You can’t deny that being disciplined is definitely a huge plus when it comes to getting your life together. Not saying discipline is for everyone—if you got things under control without it, great—but you can’t deny that it does help put some things into perspective and streamline life in ways that are otherwise hella hard.
Well, folks on Reddit have been talking about something that has a lot to do with discipline, and that is habits. In particular, it’s small, minimal-effort habits that go a long way in improving your quality of life and thus make a huge difference in how you approach it.
We’ve scoped out the best, most helpful tips, tricks, hacks, and just habits in general that folks in this thread suggested and created a lovely curated list that you can find, vote and comment on below. And why not share some of your bits of advice for small, yet high-impact habits in the comment section below!
And yes, we are aware that some of these submissions are rather similar, if not identical, yet they provide different takes on the same habits. So, smile and be kind.
More Info: Reddit
#1 Saying "Please" And "Thank You"
Getting into the habit of saying please and thank you. I’ve seen endless horror stories about people in retail getting sh*t on by ungrateful and rude customers, so I made a resolve to try and be as amicable and cooperative whenever I can.And it really made a difference. It really helps smooth things along when both people are working together to get things done as efficiently as possible. It’s a great feeling helping make someone’s day easier. Goes to show a little bit of kindness goes a long way.
Image credits: SkyGuardianOfTheSky
#2 Move Things Around As You Navigate Your Home
Every time you leave a room take something that doesn't belong there and put it away. As soon as it is a habit you're house will stay tidy.
Image credits: Enilorac89
#3 Exercise Regularly Throughout The Week
Exercise at least 3-5 times a week. You don't need to train like a an Olympic athlete. Going for a walk or jog is good enough. Do pushups and crunches right after you get up. As long as you get your heart rate up.Small steps, it'll all add up.
Image credits: -notJohnThough-
#4 Water Is The Way To Go. Always
Drink water instead of pretty much anything else.Except coffee. I'm not a monster.
Image credits: agarzola
#5 Be Respectful Towards Others
1) Trying to see the other person's point of view, or at least not reacting explosively negative to it when you disagree. (This helps immeasurably with in-laws.)2) knowing when to keep your mouth shut. It’s not necessary to always express an opinion or make a remark, especially when there's no hope of changing another's viewpoint.
3) It costs NOTHING to be kind, to affirm other people by recognizing them, to say please & thank you.
Image credits: challam
#6 The "2-Minute" Rule, Get Small, Short Tasks Done Along The Way
2 minute rule.If you see something that needs doing that will take 2 minutes or less; go ahead and do it. Put away those clothes. Pick up that toy as you walk by. Empty that dish washer when you go to get a drink. Scoop the litterbox when you go to take a p**s.
Things will stay neater, you'll be more organized, and you'll find you have more time in the long run for stuff you want to do, instead of having to take care of stuff you've been putting off.
Image credits: anon
#7 Meal Planning
Meal planning.You save so much more money if you pre-plan what you're going to eat for the week than if you wing it.
Image credits: anon
#8 Don't Drink Soda
Stop drinking soda. In the long run soda is bad for you and after a while of not drinking you will realize that it tastes to sweet.
Image credits: MoreTubaNeeded
#9 Eat Healthy
Healthy eating. If you make it habitual, you look and feel a million times better than when you eat like c**p. You don't even crave c****y food often.
Image credits: HiFiSi
#10 If You're Out, Replace It
Replacing items before they run out. E.g.. detergent, toilet paper, shampoo, etc.
Image credits: cucucumin
#11 Returning Bottles For Recycling
Somewhere in Europe you pay a 10-cent deposit on all your beer bottles, my small habit of alcoholism gives me a nice return on bottles when I hand them in for recycling.
Image credits: Impregneerspuit
#12 Exercising And Eating Healthy To Gain Weight, Not Necessarily Lose It
Regularly going to the gym and eating well. I wasn't skinny because of metabolism. I was skinny because I wasn't eating and exercising enough. I'm up 20 pounds since this time last year.
Image credits: tallandlanky
#13 Brush Your Teeth, It's More Than Just A Smile
Brushing your teeth, your smile look good, you save money and your health, benefits quite a lot from a healthy mouth.
Image credits: i_miss_s2_EUW
#14 Make A Habit Of Being Kind
Making a habit of being kind. Positivity that has the possibility of infinite growth.
Image credits: HappyChic103
#15 Wearing Sunscreen Daily
Wearing daily face cream with sunscreen UV protection.
Image credits: GiantSequoiaTree
#16 Eat A Little Less Than You Normally Would
Eating a little less. You don’t even have to eat better, just leave 1/4-1/3 of your food on your plate. Get a smaller bowl of ice cream. Eat one less slice of pizza. Don’t eat all the fries. If everything else stays the same you’ll lose weight, and it’s a start towards being healthier.
Image credits: HighOnGoofballs
#17 Sleep Can Go A Long Way
Sleep well.It isn't even the long run, the next morning you'll become 10x better.
Image credits: Noorquacker
#18 The "No Zero Days" Concept, Try To Get At Least Something Done Daily
The concept of no zero days. On days when I'm feeling lazy and unproductive, I try to do something even if it's as simple reading or cleaning my room for 5 minutes.
Image credits: Virginia_Blaise
#19 Hygiene Is Key
Most things related to hygiene. Brushing teeth, showering daily, washing your clothes regularly. Hygiene is the #1 thing that the opposite sex cares about, and the first thing people notice.
Image credits: thinkscotty
#20 Making Your Bed In The Mornings
Making your bed in the morning. It takes 3 minutes, and it makes your room look neat and presentable, as well as giving you the feeling that you accomplished something for the day. It's easy from there to just let that productive feeling snowball into being productive in other areas in your life.
Image credits: Wall_clinger
#21 Emanate Positivity
Positively impact someone's day. And I think that's a small habit, because you don't have to do anything huge.You could go really simple and just give a random, genuine compliment. "I like that jacket."
You could go slightly more advanced and compliment someone to someone else. "Man, Martha has been killing it lately with her work." There's a chance the compliment gets back to her. But even if not, you're boosting your image to the person you said that to, because of your willingness to compliment others.
You could do a slightly more advanced move like complimenting someone in the form of requesting their expertise. "Sam, you seem to really understand pivot tables in Excel. If you have time, do you mind showing me how they work?"
All 3 of those tactics are *slightly* manipulative, because you have to consciously manufacture those moments with regularity, at least at first. But they breed nothing but benefits. The other person feels better. You feel better. And you're easing that gap that separates people, unless one takes the initiative of lessening it.
Image credits: anon
#22 Take The Stairs Whenever Possible
Take the stairs, if you have a choice.
Image credits: thestonez
#23 Read Books. Every Month
A book a month
Image credits: DamskoHz
#24 Do The Dishes Before Bed
Doing dishes at night so I wake up to a clean sink and clean dishes. I live in a tiny studio and don’t have a dishwasher so this makes a big difference for me.
Image credits: penguinPS
#25 Eat Less Sugar. Or Substitute It
Mine is less sugar intake. The amount that most people eat is really disruptive to our bodies. Instead of getting that ice cream, get a yogurt or fruit. :)
Image credits: anon
#26 Have A Budget For Everything
Budget your money.That is the only solid way I know to get "rich" quick.
Image credits: willy--wanka
#27 Save Money Now
Saving money.I have lost count of how many people who got themselves into serious debt simply because they spend more than what's necessary.
Image credits: anon
#28 Just Do It Now, Never Later
If something needs to be done, *just do it.* Most people spend more time whining about work, whether household chores or employment related tasks, than if they'd just get in there and do it. Work and productivity is not the earth-shattering concept most people, of all ages, act like it is and no type of honest work is beneath anyone. Bathrooms are dirty at your high school job? Volunteer to do it. Your roommates not cleaning the common areas? Suck it up and do it or it'll just get worse because they won't do it regardless. Short-staffed at your adult job? Stay the extra thirty minutes to cover a task when everyone else acts like its moving mountains to do so.After a while, you'll find there's a lot of personal satisfaction that can be found in this productivity for very little lost time in the big picture. Maybe you can only watch one episode on Netflix tonight instead of two for getting something done - so what? No, it's not always going to be fair, just like nothing else in life will be either. But, you can confidently say that you are humble enough and willing enough to take ownership and pride in your piece of the world when virtually no one else does the same. And in the end, it will be noticed by the right people. You will have better friends, better relationships, and better treated as an employee because genuine people in all of these categories know just how rare this trait is in a sea of total mediocrity. And there's no special skills required, just an open attitude you can start today with at any age.
Image credits: iambored1234
#29 Floss. Not The Dance. With Actual Teeth
Flossing. There are a lot of people who don't floss, but it's an important habit to get into. Once you start flossing, you'll feel gross when you don't do it.
Image credits: who_got_the_hooch
#30 Learn Names Of Folks You Work With, It Goes A Loooooong Way
Learning everyone's name at work.Once they stick, you'll be like glue in the workplace. It's impossible to get rid of the guy everybody loves without destroying the camaraderie.
Image credits: laterdude
#31 Have Water With Everything
Drink water with every food item you eat, even if you're having a small snack.
Image credits: Schatzbucks
#32 Maintain A Strict Sleep Schedule
Wake up at the same time. Every. Single. Day. Even on weekends. You stop waking up tired and start waking up naturally before your alarm.Yes, I’m well aware this doesn’t work for everyone.
Image credits: SammyGeorge
#33 Read Daily, Whether A Lot Or Just A Little
Reading every day, even if it’s just 20 pages.#34 Keep A Close Eye On Your Money
Pay attention to your goddamn money. As a Canadian, Tim Horton's once or twice a day doesn't seem so bad. It's not like Starbucks, where a large coffee can cost you like 8 bucks after tax, an extra large is only 2.20 after tax.So I recently was tired of being both overweight and cash poor. Despite being technically at the lowest income bracket, we always had money for food and clothes for our family, but things like $400 for a new bed and mattress for our kid was something to consider and save up for for a few pays. I was sick of it.
So I logged into my banking app. And I added up all the Tim Horton's transactions from March 23rd all the way back to the beginning of March. Just to see how much of my pay went to them. Now, I'll admit , I had a real problem. My once or twice a day, turns out, was just as often ***four or five times a day.***
Two f*****g hundred and m***********g eighty-goddamned-seven f****d up dollars later and I was only at March 10th or so. I couldn't go through with it and finish. I was ashamed. And I hadn't even told anyone at that point.
So I dropped it. Cold turkey. Got caffeine pills to deal with the withdrawals. Since then I have paid all my bills early, including rent, seen my savings account inflate from ~70 to almost $400, bought that bed, and I **still** had three digits before the decimal in chequing when my last two pays rolled around. That never happened before. I would either scrape by with 50ish, or even overdraft. Every. Single. Pay.
So yeah, go look and add up your worst vice. Imagine having *that* much extra in your pocket every single month. It might just be worth giving it up.
-
Sidebar: I have lost ***over f*****g 23 pounds*** since March 9th, mainly because I am not consuming ***~1000 - 1800 calories from coffee alone.*** To be fair, I also stopped hitting all other fast food places and am definitely eating less overall, because part of my issue and breaking point was the weight, not just the money. So that 20lbs of weightloss is not to be expected for everyone unless they are also purposefully trying to lose weight.
#35 Do X Every Time You X
Pick a room in your house (I chose bathroom) and every time you exit that room, do X number (I do 20) of push-ups, sit ups, whatever. I thought it seemed odd when my buddy told me he did this but after a bit you notice some changes.
Image credits: strudels
#36 Smile, Even If You're Not On Camera
Smiling more often.from Bored Panda https://bit.ly/3sWpTVM
via Boredpanda
