How Practicing One Small Habit Can Change Your Life

How Practicing One Small Habit Can Change Your Life 1

ย O

Living in a rut is exhausting. You may know someone who seems unlucky, or maybe you feel that way yourself. Your inner voice echoes, I canโ€™t believe all the shit happening to me. I must be the unluckiest person alive. Or maybe, This isnโ€™t my day again.

You make plans, do your best to follow through with the details. You might overanalyze and still you wonder, Why in the world is my life so hard?

I have talked to many people about their issues, especially since Iโ€™ve gotten chronically ill. Other members of my support group and I share symptom similarities, relate how we feel in a safe space, and I have noticed there are some who heal better, more quickly, and with a greater lasting impact than others.

Read 10 Signs That Tell You Itโ€™s Time To Change Your Life

The secret?

Positivity.

Small Habit

I donโ€™t mean disingenuous positivity, slapping on a smile you canโ€™t feel, or donโ€™t want to share. Itโ€™s forced and fake. Iโ€™m talking about changing the messages you give yourself. Call it self affirmation, if you want.

We start with internal thoughts before we voice opinions and feelings. These secret musings become outward words we manifest.

Itโ€™s why your external change starts inside. Because when you deliver negative, discouraging missives to yourself, you are issuing a truth: I canโ€™t do this. I canโ€™t change this. Or, I am a victim.

Your unspoken thoughts become actions specifically designed to fail because you donโ€™t believe in what you are doing, or what you are going after.

Swap those tacit, damaging recitations for different ones: I can learn from this. What am I trying to accomplish? What is my gut telling me? Separate your heart from your gut. Whatโ€™s good for you? Get logical with your emotions. Forget what you want. What do you need?

Then focus on shoring-up your confidence when you go after your goals. I can do this. One setback is not going to keep me from my aim. Failure gives me the opportunity to learn.

Read Change your Mind to Change your Life

A confession:

When I wrote one of the first versions of my novel, I solicited opinions from a writing group containing thousands of readers and writers. I felt ready to hear their real opinions. In actuality, comparing them to hyenas digging into a fresh kill was a kind understatement!

Yes, I cried over their slams, but then something happened. I listened. I took the valid pieces as the reality of their experience. I applied the relevant changes that needed to happen to strengthen the book. It got better. Readers liked it! And I found out a really cool result:I became hungry for truth.

When I distanced myself from what could hurt me and removed any intention behind words, I grew a thicker skin. These people didnโ€™t know me! They were not trying to enter my body to claw at my soul.

The more I apply this mantra in my life:

I want the truth, the more I grow, the more effective I become in my work and the closer my relationships. All of this is confidence fodder. When you reach this stage, you can go on feeling better about yourself and your abilities, which begins to feed upon your subsequent endeavors until you have manifested a long, wondrous chain.

The next time you feel disappointment , use it as an opportunity to change your voice to that of an intentional victor. Get honest and fearless. Did things go south because the decision didnโ€™t originate from your gut? Substitute scolding yourself for making mistakes by regrouping and refocusing.

Tell yourself, I can do this because I say I can. I will do this because I believe I will. You are your most credible testament. Repeat the mantra in your head as many times as you need, shut down any creeping, doubtful suggestions.

Read Steve Jobsโ€™ Last Words Will Make You Change Your View Of Life Completely!

Say your mantra again. I can. Then you will.


Written by  
Originally appeared in The Good Men Project

How Practicing One Small Habit Can Change Your Life

— Share —

Published On:

Last updated on:

— About the Author —

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Up Next

How Delusional Confidence Can Help You Succeed (Even If You Doubt Yourself)

5 Reasons Why You Should Practice Delusional Confidence

Society tells us to be humble, to wait our turn, to only claim what we can prove. But what if the secret to success isnโ€™t waiting for proofโ€”itโ€™s acting like you already have it?

Some of the most successful people in history werenโ€™t necessarily the smartest, the most talented, or the best prepared. They were the ones who refused to entertain doubt. They acted as if their success was inevitableโ€”until it was.

Delusional confidence is not about arrogance or ignorance; itโ€™s about choosing belief over fear, faith over hesitation. Itโ€™s about backing yourself so hard that the universe has no choice but to meet you halfway.

Up Next

A Gentle Guide To Spring Cleaning Every Part Of Your Life

Spring Clean Your Life in 8 Simple Steps!

If youโ€™ve been feeling stuck, unmotivated, or just a little off, youโ€™re not alone. The start of the year can be tough, and sometimes, it feels like weโ€™re just going through the motions. But with spring finally here, itโ€™s the perfect opportunity to reset, refresh, and spring clean your lifeโ€”not just your home, but your mind, habits, and daily routine.

Think of it as a fresh start, a chance to let go of whatโ€™s been weighing you down and make space for new energy and motivation. Whether itโ€™s decluttering your space, breaking free from negative habits, or simply creating more time for yourself, a little spring cleaning can go a long way.

Here are some things you can do over the next few weeks to glow up and snap out of the funk.

Up Next

The โ€˜Grass Is Greenerโ€™ Syndrome: Why You Always Want More (But Never Feel Satisfied)

5 Toxic Signs Of Grass Is Greener Syndrome: Do You Relate?

Do you ever feel like no matter what you have, something better is always out there? That nagging feeling that your relationship, job, or life in general could be more exciting, or just… better? If so, you might be dealing with the Grass is Greener Syndrome.

Itโ€™s that restless voice in your head that constantly wonders if you made the wrong choice. You scroll through social media and see people seemingly living their best lives, traveling to exotic destinations, landing dream jobs, or being in picture-perfect relationships. 

And suddenly, what you have feels dull in comparison. This constant chase for something โ€œbetterโ€ can be exhausting and, more importantly, prevent you from appreciating the present moment.

Letโ€™s learn more about it if you find yourself getting stuck in the โ€˜Grass is Gr

Up Next

5 Key Mindset Shifts To Make Your Dreams Come True

5 Powerful Mindset Shifts That Will Make Your Dream Life a Reality

Mindset shifts are the key to manifesting your dream life.

Every year, I set goals and made vision boards, convinced that this time, things would change. But by the end of the year, nothing had moved. It felt like I was stuck in the same place, no matter how hard I tried.

Eventually, I realized the problem wasnโ€™t my goalsโ€”it was my mindset. I had limiting beliefs running the show, quietly holding me back from everything I wanted. My thoughts were filled with self-doubt, and deep down, I didnโ€™t truly believe I could have the life I was dreaming of.

So, I made a change. I started paying attention to my thoughts and replacing negative ones with self-affirming beliefs. I stopped questioning if I was “good enough” or if my dreams were “too big.” Instead, I started acting as if

Up Next

15 Profound Universal Truths To Understand The Human Condition

15 Profound Universal Truths to Understand the Human Condition

Have you ever noticed how some truths about life just hit different? These universal truths about the human condition are the kind that stick with you long after youโ€™ve heard them.

KEY POINTS

Well-written memoirs often share universal truths that connect with readers on a deeper level.

Universal truths are many, and each of us can have our own unique set.

Learning about others’ universal truths can help you find our own way.

In my memoir writing workshops, I always emphasize the importance of each story having a universal truth. While many are w

Up Next

Are You Too Non Confrontational? Hereโ€™s How Itโ€™s Sabotaging Your Life

Is Being Non Confrontational A Bad Thing? 5 Clear Reasons

Are you the type of person who stays silent even when something bothers you, just to keep the peace? If so, you might consider yourself as a non confrontational personality. But what if I told you that this trait might be doing you harm, more than helping you?

While avoiding confrontation might seem like the best way to maintain peace in relationships and workplaces, it often comes at a high cost. Letโ€™s dive into why being non confrontational is affecting you and how you can strike a balance between peacekeeping and standing up for yourself.

Up Next

7 Surprising Benefits Of Touching Grass (Youโ€™ll Want To Do It Daily!)

7 Cool Benefits Of Touching Grass: (You Should Try It!)

Ever heard someone say, โ€œGo touch some grassโ€? Itโ€™s an internet slang often thrown around as an insult, telling people to log off and reconnect with reality. But behind the sarcasm, thereโ€™s actual wisdom in those words. So, let us explore the real benefits of touching grass.

We spend hours glued to screens, scrolling or doom scrolling through social media, binge-watching shows, or getting lost in heated online debates. Spending too much time online can leave you feeling disconnected, drained, and overwhelmed.

The constant floo