Quality is not an act, it is a habit. – Aristotle

Something interesting that many very successful people will tell you is: They are lazy.

Lazy to the point of wanting to melt into the couch and vacuum chips into their face rather than do a shred of work, or go to the gym.

Yet, what we see on the outside is a person who produces high quality work, lives a high quality life, and has high quality relationships.

How does this happen?

One simple word clarifies it all: Habits.

People who create habits in their lives are the ones who are disciplined and consistent. The habits you build will quite literally dictate the reality you live in.

We ALL have habits. For some of us, we stumble out of bed, zone out during our shower, drive to work without even realizing how we got there, and then crack open a beer in the evening to sit in front of the TV until it starts all over again the next day.

These are habits that we passively allowed to formulate themselves through lack of disruption or intention.

Others wake up at 5:00am. The first thing they do is practice gratitude. Then, meditate. Then, exercise. Then, a healthy breakfast. Then, it’s off to be productive. At the end of the day they create a piece of content or spend time with loved ones. They go to bed fulfilled and happy.

The difference between these people lies in one simple thing: Their daily habits.

Who do you think produces better quality work? Who do you think lives a better quality life? Who do you think is happier every single day?

These habits change every single thing about the way we live. They aren’t always easy to create – even the person who gets up at 5:00am might actually hate it. But, they do it anyway. They do it because it’s a habit they have disciplined themselves to maintain. They have pushed through the resistance enough times that it actually makes them feel conflicted when they DON’T do it.

This is a sign of a strong dedication to valuing progress over comfort.

They say it takes 30 days to develop a habit. 30 days of repetitive effort designed to form a pathway in your brain between two points. This is why you can get to work sometimes and forget how you even got there, your brain is on autopilot because you’ve driven the route so many times.

Think for a moment about the power you’d have if you used that same ability to create habits that served you, your purpose, and those around you.

One might say, you would be unstoppable.