Personal Development

Most often in life, it isn’t the circumstances we live under that keep us from living the life of our dreams – although we like to tell ourselves that. No, the thing that keeps us from having success and being happy is our self-sabotaging habits.

If you are reading this, you are a Felicity Seeker like me. Our quest for an extraordinary life forces us to become more self-aware. Therefore, I am sure you already know and have admitted to yourself that you do have self-sabotaging habits.

Maybe you even already got rid of some of them. In that case, congratulations! You are already one step closer to that extraordinary life than most people.

Whether or not you’ve already mastered some of your worst habits, there are most likely always a few of them you still practice.

Transforming self-sabotaging habits into good ones isn’t a one-time task. Throughout your life, you will continue to adopt negative habits unconsciously. That’s completely normal.

---

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever recommend products that I have personally used and loved. Thank you for your support!

---

1. Negative Self Talk

Do you ever find yourself saying things like:

• “Oh, I am so clumsy.”
• “I am stupid. How could I do that?”
• “I am simply not smart enough to study that.”
• “Oh, I’ve got absolutely no talent in that.”

If you’ve ever noticed yourself thinking or saying anything like that, you need to STOP IT IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!

Through thinking and saying these things, you condition yourself to actually being like that. But you could be so much more!

Jen Sincero first introduced me in her book “You Are A Badass” to the concept that we tell ourselves specific stories.

Unconsciously we do this because we get something out of them. Sometimes they are an excuse for us why we didn’t achieve much. Sometimes we want to get sympathy from others. Or they are simply an excuse for us, why we don’t even need to try something.

One story I found I always tell myself is that I am just not good at learning stuff by heart or that I am simply no auditory learner. As soon as I realised that, I started to stop myself whenever I thought one of these stories. Instead, I would repeat a positive affirmation.

“I can remember things quickly and effortlessly.”

I still haven’t completely overcome that self-sabotaging habit. But from time to time, I do get that glimpse that I am actually capable of studying quickly and effortlessly. So why should I tell myself otherwise?

2. Procrastination

There are countless videos and articles on the internet on how to stop procrastinating and instead hustle until there is no tomorrow. So I don’t want to go into too much detail on that.

I am also sure you already know that you are procrastinating when you are watching Netflix or YouTube videos instead of doing work.

But there is a different kind of procrastination. One that I find myself doing from time to time. I call it the “productive procrastination.”

When you procrastinate productively, you merely do a different task that needs to be done, although you do know that it isn’t urgent or essential.

Productive procrastination is somewhat tricky because it doesn’t leave you with the guilt of usual procrastination. But it still results in the same problems for the task you delay.

3. Perfectionism

Perfectionism can be a great thing. It can be a habit that will make you stand out from everyone else.

However, you need to know when it is time to be a perfectionist, and when you simply need to move on.

For example, a lot of people who want to start a business, are waiting for that “perfect” time, when all the stars are aligned to get started.

That’s self-sabotaging perfectionism. There will never be that perfect time, so waiting for it is merely wasting your time. Yes, maybe next month will be better for you to get started with your business because right now, you have a lot of things going on, and if you take on any more tasks, you might burn out.

The key is to realise when your perfectionism has been going on for too long and when it has only become an excuse because you are afraid to take that next step.

4. Limiting yourself to other people´s opinions

Do you notice your thoughts and feelings being shaped by other people? It can be as simple as you loving a movie until you hear others criticising it.

Or you might adopt the belief that money is hard to earn, that you cannot start a successful business with little money and within a year from home while being a full-time student.

Just because other people think that, doesn’t mean you need to believe it, too!

Stop paying so much attention to other people’s opinions and instead listen to your feelings.

5. Rushing through life

This might be one of the saddest self-sabotaging habits that, unfortunately, seems to have grown into a widespread problem of the 21st century.

People nowadays always look into the future, to the next task they need or want to do.

6. Acting out of a place of lack

I genuinely believe that the energy you send out into the universe you receive back. The best example for that is one of those days where simply everything seems to go wrong. Did you ever wonder why that is?

It happens because, after that first mishap, it could be you stubbing your toe, you enter a negative state of mind. You cuss out the universe and continue your morning quite grumpily. Then the next thing you know is that you’ve spilled your coffee, which sours your mood even more and so on.

If you act out of a place of lack, you are only attracting more of that lack into your life. Instead, make it a habit to respond out of a place of abundance and see how it changes your life in the long run.

Next time you write an exam, go in there like you have the confidence and brains of Tony Stark and Sherlock Holmes combined. You have to write that exam anyway, so why act all miserable and keep telling yourself that you are going to fail?

Why not tell yourself that you are going to rock this! The worst that will happen is that you are a bit disappointed if it didn’t work out, but at least you were happier doing it.

7. Not setting and sticking to clear boundaries

You have to set clear boundaries in your life! Eliminate that habit of always saying “Yes” to requests. Learn to say no. Not only to others but also to yourself, when you feel like you have to keep pushing even though you deserve that time off.

Life gets so much easier and more enjoyable if you have clear boundaries.

8. Searching for external happiness

Happiness can only be found within. If you can’t find joy in your current life, more money, better looks, or a relationship will not be able to bring it to you either.

Why else do you think are there so many celebrities, who seemingly have it all, but are depressed or even commit suicide?

Stop searching for external happiness and instead focus that energy on cultivating inner happiness. It will not be a quick process, but it will be one you will benefit from for the rest of your life!

9. A lack of self-care

10. Following drama

Yes, drama can be fun. Especially we women seem to LOVE drama. However, the drama also distracts you from your own life, and it more often than not brings out the not so good parts of you.

So be careful of the dose of drama you surround yourself with.

11. Escaping life through entertainment

Have you ever wondered why people are so obsessed with entertainment in the form of YouTube, Social Media, or Netflix?

Why they use it to procrastinate essential tasks they should be doing?

One big reason for that is that entertainment is an effortless way to escape the difficulties or unpleasantness of real life.

I am sure you know that feeling of losing yourself in an excellent series or a thrilling movie. You forget everything around you, and time seems to fly by. You are diving into the fictional world and through that escaping your reality.

I am not saying that entertainment per se is bad. The variety of entertainment we humans have created is simply stunning! You can experience every possible emotion through entertainment and find immense inspiration and motivation in it.

But the key is to use it intentionally as a tool for something good. Not to escape your unpleasant reality.

You should replace that self-sabotaging habit of escaping reality through entertainment, by taking massive action to shape life into something you never want to avoid.

---

If you’ve taken the time to honestly analyse yourself and check that none of these habits apply to you, you can pat yourself on the back.

Not many people would take the time to do that and sacrifice their “precious” Netflix time. This proves that you have it in you to create that extraordinary life of your dreams.

All you need to do now is take one step after the other. Just keep the ball moving. If you do that, you will reach your goals.

An incredible way to keep moving forward is my Reading List for Personal Growth. How many of these amazing books have you already read?

I wish you all the happiness in the world!

Sophie

By now, you’ve probably all heard about FOMO – fear of missing out. Recently this word has started to spread over social media and the internet like a wildfire.

Thousands of people can connect with the feeling of FOMO, and I admit to being one of them. At first, I was thrilled to find out that there is such a perfect expression for the way I was feeling from time to time.

---

1. Get clear over what you are missing out and analyse if it is something you actually want

Sometimes we get caught up in that FOMO when we see other people doing something that looks great on the outside. However, try to imagine yourself doing it. Would you actually want to do it?

Meaning, are you envying the feeling of the activity or more the appearance of it?

I often found myself having FOMO, but when I thought about it, I realised it wasn’t even something I would have wanted to do. That realisation eliminates your evil thoughts in no time.

2. Think about what you would miss out if you would participate

The problem with FOMO is, of course, that we only have 24 hours in a day, and we can’t be in multiple places at the same time.

Meaning, if you would participate in the activity that you fear to miss out on, you would inevitably miss out on something else.

If you go to that party, you miss out on having a beautiful and relaxing evening at home.

If you check your social media every half an hour to make sure you never miss anything “important,” you miss out enjoying the now.

You should always take a step back, and consider if this would even be a trade worth making. Because as soon as you decide that what you are currently doing is more important, you lessen that feeling of missing out on something you desire less.

In the end, it’s all about how you want to spend to your time, how you prioritise it. Therefore I strongly recommend you to take a look at 15 Ways To Spend Your Time Wisely.

3. Think about times you or others have missed out on something, was it that bad?

I am sure you’ve had those moments before, where you couldn’t go to that party, or you couldn’t meet up with those friends, or you had no internet connection to stay up to date on social media.

Think back to those moments. Have you really missed out on something important? Was it something so significant as to justify that immense fear of missing out?

I doubt many of you can answer that with a yes. So why keep worrying if nothing wrong ever came from it?

4. Overcome your limiting beliefs

More often than not, this fear of missing out stems from the limiting belief that this is a one in a kind opportunity that will never be available again.

And sure, that one specific party on that one particular day will never happen again. But don’t you think there will be a lot of similar parties in the future?

Sometimes, there are moments in our life where we are presented with a one of a kind opportunity that could change our lives forever. Of course, in those moments, FOMO should be your motivation to go for it.

However, most often then not, these are not moments in which we experience FOMO. Those are moments in which we are too scared to take a risk and go for it.

In which case you should definitely think about the lessons in 7 Reasons Why Failure Is Important For Success.

FOMO mostly surrounds very mundane activities. Those kinds of opportunities that happen all the time. So don’t let FOMO destroy the now. Instead, look forward to the next opportunity.

5. Slow down

Sometimes all we need to stop these toxic thoughts is to slow down. Try to incorporate a daily practice of mindfulness and meditation.

A calming Yoga flow can also stop your mind from going 200 mph.

Next time you feel FOMO, try one of these practices, and then reevaluate the situation. I am sure you will feel more rational about it and realise that there is not much to miss out on.

6. Practice gratitude

Gratitude is the antidote for all of life’s negativity. If you are grateful for what you do experience right now, you can’t fear to miss out on anything at the same moment.

Of course, in the beginning, it won’t be easy to feel grateful for anything when you have those negative thoughts going through your head.

That’s why it’s so important to practice gratitude daily. Start small and list three things every morning that you appreciate in your life. After a while, you can take the next step, and every time you catch yourself, being stressed, anxious, or depressed, try to feel grateful for something in your life.

With time this will get easier and easier, and before you know it, gratitude will get you out of any negative state within seconds.

7. Step away from social media

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the most significant fuel of FOMO is social media. And if you take away its fuel, the fire will slowly but inevitably become smaller and smaller.

---

I hope these 7 tips will help you overcome that FOMO and enjoy living your life even more.

As always, I encourage you to keep working towards that extraordinary life of your dreams. I know at times it may seem like you are not making any progress, but each day that you are working towards it, you are planting a seed that will sprout in the future.

I believe in you!

Sophie

Self-improvement and personal growth are big but vague words. They can mean everything and nothing all at once.

We Felicity Seekers are hungry to grow into our best version. And we know that self-improvement is the key for that.

But what are some concrete self-improvement ideas we can work on? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

This list will enable you to jumpstart your personal growth journey in no time!

Enjoy!

---

1. Start listing things you are grateful for

We start this list with a straightforward but unfortunately very overlooked practice. I want you to start a gratitude journal or list.

And preferably write it down by hand although it can also be an excellent practice to have a notes section on your phone dedicated to it so that you can remember things you are grateful for throughout the day.

2. Read daily

I always preach the importance of nonfiction books for your personal growth.

Which is why I have created my Reading List for Personal Growth. This is where I list all my favorite nonfiction books that made me grow into a better version.

However, for some reason, people always have the excuse that they can’t find the time to read. That’s – to say it bluntly – bullshit!

We all have the same 24 hours in a day. And some of the most successful people on our planet, who definitely have a ton of things to do every day, find the time to read daily.

I am not saying you need to start reading 2 hours a day, although that would be great! Simply start by reading 15 to 30 minutes in the morning before you go to school or work.

I can almost guarantee that somewhere along your day you are mindlessly wasting these 15 to 30 minutes. Most likely scrolling through your phone. So how about redirecting them into something that will bring you closer to that extraordinary life of your dreams?

If you want to do that check out my Reading List!

3. Learn a new language

Admittedly, being able to speak different languages will be a skill that will become more and more unnecessary with developing translation technologies.

But I still believe it can benefit you immensely in your personal growth journey if you learn to speak different languages.

4. Learn a new skill

You will never be able to have too many skills in life. And there is an endless list of skills you could learn. Everything from drawing, cooking, calligraphy to driving, changing tires, and programming.

And the great thing about living in 2019 is that you also have a lot of options on how to learn those skills. You could find yourself a mentor, start doing it as a hobby, purchase an online course, or teach yourself through YouTube videos.

Life is more fun if you approach it as a never-ending journey of learning. So, what skills do you want to learn this year?

You could commit to learning one new skill every three or six months. Maybe even every month, if you are really ambitious and have the time to do so.

In a few years, you might be surprised where this skill could come in handy.

5. Get outside your comfort zone once a month/week

Our comfort zone is just that … comfy. And who likes to leave something comfortable behind for something less comfortable?

However, real growth always awaits us outside of our comfort zone. So we Felicity Seekers have to get out there.

Now how can we make it as easy as possible for us? Only by doing it regularly. It’s like a muscle. The more we do it, the easier it gets.

So try to challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone maybe once a month or once a week. Do something you feel uncomfortable doing, but you know it would benefit you in the long term.

6. Find a mentor

I know this can be a daunting task and also a significant financial step, and so far, I admit I have not yet made it myself.

But wherever I look, all the successful people I am looking up to say you need to get yourself a mentor. The value he or she will provide you with is immeasurable.

7. Exercise regularly

It’s the 21st century. By now we all know we should excerzise regularly. Yet many people still can’t bring themselves to do it.

You don’t even have to go to the gym, just do some none equipment workout videos from home. I also don´t have much space at home but still manage to do it. There are even apartment-friendly workouts so that you won’t disturb any neighbors.

Blogilates and the Nike Training App are some personal favorites of mine. You can even do most Blogilates workouts without shoes. So there is absolutely no excuse left for you not to do it.

8. Improve your eating habits

I am currently working on trying to get rid of hormonal acne through celery juice. Let’s see how it goes, but it definitely already raised more awareness in me concerning the things that I eat and how they impact my body and how I feel.

Improving your eating habits does not only have an impact on your health for the long term; more importantly, it enhances the way you feel today!

9. Set goals

To achieve the most significant personal growth possible, you have to set clear goals. How else will you know what to work on?

And don’t just set unrealistic goals. They will only frustrate you. You should set S.M.A.R.T. goals. Meaning specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound

10. Find idols and study them

Another great way to improve yourself is by studying your heroes. Find a few people who you look up to in one or more areas in life.

And then analyze what exactly got them to where they are today and try to imitate that.

11. Identify your flaws and create a plan to overcome them

We all have some things we don’t like about ourselves. Maybe you are always interrupting people unintentionally. Perhaps you are uncomfortable with your style. Maybe you want to get rid of your hormonal acne.

There are most likely always things that are bothering you about yourself. How about instead of merely complaining about them you decide to tackle them strategically.

12. Cultivate a new habit every month/quarter

It’s easy to procrastinate your self-improvement goals in the hustle of daily life.

Often we suddenly have a spark of inspiration and want to implement all these new and amazing habits into our lives. Only to fail spectacularly at them, because we tackled too much at once.

Instead, try to cultivate one new habit per month or every three months or so.

These can be simple things like brushing your teeth with your nondominant hand or meditating. No matter how small or big the habit, if you only focus on one habit at a time, it will almost effortlessly become a new part of your life.

13. Take a Social Media and Entertainment Detox

Most of us spend way too much time on social media or entertainment apps like Netflix and YouTube.

Have you ever looked at the tracker of your phone to see how much time you actually spend in the different apps? It’s probably a shocking amount.

14. Start journaling

I am probably mentioning journaling in about every article I write. But that’s ok since I am absolutely sure everyone can benefit from it.

It doesn’t matter how often you do it or if you use prompts or not. Simply try to get into journaling. Maybe challenge yourself to journal once a day for two weeks and after that only as often as you feel will benefit you.

At the beginning of the year, I journaled daily. Sometimes even for two hours! And I can’t begin to tell you how much it helped me on my personal growth journey.

However, I am currently at a stage in my life where I don’t feel the need to journal every day. Now, I do it maybe once or twice a week. But it still makes me feel lighter and more motivated whenever I take the time to do it.

15. Start a side hustle

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to know everything before you can start a business.

You will never be perfectly prepared. In fact, the beauty of a business is that as it grows, you grow with it.

Take my blog, for example. It’s about striving for felicity, how to create the extraordinary life of your dreams full of success, passion, and financial freedom.

Do I have all of that yet? No. Definitely not. But every day that I am working on this blog, I am improving my business skills and my mindset, and I am getting closer and closer to that end goal.

16. Learn how to practice self-care

Self-care is one of these things that seem like some Instagram or Pinterest trend but is actually really important to implement into your life.

Self-care enables you to recharge and tackle life with more passion and motivation. It will not only help you achieve your goals faster but also enjoy the journey more.

17. Start bucket lists

And I am not talking about the cringy type of bucket lists. No, I am thinking about three kinds of lists: One for things you want to learn, fun things you want to purchase and investments you want to make.

Having these lists will not only help you decide on what to do with your time/money, but they will be an immense motivation to work towards your goals.

18. Set relationships goals

While striving for an extraordinary life, it is easy to forget spending time with your friends and family.

But an extraordinary life requires mastery of every area of life, also meaning your social and romantic life.

So try to set clear goals. Maybe call your family and friends once a week and meet up with them once a month.

You could also start a list of activities you could do together. That way, it always stays exciting, and you can make some fantastic memories.

---

Phew, that was a long list So many great ideas on how to improve yourself and grow into your best version. Isn’t that exciting!

Please don’t let this big list overwhelm you. Nobody is expecting you to start implementing all of these ideas at once.

Just take one after the other, and before you know it, you will look back at your old self and be staggered by your progress. I encourage you to really enjoy the process.

Personal growth can bring you immense joy and satisfaction if you don’t take it too seriously.

Just remember that if you are doing self-development at all, you are already far ahead of the vast majority of humans.

I am excited to hear about your progress! Comment down below if you want to share your successes with your fellow Felicity Seekers.

Sophie

There are times in life when you are simply feeling lost. For example, you might be unhappy with your current situation but don’t know what exactly you want instead.

Or you might have figured out what you want but have no idea how to get there or if you are on the right track.

Most people seem to think that being lost is a feeling we encounter during a few big moments in our life.

For example, after you leave school and decide on a career or during a midlife crisis.

---

1. Find inspiration

One thing that always helps me when I feel lost is inspiration. Try to watch motivating YouTube videos, read an inspiring blog post, and listen to personal development podcasts.

Those things never fail to inspire me. These sources are so packed full of passion and ideas that at least one of them will inspire you.

And as always, I can only recommend you check out my Reading List for Personal Growth. The books on this list are all highly inspiring.

You could also find inspiration by talking to new people. I am always surprised by the many exciting things I get from conversations with people I usually don’t talk to.

Read also:

2. Change your routine

I am very much a routine kind of person. 

I wasn’t even aware I was having routines for a long time until I discovered the massive niche of “routines” (My fall nighttime routine, my 5 AM routine, etc.).

And while routines are not only effective but can certainly also bring a lot of joy, they contain the danger of making our life dull. Because as Tony Robbins has discovered, one of our six basic human needs is variety.

When every day starts to feel the same, many of us begin to feel a bit lost in life.

For me traveling has always been a time to overthink my current situation and my goals in life. And when you think about it, it makes sense. 

Traveling very suddenly rips you out of the routines you’ve been following for weeks or maybe even months.

Your brain gets the variety it needs and starts working differently. Once you get back home, you likely feel less lost and have found some new inspiration and motivation to tackle your goals.

But you don’t have to go abroad to achieve this change in routine. There are many opportunities to make small changes in our daily routines. 

For example, you could drive a different route to work, or you could study in the library instead of your bedroom, or you could exchange Netflix time for Podcast time. 

If you keep your mind and eyes open, you will find many opportunities for such micro shifts.

Read also: 11 Microshifts That Will Improve Your Life In The Longrun

3. Write about it

As you probably know by now, if you are a true Felicity Seeker, I am a big advocate of the power of journaling.

Journaling not only helps me declutter my mind and feel more at ease, but it also helps me work through my emotions and thoughts.

I believe this is incredibly helpful, especially for us Felicity Seekers who commit to personal growth. 

Because even though personal development has become more accessible through Tony Robbins and other prominent figures, only a small part of our society is involved in it.

And because self-help makes you grow so much as a person, it often gets more difficult to connect with the people around you.

We Felicity Seekers have huge goals – insane goals if you ask most people.

I am not implying that people who improve themselves are better than those who don’t, but they simply look at the world differently. 

And if you have nobody in your inner circle who you can connect with on that level, journaling can become your safe haven.

Writing your thoughts and emotions down helps you express them, work through them, and release them. This enables you to get out of feeling lost in life.

4. Know you are not alone

I know this sounds very cliche and doesn’t necessarily help the situation. But often, we suffer more because of how we beat ourselves up for feeling lost than from the actual emotion itself.

Always remember it’s ok to feel lost. It doesn’t matter if you feel like that once a week, once a month, or once a decade. Remember that others are going through the same thing at this very moment.

And there have been others before you who overcame that feeling; this is normal!

If they can do it, so can you!

5. Change your mindset – Feeling lost is a good thing

Even better than knowing that others are feeling just as lost as you are, is the knowledge that this depressing feeling can actually be a good thing.

6. Have patience

Lastly, the most annoying tip nobody ever wants to get is patience.

In a world where almost everything can be had on demand, patience has become a rare virtue. But it is a significant one as it can help you on so many occasions in life.

In this case, don’t despair over feeling lost. This, too, will pass.

As long as you acknowledge the feeling and try to work through it, you will come out on the other side.

Have faith.

---

If we need to, we can all wake up early and force ourselves out of bed. But because that is such an unpleasant experience many people resent waking up early.

But what would change if you would actually enjoy waking up early? Do you think you would do it more often?

Why not try it out? These hacks will help you to make waking up early comfortable, even if you are not a morning person!

Enjoy!

---

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever recommend products that I have personally used and loved. Thank you for your support!

---

1. Have a why

Remember those students that always asked the teacher, “what do we need this for”? Maybe you’ve asked yourself the same thing from time to time. I hope you do, less in school but more importantly in life.

You should always know why you are doing something. If we want something, it is easier to motivate ourselves to do the necessary steps to reach that goal.

2. Don’t put your alarm clock next to your bed

What does a typical morning in many peoples lives look like?

The alarm goes off. Groaning you roll yourself over and hit the snooze button thinking to your sleepy self “just five more minutes.”

Thirty minutes to 2 hours later, you wake up and are already way behind with your day’s tasks.

However if we make the small change to put the alarm further away from the bed, so that you have to get out of bed to turn it off, it will become easier for you to resist the urge to go back to sleep.

Why? Because going back to sleep means you need to actively go back to bed. While staying awake can be accomplished by you simply standing still where you are currently standing. You might even close your eyes, but the act of standing will slowly wake you up enough that you can think clearly, remember your why and decide not to go to bed anymore.

Why should you? The hardest part is standing up, and you’ve accomplished that already.

So put your alarm clock further away from your bed and see if it makes a difference!

3. Have an enjoyable morning routine

Nobody likes to do things they hate. So why would you want to force yourself out of your comfortable bed if there is nothing exciting waiting for you?

Establish an enjoyable morning routine and see how that will influence your readiness to get out of bed.

I, for example, love my breakfast, and I allow myself to watch 20 minutes of a series during that. Yes, I know it’s not the ideal form to spend the first hour of your morning. But right now that’s pretty much the only time I am willing to spare for series or YouTube videos. Therefore it is delightful for me, and I am always looking forward to it.

4. Wake up at the same time daily

This one can be a bit tricky in the beginning. I mean, who wants to wake up at 5 am on the weekend?

However, your body doesn’t know anything like the weekend. The week with its seven days is a social construct we humans created. Just because our society agreed on it doesn’t mean our bodies will recognize it as well.

Once you start waking up at the same time each day, your body gets used to it, and it will become easier for you to wake up at that time. You might even wake up before your alarm clock naturally, provided you’ve had enough sleep. Which leads us to the next point …

5. Go to bed on time

As much as a no-brainer this one is, it might also be the hardest one for many people.

To wake up early, you have to go to bed early. You should get somewhat between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. And I mean EACH night.

Don’t think you can compensate on your weekend for missed sleep because as we learned in the previous point, you should wake up at the same time every day.

6. Create a shutdown routine

This tip and the next one will help you fall asleep quicker and therefore enable you to stay awake a bit longer or get more sleep.

In his book Deep Work, Cal Newport recommends creating a shutdown routine. That means you decide on a precise hour of the day, from which on you won’t focus on work anymore. You will spend the rest of the day non-work related.

And if you end that work time with a shutdown routine – for example, checking your calendar, creating a to-do list for the next day, cleaning your desk and telling yourself “that’s it. Time to relax!” – It will become more comfortable for your brain to relax and stop focusing on your work.

As always I recommend you to check out my Reading List for Personal Growth as it will have many more inspiring books like the one mentioned above.

7. Create a suitable environment to sleep

It is not only important to sleep a certain amount of time but to also sleep deeply. It is no use for you if you sleep for 9 hours, but your sleep is terrible.

To achieve the most relaxing and reenergizing sleep, you have to optimize your sleep environment.

One essential thing to do, for example, is to make sure there is no light in the room. Whether it is light, that comes from outside or light that is generated by some electrical device, you should dim it as much as possible.

---

Do you have any more tips on how to wake up early? Share them with us! Also, share your experience with implementing my tips.

I’d love to hear from you ^^

Keep creating that extraordinary life of your dreams!

Sophie