9 + 1 Things I Think Everyone Should Do

Yes, this is simply my opinion. No, I don’t think you’re less of a person if you don’t do these things, nor do I believe that doing them will make all of your wildest dreams come true.

This list comes as a result of a mixture of reading personal development materials (including blogs), consulting with people whom I respect, and good old fashioned anecdotal experience. It should be said, however, that I most certainly haven’t made all of these habits in my own life, and others I’ve only recently added. So very sorry, but I can’t serve as the shining example of exactly how and why these things work.

Because I like to break things down into threes, that’s how I’ve organized the list. Enjoy!

Body

1. Run

I don’t believe everyone should run a marathon, and of course if you have some major physical condition barring you from the activity you may have to choose another. However, running is by far the most effective exercise known to man. How can I say this? It’s simple, really. Running can be done anywhere, any time. You can do it when you travel or you can do it at home. You can do it outside or on an inside track or on a trail or wherever your fancy takes you. You don’t need special equipment beyond a decent pair of athletic shoes. Running has countless health benefits, and quite literally also has enough mental and spiritual benefits that I could have just as easily put it on the other two lists. That’s why I’m listing it first.

If you’re going to make a new year’s resolution to do one thing, make that resolution to pick up running. You won’t regret it; and this is coming from a guy who used to despise running, so “I hate to run.” isn’t an excuse. Trust me, you’ll grow to love it.

2. Drink Water

For the first 30 years of my life, I resisted this. I hated water. It was something I did out of obligation or necessity. Even though, like running, drinking water is one of the best possible things you can do for your body. It will help abate hunger, clear your complexion, prevent disease, and slow aging. It lubricates your joints and detoxifies your system.

And the best part? In most places, clean water is free and in abundant supply. Of course not everyone in the world is so fortunate.

3. Take Naps

Here’s one that I still haven’t added as a habit in my own life; though I plan to in short order. More and more, there is mounting evidence that taking a midday nap improves your physical and mental performance for the remainder of the day.

Read more about taking naps here, then convince your boss to buy you one of these.

Mind

4. Read

Seems so simple, right? It is. Read anything. Read comic books. Read the newspaper. Read blogs. Read classic literature. Reading expands your worldview, teaches you critical thinking, improves your vocabulary, and stimulates your imagination. Ask the smartest person you know how she got so smart and I guarantee you that she will say reading. Unless the smartest person you know is this guy.

5. Write

Not everyone can be Francis Bacon, so you don’t have to be an awesome writer. You just need to write something down. Writing is the exhale to reading’s inhale. It stimulates very different parts of your brain in very much the same way that reading does. It sparks even more creativity and critical thinking than reading alone.

Some great ways to write are pick up a notebook and write by hand, start a blog, or something that I’ve taken to lately, send an email to a trusted friend or someone you respect. I’d recommend writing as briefly as you can…which reminds me that I’m making this article much too long.

6. Meditate

Aaand all of my conservative Christian friends just breathed a simultaneous gasp. No, I’m not necessarily talking about the new age form of meditation, but rather I’m talking about simply taking time by yourself to quietly think and do nothing else. There may be discipline involved, or maybe you’re better served just letting your mind go all crazy free form. What’s important is that you minimize external stimuli and just focus on relaxing your mind. If you can do that, the rest will come naturally to you.

Spirit

7. Have Faith

Again, simple right? Yet atheists and agnostics number in the millions and that number is growing in many parts of the world. Thanks to people like Richard Dawkins and Steve Pavlina, faith in some circles is viewed as ignorance or idiocy, plain and simple.

I don’t believe that. Personally, I believe in Jesus and the God of the Bible, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and state that belief in any “higher power” gives you a leg up on those who don’t, spiritually speaking. Faith gives you a healthy perspective of your place in the universe and reminds you that though God has a plan for you, you are still created and He is Creator. It’s empowering and humbling at the same time.

To paraphrase a quote from Grey’s Anatomy, and OMG I can’t believe I’m doing this, I feel that this is one of the best summaries of faith I’ve ever heard. A spiritually active native american man addressing a doctor who expressly did not believe in God said “You believe in what you can see and touch. I believe in more.”

Then again, don’t get me started on organized religion and people who use faith as an excuse to hate and hurt others. Grr.

8. Give

This doesn’t need a long explanation. Find a cause you believe in, and donate to it. You might donate time, money, or something else, but giving of yourself is one of the most sublime feelings in the world. It’s selfish to be selfless, Baby, cause it feels so good.

9. Talk To People

Specifically, have a handful of close friends or one friend who you can talk to about anything; then talk to them about everything. Connecting intimately with another person is one of the most powerful things we can do for our spiritual health. I’ll even go one step further and suggest that you need at least three people: a mentor, a protégé, and an accountability partner. Pardon the cliché (did I just use that little thing on two words in rapid succession? I’m proud of myself!) terms, but there really aren’t words that describe those roles better. Point is you need to communicate with people, People.

This one is definitely the toughest one for me.

And finally, my bonus…

10. Break All The Rules

Skip college. Waste a whole paycheck in Vegas. Run a marathon with little to no training prior. Do none of the things on my little list of things everyone should do.

Rules don’t apply to everyone. Preachy lists don’t apply to everyone. What “works” doesn’t work for everyone. The important thing is that you’re healthy and happy, and often times the best way to do that is by blazing your own trail.