeling down. Through it in before bed to end your day on a positive note.

My Personal Affirmations

Creating affirmations isn’t the easiest thing because you have to have an idea of what you want. I didn’t start out with big thinking but it grew over time. This is a list of the affirmations I currently use, feel free to steal them if they sound like something you dream about.

• I am a millionaire real estate investor
• I am a best selling author for investing and lifestyle coaching
• I am a motivation speaker, coach, and mentor
• I’m making a difference in the world by teaching how to live a more fulfilling life.

I have big goals and I hope that after reading this you will too. If you are still having a hard time here are 3 sentences to use to create your affirmations.

• I am ______
• I have achieved ______
• I made a difference by ______

Thinking Positive Thoughts Everyday

Life is too short to focus on all of the negatives. Everyday you should find something positive to think about because positive thinking will create more happiness for you. Daily motivations should be one of your main focuses. Every chance you get to look at the world in a positive light is a chance to grow into a more positive person. If you take anything away from this post it should be the most important things are to think positively everyday, use affirmations to solidify positive thoughts, and focus on what makes you happiest.

Share Your Positive Mindset

The most successful people in the world because successful because they know that the way you think determines how you live. Start thinking in a way that makes your life positive. After you have started thinking more positively the most important step is to share your ideas with others. It only takes one positive action to change a person’s life. Imagine how great it would feel to tell yourself “I made a difference.” Get out there and share positivity.

If this post helped you create a positive affirmation or think more positively please share it with someone. Everyone deserves more positivity in their lives. Our goal is to build a community of people that believe success comes to those who believe anyone can succeed. Don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter to get new content first. If newsletter aren’t your thing find us on Facebook and Instagram!