Author: C. Kays
Editors: J. Hollendonner, S. Woien
4 minute read…

 

One of the best teachers we have is nature itself. Every day we can see how nature ebbs and flows with its many cycles. It is spring time where I am right now. The birds are building nests, ants have emerged from underneath the ground and have started exploring the warming Earth, and the flowers have begun to open their blossoms to the sun. These are the habits of the natural world. If we want to form better habits, then all we have to do is look at what nature can teach us.

 

“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?” – Marcus Aurelius

 

Embodying Nature

The natural tendency of humans is to “do.” We are a creature that enjoys exploring, socializing, creating, and tinkering, and we thrive when there is something to accomplish. While we do have moments where we wake up, warm in our beds, and think that we should just stay there and have a personal day, that is not necessarily what we need. Everyone needs a personal day, sure, but if one personal day turns into 50 it affects our mental and emotional states. It drains us of our self-worth and denies us the human part of ourselves.

As Marcus Aurelius puts it, “Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can?” While it is not healthy to overly exert ourselves every day, we should still strive to accomplish something. Just as the ants go about taking care of their colonies, we too should try to improve ourselves and the world each day. Even if that means washing the dishes or going out for a walk.

Daily Habits

For some people the idea of how to improve their lives seems daunting. People tend to start with getting healthier by exercising and eating better or budgeting their finances to help improve their way of life. While these are great ideas to incorporate, I would argue that if we want to start forming better habits, we should start small and build up to these bigger goals.

 

“No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.” – Epictetus

 

A good starting place is waking up early. I know this sounds horrendous to some of us, but as a former night owl I can testify, it really does help. Waking up early helps with our mood, our energy levels, and our outlook on the rest of the day. By waking up early, we chose to align ourselves with the rest of society. The world comes alive in the morning and when we go along with this we naturally find it easier to exist in our world. It also gives us more time in the day. When we know we have work or school the next day, sleeping in until 10 or 11 eats away at our time we can use to accomplish our tasks. One may argue that you can use the time at night to continue to work, but doesn’t that  cut into our time to sleep and prepare for the next day? If we go with the natural flow, we find that our lives become easier to manage.

When we wake up early, many of us don’t know where to go from there. How do we continue to make good habits in our lives? One way is by journaling and planning for the day ahead. Writing about our day and what is to come helps us relax. It can be a great form of meditation. There is something thrilling about flying by the seat of our pants, but that will often lead to anxiety and stress in our lives. Writing about our thoughts and feelings about the day ahead leads us to manage our emotions and plan ahead to what will need our attention the most.

Once we start with these two basic suggestions we will find that we are able to accomplish so much more in our lives, as well as setting up even better habits and goals for ourselves. Discipline is the foundation for forming better habits, and simply waking up 30 minutes early is a great way to start. When we have a good base for how to train our minds into forming these cycles in our lives, we start to feel better about ourselves and use that momentum to accomplish great things.

 

Challenge: Start waking up early. It could be as early as 5 in the morning or as late as 9. Whatever feels better for your lifestyle. Then once you have your immediate morning tasks done, like showering or brushing your teeth, begin to write in a journal. It doesn’t have to be anything eloquent or profound, just write. Write about how you thought the previous day went and what you would change about it. Then go on to write about the day ahead and what you want to accomplish or what is on your to-do list. Think about how you want to go about these things and make a game plan.

 

Photo Credits (From Top to Bottom): “Repetitions” by Marq1312, “journals” by Barry Silver