10 simple habits that keep you more creative and upbeat than most people

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Too many people believe that a good proportion of life is to be struggled through.

That it’s somehow valiant to be stressed all the time.

I’d argue, however, that life is to be enjoyed.

You’re able to contribute far better that way.

Here are some habits that allow you to live a better, more compelling life:

1. Start the day with a 10-minute brain flush.

Write down whatever’s on your mind.

This is like taking a net to those pesky thoughts that have been keeping you up all night.

Put down everything that comes to mind. Thoughts, worries and ideas.

This is therapy but also gets you into creative momentum, which will flood beautifully into your next task.

2. Choose to be upbeat, no matter what.

Moving through life lightheartedly has nothing to do with your personality.

Stop letting your external circumstances dictate your mood, whether it’s the news or the weather.

Happiness is a choice. Mould the world to your good mood.

Walk with a skip in your step, even if you don’t initially feel it. You soon will.

3. Take regular ’inspiration walks.’

Get outside for at least 20 minutes daily without a destination in mind. Walk for exercise, better posture and to clear your thoughts.

Movement, sunlight and nature spark creativity and lift your mood.

4. Create before you consume.

Who knew that creating first thing could seem so revolutionary?

Spend the first 30 minutes of your day creating, writing, brainstorming, doodling, or making art before checking emails or social media.

This puts you in a more optimistic, creative state and keeps external noise from hijacking your mind.

5. Adopt a ‘there is always a way’ attitude.

Sure, not everything is possible, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep an open mind that’s looking for solutions.

There are solutions in the ugliest places.

Those who the world never forget are always those who found a way to make something work. This is pure creativity in motion.

Be the person who’s willing to find the way.

6. Reframe stress with gratitude.

This isn’t about being unrealistic. It’s about rewiring your mind to return to your natural flow.

Gratitude is our default state. It’s just that we fill our minds with so much junk and self-criticism that we believe it takes work to be grateful.

Just bring to mind 3–5 things you’re grateful for today.

Develop the gratitude habit, and you’ll be surprised how fun life becomes.

7. Declutter one small thing every day.

What’s one thing you can do today to simplify your online and offline environment?

This could be a physical item you never use or an unnecessary bill payment.

These tiny things seem insignificant, but they slowly add up.

8. Use the ‘three wins’ technique at night.

As you fall asleep, think of your three main wins for the day before.

This trains your mind to be biased toward winning rather than fearing.

You become your biggest supporter when you think like this regularly.

9. Stop trying to understand your emotions.

We’ve lost our way when it comes to emotions.

We view them as things to be scared of. As proof there is something ‘wrong’ with us.

We feel we need to figure out what our emotions tell us. We place too much value on them.

But emotions are merely reflections of the thoughts running through our minds. We don’t need to understand our thoughts, just as we don’t need to understand our emotions.

If we feel bad, it’s because we’re thinking bad thoughts.

The better way is to know that a good feeling means we’re on the right track. That’s it.

10. Bring humour into your life.

Reprogram your mind to see the humour in things most wouldn’t look twice at.

There is humour and joy everywhere if you look for it.

Also, find ways to laugh every day. This keeps endorphins high. Watch comedy. Make others smile.

Be the guy who keeps it light at the appropriate moment, even if things seem hard.

This is an underestimated practice that keeps morale high.

Small things to improve your life are often overlooked because people are waiting for that big break.

But the small things done consistently will bring you the break you’ve been waiting for.

What other ideas do you have?

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Later,

Alex

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