Want a Happier, More Productive Life? Check Out Our Top 10 Stories on Habits in 2014. Of the many stories we published this year about habit optimization, the most resonant seemed to focus on cultivating creativity and developing healthy sleeping habits.
By Geoff Weiss
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Sadly, most of us don't have very good habits. We go to bed late and sleepwalk through our mornings. We expect a creative mindset to miraculously materialize. We chug coffee for breakfast, stay glued to our smartphones and neglect exercise to snack on junk.
The good news, however, is that it's possible to change one's ultimate trajectory -- in business and beyond -- by making small adjustments on a daily basis. From how to get your creative juices flowing to how to breeze through a seamless morning routine, read on for our top 10 stories about habit optimization in 2014.
10. Inspire the Innovation Monster Within
Creativity isn't a birthright, but rather a skill that can be cultivated through time, practice and energy. Here are 5 habits to integrate into your daily routine to get the creative juices flowing.
9. 5 Morning Routines for Family Harmony and Business Success
In order to strike an optimal work-life balance within your family business, a consistent morning routine is key. Scheduling family meetings first thing in the morning, for instance, can be a great project management tool.
8. 15 Things Successful Entrepreneurs Do Every Day
From eating a hearty breakfast to visualizing future goals to expressing gratitude for past victories, the most successful entrepreneurs take time out of each day to invest in their own physical and emotional wellbeing.
7. 20 Ways to Make Today Amazing
Fallen into an unproductive rut? Here are 20 ways -- listening to audiobooks, snacking on almonds and recording your innermost thoughts in a journal, among them -- to resuscitate a dormant drive.
6. The Beginner's Guide to Getting Better Sleep
By living in a dark cave for 6 months straight, the French scientist Michel Siffre made some fascinating discoveries about the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, shedding new light on the age-old question: How much sleep do you really need?
5. The 4 Habits You Need to Be Successful
Sad news: most people don't have very good habits. However, it's possible to change your ultimate trajectory -- in business and beyond -- by making the following adjustments on a daily basis.
4. 7 Insanely Productive Habits of Successful Young Entrepreneurs
Every night before bed, this entrepreneur asks himself the same question: If I live every day like I did today, what kind of future would that create?
3. 8 Steps to Having Wildly Productive Mornings
You'll wake up for 25,000 mornings in your adult life -- give or take a few. From not opening emails until noon to sleeping with your phone off (and in another room), here are 8 ways to optimally kick off your day.
2. 21 Ways to Achieve Wealth and Success
These are the habits that distinguish the wealthy from the non-wealthy.
1. Forget Time Management. Do This Instead and Be More Productive.
Deciding to manage his energy rather than managing his time is the one habit that this behavior science expert says drastically increased his productivity. "We all have the same 24 hours in a day. It's not whether the time is there, it's like, "Are you energized and motivated to use the time that is available to you?'"
