BE YOUR BEST IN 2022

We all went into 2020 bright eyed and bushy tailed only to come out the other end chewed up and stepped on - and not much better can be said for 2021. The hard yet empowering truth of the matter is that no matter what may come your way in 2022, how good or bad the year is determined by your outlook, attitude, and most importantly, daily habits.

Everyone has their own bad habits they’d like to cut, so I can’t speak for everyone, but I had great success with my 2021 resolutions that I think you can seriously benefit from. Below is a list of the three bad habits I cut in 2021 that helped me stay positive that I’d like to pass along to you for 2022 - and more importantly, how I managed to not fall back into them.

3. WASTING TIME ON MY PHONE

The average person spends roughly 5 hours a day on mobile devices. Crazy, I know - but it’s understandable seeing as smartphones and apps are designed to get you to use them as much as possible. The more time a person spends on an app, the more the app developers can charge for ad space; it really all boils down to money, but at what cost to humanity?

There are two simple tricks that reduced my daily use from roughly 3-4 hours a day to less than 45 minutes. First, change the passwords to your social media accounts to something long and complicated that you could never hope to memorize, and write it down on a piece of paper. After that, delete the social media apps off of your phone. That way, if you crack and download the app again, you won’t be able to log back in.

2. EATING LATE

I used to eat one carrot cake a week, and I always had it right before bedtime. There’s nothing like kicking back, eating cake, and watching dumb YouTube videos after a long day’s work - but there’s also nothing like watching my waistline slowly grow three sizes bigger…

I cut this habit down drastically simply by choosing to not buy cake anymore. When the urge arose, I didn’t have the option to give into it. Sure, once in a while I popped a bag of popcorn and indulged, but I noticed that my quality of sleep suffered the next morning and eventually valued my health over the immediate gratification.

1. TOO MUCH TV

Spending too much time on TV and scrolling too much on your phone is similar, but different. With TV, you’re subject to regular intervals of advertisements that ultimately influence your decision making and subconscious mind to consume and spend endlessly that creates a sense of emptiness that can never be satisfied.

This may be extreme, but I sold my TV in 2021. I totally removed the option to even use it and it worked like a charm. Instead I decided to spend time with my dog, begin reading books again, calling loved ones, and spending time with my friends. Instead of switching my face from my smartphone to my TV, which ultimately is screen to screen, I focused more on the beautiful world that was always there.

Although it may not seem like much, these three bad habits made a dramatically positive impact on my mental health, outlook on life, and relationships with those I cared about. They do involve a certain level of discipline, but there’s an old saying that goes something like, “Discipline equals freedom”. (Pro-tip: It’s true)

Would you like to spend another year giving your attention away to faceless corporations and soulless computer screens, or would you rather reclaim your attention, live in the moment, and expand your awareness in the coming months?

The choice is yours and always has been.

Good luck, and Happy New Year!

All the best,
Dan