The secret to success and self-improvement lies in daily routine. Change is a long and hard process based on commitment and repetition. By definition, it requires you to step out of your comfort zone, because if you keep doing what you’ve been doing inside your comfort zone, you’ll keep getting the same results inside that same zone.
With that in mind, you can help yourself with small simple tasks that reoccur in your schedule throughout the day or the week. Little cues, mental reminders of what commitment feels like and the reason you are trying to change for the best. That is how you will open the door to your discomfort zone and your path to change.
Don’t pick all the ideas from this list, it would be unrealistic. If you feel like it could help, pick one or two simple tasks, and commit to them. As long as you show up and do your task, you will gain confidence and a higher sense of self-worth.
#1 Stop coffee
Challenging yourself to fight addictions, even the ones that are not completely bad for you, is always a good experience. Get out of your comfort zone, stop coffee for a week.
#2 Stop spending needlessly
Taking control of your money can change your financial situation for the best. It takes a lot of time, but it’s worth it. You have no idea how much you can save/make by reorganising your finances.
#3 Plan your groceries and do them the same day every week
Speaking of budgeting, groceries are an easy win. If you actually stick to your grocery list and stop being distracted by all the discounts and products you don’t need, get ready for some major savings.
#4 Stop anything similar to Starbucks
Another great way to save money. $5 per day adds up to $100 a month if you only get coffee on work days. For a lot of people, that’s a cool chunk of money. You can get your coffee at your own place, save tons of money, and work on your self-discipline at the same time. Winning on all angles.
#5 Buy one self-improvement item per month
Investing in yourself is one of the best ways to create your motivation. You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive conferences. It can be simple, like a book, an app… Here are a few ideas.
#6 Prepare your clothes the day before
In the morning, you want to reduce friction as much as possible, so the less chores the better. By preparing your clothes the night before you will make your morning more efficient. Even better is to wear the same set of clothes everyday, so you don’t even have to think of what to wear the night before.
#7 Smile more than you frown
This is technically self-discipline, because you have to start with forcing yourself to do something you’re not used to doing in the first place. Smiling will take you places, so do it more.
#8 Stop finding excuses (be true to yourself)
The day you stop finding excuses for yourself, great things will start happening in your life. And if you can build a habit of overcoming your own excuses everyday, it will only go upwards from here on.
#9 Pick a 30-day challenge and do it
There are tons of fun 30-day challenges out there. You don’t have to pick anything hard, or serious. The idea here is to train your brain to be more committed, and it’s much easier to do so with an already-made blueprint. You don’t even have to think of the steps, they’re already there for you. Just follow the plan, show up and do the work.
#10 Write X words a day
Nicolas Cole writes 10000 words a day, everyday. You don’t have to go that hard to start with. Again, you don’t have to go hard at all, the goal is to train your brain to commit, to do something consistently. So everyday, pull out your laptop and type, write about anything. Do it every single day.
#11 Open your windows once a day
A bit of fresh air inside the house is always good. It gets the air flowing, the ideas going, and keeps your place from smelling.
#12 Meal prep
Meal prepping everyday will save you tons of money, naturally make you eat healthier, and develop your sense of self-discipline.
#13 Do X pushups a day
There was a time I did 100 pushups a day for a month. The goal wasn’t to get more fit, or stronger. It was simply to commit myself to doing something every single day. That can create the little bit of momentum needed to start working on bigger things than pumping those pecs.
#14 Go to the restaurant once a month
There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a little luxury once in a while. Especially if you make it a point to try something different every time, going to the restaurant once a month can open new horizons. And for the people who spend a lot on food every month, the self-discipline challenge will be to go to the restaurant only once a month.
#15 Have breakfast downtown once a month
This is a bit different than a classic restaurant night out, because breakfast is in the morning, and your state of mind is completely different. I love having breakfast with a good friend in the morning. It’s my favourite time of the day to exchange good ideas over coffee, orange juice and pastries. I also love the ritual aspect of it. To know that you’re going to spend quality time one Sunday morning per month with your friend gives you something more to look forward to in the relationship.
#16 Travel once a month
Traveling broadens your horizon. You don’t have to take a long-haul flight every month. You don’t even have to be on a plane at all. You can take the car, the train… Get a little further away from the routine you know, do something unusual.
#17 Focus on one task at a time
Our human brains are not designed to multi task. Grow the habit to work on only one thing at once, it has the potential to 10x your productivity.
#18 Dedicate X hours a day to this dream of yours
What if you were working just 20 minutes a day, everyday, on this dream of yours? You would not only develop a great sense of commitment by never skipping a day, you would also have worked 121 hours on your dream after a year.
#19 Do email only once a day
This is a really hard one, because we are constantly bombarded with notifications, making distractions only a click or a swipe away. The best way to fight this is to disable notifications on your devices as much as possible. Doing email only once a day is a huge game changer. It removes so much noise, you won’t believe it. Condense everything in a 1 or 2-hour time slot, and be done with it for the rest of the day.
#20 Stop reading the news
The news are also part of the notifications we keep getting throughout the day. But they don’t have to be. We live in a time where 90% of the content you see online is literally picked and sometimes tailored to please you, reinforce your opinions, and make sure you change your mind as little as possible. It’s the exact opposite of developing yourself and getting out of your comfort zone. The day I realised this, I removed them from my life.
#21 Reach out to X people per day/week/month via email
If you’re working on your personal business next to a 9–5, this is mandatory in 90% of the cases. Reaching out to X people per day/week/month is a game will change the way you grow your business. You don’t have to only reach out to the top players in your field, it can be anyone. Make a list, put in the work, and reach out on a given basis.
#22 Read only 3 articles per day
The reading article example applies if you’re into blogging. But you can also set a daily limit of youtube time, social media time… It can only beneficial to your lifestyle and your mindset. Reading tends to be more instructive and useful than other forms of content, but too much of anything will be detrimental in the long run. Eventually, it’s about getting to work, and you know it.
#23 Eat at specific times of the day
Snacking is nice, but not the healthiest option. Try to discipline yourself to only eat at certain times of the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are the basics, and you can limit your snacking to 1 or 2 sessions a day.
#24 Educate yourself
You can rest on your laurels, or you can force yourself to always learn and discover new things. For instance, you can set a target for the number of books you read in a month, or in a year…
#25 Work on your eloquence
Eloquence and self-confidence in the way you talk are excellent skills to have. Working on them will definitely get you out of your comfort zone. The goal is to eventually practice in front of an audience.
