7 Things You Know You Should Be Doing, but Aren’t
A few items that rarely get checked off your to-do list.
You can read and learn as much as you want, but until you take action, nothing will change.
We are all guilty of it.
You read 5 books and listen to 6 podcasts, and they all told you you should be doing the same thing. You tell yourself you will do it, and then weeks go by and you still haven’t started.
Or even worse, you started doing it, but then after a couple of times, you “took a break” only to never restart.
This can come from a lack of time or lack of discipline… you decide which it is for you.
So, how many of these are you NOT doing?
1. Waking up early
This is one of the greatest habits I’ve ever implemented. It has changed my life completely and I am more productive than I have ever been.
By waking up early you can get tasks done quickly leaving the rest of the day to relax or do things like reading and starting a side hustle. It’s a habit that nearly every billionaire subscribes to.
Yet, you put it off, despite knowing you should be doing it. Why is that?
Starting a new habit can be hard. It requires consistency over a long period of time. And let’s be honest, our bed is so comfy and it is hard to leave!
Maybe you drank the night before, or you’re just “catching up” on sleep.
Whatever the excuse is, you know you’d be better off changing your sleep schedule so you can wake up early!
2. Spending time with your parents
Your parents have a lot to teach you and creating a loving relationship with them is one of the best things you can build. They offer you support and advice when no one else will.
On top of that, your parents want to spend time with you and at the end of the day, they cared for you when you were little, crying and annoying.
So… you kind of owe them.
My recommendation would be to pick a time slot, or a specific day each week where you block off time to commit to connecting with your parents.
This is something I am personally guilty of because I have such a busy schedule.
At the end of the day though, spending time with your parents is one of the most important things you could be doing.
3. Reading daily
If you read 10 pages a day, you will go through at least 10 books a year. Reading daily is a great habit that will help you learn more and increase your ability to think, and make decisions.
You might think that once you’re done school, the reading is over. Unfortunately, a lot of people built this negative outlook because they didn’t like what they were reading in school.
I was one of those people.
I hated reading for years because of school and it wasn’t until recently that I started reading again.
In 2020 when I started reading again, I would read 10-25 pages a day. In 2021 I was reading 25-40 pages a day, and today I read 50+ pages every single day.
This has allowed me to grow my knowledge base far faster than ever.
I only wish I would have started this habit sooner!
4. Cutting out unhealthy food
It’s actually pretty easy to start eating healthy foods because nowadays, a lot of those foods are delicious. What is really hard is to quit eating unhealthy foods.
Yes, there is a difference.
You can still eat a healthy salad, some chicken breast and avocado and then ruin it by eating an ice cream or poutine after.
That’s the real hard part. That’s what many of us are guilty of.
Cutting unhealthy food is most definitely something you should be doing, but aren’t.
5. Lowering alcohol consumption
Reducing alcohol consumption or cutting it all together is probably the greatest thing you could do for yourself, yet barely anyone is willing to do it.
For some reason, people believe they’ll have less fun or lose their friends.
If you have to drink to enjoy something, doesn’t that mean you don’t actually enjoy it?
And if you have to drink to keep your friends, doesn’t that mean they aren’t actually your friends?
Once you jump into the health benefits, time savings, and money savings… it’s a no-brainer.
The bottom line is, that everyone knows they should drink less, or not at all, and yet still continue with this bad habit.
6. Cleaning the house
You know you have that mess in the corner of your room you’ve been ignoring, and your windows have some handprints on them. Hey, I’m not judging, I always put off cleaning my place too.
It’s not only the house though.
Your desk has a mess on it, your car has a McDonald's bag from a week ago on the floor and your sweater is stained.
It’s much easier to keep your stuff clean if you are proactive about it. I’m sorry for sounding like your mother, but this is something you know you should be doing, but aren’t.
7. Spending less money
With credit card debt over a trillion dollars in the US (and let’s be honest, a ridiculous federal debt)... it is no wonder so many people have terrible spending habits.
When the government is overspending it’s a lot easier to understand why the citizens are as well.
There are so many examples of overspending. You want a new TV, some new clothes, or to go on a trip because it is your only time off so you throw it on the old credit card.
Yeah, you’ll take care of it later… right?
Our society has allowed this bad habit to grow like a weed.
Spending less money is something you should be doing!
Conclusion
If this is a preview of the type of parent I will be then maybe I won’t be that bad of a dad!
All jokes aside, everything I listed are things that most of us are guilty of. By being aware of the little mistakes we are making, we plan ahead and can take the necessary steps to correct them.
It’s going to require discipline and constant effort, but if you are determined enough, you can do it.
Thanks for reading.
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