Top 12 Habits to Implement in 2022
I am always looking to simplify things. My life, my business, my thoughts.
There are thousands of pieces of advice from hundreds of books that I have read. On the business side, we have incorporated those into our business using a quality system. A lot of this is industry specific and of use to a limited amount of people.
I am often asked about what the key takeaways are from reading so many books. On a practical level, it looks something like this.
In no particular order, these are the most important things.
1. Set goals
Set goals every year in these categories: Relational, Career, Physical, Intellectual, Fun, Financial, Faith.
Over the years I have crafted and revised this exercise but the bulk of it comes from 2 books:
- Awaken the Giant Within By: Tony Robbins
- The Dream Manager By: Matthew Kelly
2. Pursue your spouse.
Every month: Go on a date with your spouse and do something that fulfills their love language (buying a gift currently fills my wife’s love tank).
This comes from the book The Five Love Languages. Highly recommend it!
3. Exercise
Exercise for 45 minutes 5 times each week.
4. Track your food
Track the food you eat in a food tracking app. I use Myfitnesspal to track my food. I am aiming at a daily calorie level and try to hit a certain % of protein.
This allows me to eat wherever with anyone and still maintain my weight and body composition.
5. Read
Read 10 pages of a nonfiction book each day. This equates to about 12 books a year. I use a highlighter and take notes when reading to help me process and retain what I read.
6. Determine 3 tasks at the end of the day.
Determine 3 tasks at the end of each work day that move you closer to your goals.
This point and the next couple are paraphrased from countless authors but explicitly taken from Donald Miller and my executive coach, Dan Sullivan.
7. Execute those 3 tasks the next morning.
Execute those 3 tasks in the morning of each work day. Those are victories! Your team will think there are two of you by just doing those 3 things daily.
8. Share victories with your team.
At the end of every workday share those 3 victories with your direct reports and vice versa. This will give your entire team a sense of momentum. It will also inspire your team to see their leader growing and taking action and risks.
9. Sleep 7-9 hours.
The shorter your sleep, the shorter your lifespan. This is one of the most important things you can do.
Why We Sleep By: Matthew Walker is fantastic!
10. Put your phone up at home.
Put your phone on a charger that is not in your bedroom when you walk in the door. This is something I want to improve on immensely over the next year.
The most consistent parenting advice I have gotten is to be present with your kids as much as possible. Also, see the book above on how to sleep more…get the phone out of your bedroom.
11. Pursue God daily.
Every day: pray, read scripture, practice gratitude.
This is the one thing that all of the others flow from. Get a little closer every day.
12. You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Act accordingly.
Evaluate your inner circle of friends. You are the average of them. Spiritually, financially, physically, relationally. Are there any toxic friends you need to spend less time with?
