Share with a Fellow Dad

It was late 2014.

After 6+ months of my buddy telling me about a book, I finally ordered myself a copy.

At the time, I had no idea how the book would transform my life.

The book I am talking about is called The Miracle Morning. 

The author, Hal Elrod, outlines 6 habits that he does each & every morning. His acronym for it is SAVERS

S – Silence

A – Affirmations

V- Visualization

E – Exercise

R – Reading

S – Scribing

I took his list, and made my own list.

Although, I have not come up with a cool acronym like he has.

Not yet at least.

Below are 7 daily healthy habits that I put into place each & everyday:

Practice Gratitude

Each morning, I try and sit down and write 5 things that I am grateful for.

I try and find 5 things that have happened in the last 24 hours.

Also, I try not to repeat things.

After about a week, this exercise becomes quite difficult.

However, what I have found, is that it forces me to look for things throughout the day, so I am not staring at a blank piece of paper the following day. Years ago, I know Oprah talked about this being the case when you practice gratitude daily.

You’ll write down things your grateful for that you likely took for granted.

Read for 20 Minutes

Up until 30, I would count how many books I read on one hand — not counting books that were required for school.

When I become an entrepreneur, I slowly became obsessed with reading.

I probably read 15 – 18 books a year now, which is mind-blowing as I always hated reading.

It’s such a shortcut to learn from people and the struggles they went through. I am not much of a fiction reader, moreso books on mindset, human psychology/behavior, marketing and busienss.

Walk

Such a powerful way to deal with stress.

And some damn simple.

If I am frustrated, tired, battling anxiety/stress, it’s absolutely amazing what a simple 15 – 20 minute walk can do.

Often times, I return to the house and the struggles I was dealing with pre-walk damn near melt away.

93.4% of the time, it works every time.

Not only is it a great way to reduce stress, but I come up with a lot of ideas for content — emails, YouTube videos, blog posts, etc. I try and walk without any electronics. Listening to the sounds of nature, with some screaming and yelling form the neighborhood kids.

Journal

This is another one of my favorite hobbies.

Something about jotting down all the thoughts in your head on a piece of paper really is an effective way to deal with head trash.

Have a question about life?

Pick up a pencil and grab a piece of paper and starting writing. Often times, I find the answer by putting this super simple exercise into place.

A couple times a year, I will do a “brain dump” where I sit for 10 – 5 minutes and jot down every thought in my head — The good, the bad and (mostly) ugly. It’s such a refreshing exercise.

Box Breathe

This is a form of meditation, that is very popular with athletes, Navy Seals, police officers and nurses.

Here is a good definition of what box breathing is.

It’s a very simple exercise that I have done sitting on the couch, driving in the car or sitting at the dinner table. It doesn’t take much time at all, and the benefits are extraordinary. I find it helps calm my nerves, I am much more patient with the kids and gives me clarity.

Visualize

My Mom calls me a “dreamer” and I take absolutely ZERO offense to that.

Yes, I am a dreamer!

This is another exercise you can do just about anywhere (not driving as it helps to close your eyes when doing this). Not only is it an easy exercise, it’s a whole lot of fun.

Mission

This was somewhat of a bonus one, but another important one.

Have something that you’re working towards everyday. Even if it’s only 15 – 20 minutes a day. This is a great way to fulfill yourself. This is something you WANT to do, not something that someone is suggesting you do.

Lately, I have been publishing YouTube videos (subscribe to my channel here). It’s been about 6 weeks since I started publishing videos twice a week, and I have been learning video editing — something I have wanted to learn for years, but never made the time.

Now, I don’t expect Steven Spielberg to call me for E.T. 2, but I’ve got quite a bit better in the last month and a half. All self taught with FREE YouTube videos.

Also, I use a free video editing software called Davinci Resolve.

If you want to learn how to do just about anything, Google & YouTube will show you the way. It’s how I taught myself web design & internet marketing in 2010.

A few passion projects you could pursue:

• Write a book
• Start a blog
• Build a business
• Feed the homeless
• Learn a new language
• Get debt free

Do you have daily habits that are non-negotiable for you?

If so, I would love to hear about them in the comments below.