Dear John,

"The healthiest of all attitudes is the attitude of gratitude." – Zig Ziglar

Make gratitude a habit!

This is the fourth Zignificance newsletter where I am sharing the habits that you, our readers, have sent in. Why so many parts instead of one long list? I have the habit of breaking things down into smaller steps and then taking the steps!

Pick one of these habits and implement it in your life. Thinking about a good habit must be followed immediately by implementing the habit!

Here you go:

I start every day by connecting with God. I do several things in connecting with God each morning, but the one item that has been most profound on my life is reading a chapter of Proverbs every day!
-Ken

First, I would like to thank you for all the great words that you send me! Well, my habit is to write a diary each day. This is the specialized diary! It comprises of all the mistakes that I make per day and what I learned from them. I also write great words and lessons from my leaders and regular work experience. I plan to read it on an occasional basis so that I never dare to commit those mistakes again. (Note from Tom Ziglar - Ben Franklin followed this practice - and the key is to focus on what you learned.)
-Kind regards, Sarah

I tell my wife that I love here every day. (Note from Tom Ziglar - You are a wise man, William!)
-William

My best habit. I exercise every day in some way. Exercise is very easy to move to the bottom of our list. I've found if I just keep the rule to exercise in some way every day, it keeps me on track. Some days it might be a hike or an hour on the treadmill, take a quick swim or rollerblade in the park for half an hour between appointments. If it's been a long day, a stroll around the neighborhood before bed always works. Can't wait to see the list.
-Thanks, Tiffani

I think this is a great idea, and I look forward to seeing the list. I always start my day with reading an email devotional from Joel Olsteen. I always greet people with a smile on my face and enthusiasm in my voice.
-Rick

One of the most important habits that has become a keystone habit that enables others is following a prescribed bedtime routine. Basically three steps:

1. Review the day: What am I thankful for, what did I do right or wrong and why?
2. Plan tomorrow: Review my weekly plan and establish the most important task(s) for the day.
3. Pray with my wife, interceding for my children, nephews, and grandchildren and future generations!

I believe what you said about replacing habits being the fastest way to success!!
-Wesley

I write down three things I'm thankful for and take a deep breath before I open my laptop each morning. I don't look at computer/cell phone/TV screens after 10pm.
-Peter

Always trying to put God first in control.
-David

Try to meditate for at least ten minutes a day. Try to set a purpose for the day and some gratitude to carry with me.
-Mark

I listen to the Daily Audio Bible every day.
I also attend Automobile University every time I'm in the car alone.
I listen to podcasts, books, and Zig CDs. Some of them are training, but most of them are for motivation. Because we know - like bathing .... :)
-Dave

My best habit, without a doubt, is the time I spend every morning 'sharpening the saw.' Every morning I have my time of reading my Bible, prayer and meditation, and writing in my journal. This prepares me for my day.
-Cheers, Ross

1. I always say "yes" to my wife before I have a chance to think of what she asked. She has learned to be careful after 30 years.
2. When it comes to marriage, I intentionally do not keep score. I have a tendency to want to keep score, and when that attitude pops up, I know I either need to let it go or have a honest conversation. (Note from Tom Ziglar - I love this!)

Others that have room for consistency improvement are daily Verse Share with my kids and kids of a close friend, daily devotional, drink three quarts of water daily, work out in the morning, rest on Sundays, always re-frame the negative into some type of positive, pray, always say thank you, and be in the moment.
-Thank you, Mark

You asked to hear good habits. For me (a computer programmer and amateur musician), it's listening to Zig's recordings at the same time as my favorite music (both from a $15/month music subscription). I tweak the volume on each for the perfect balance. This really gets my brain running in high gear.

Additionally, being possibly in love, I periodically think of and pray about this special someone whom I hope to marry one day. While she isn't yet accepting of the idea, this always brings happiness to me because I have rest assured that God will guide us to the right decision. It's like watching a game replay when you know the outcome. (And you know that will be some good outcome!) (Note from Tom Ziglar - A great habit is praying for the one you will marry someday and developing the habits that will attract that person!)
-Bryan

My best habit by far is offering sincere compliments/expressions of gratitude to others on a daily basis. At first, this was SO TOUGH! But with a little practice, WOW, this habit CHANGES ME! :) I did not think this would happen. I also find that it is a good barometer and indication of my mindset - did I accomplish my sincere compliment goal for the day? No - what did I miss today in practicing my other mindset habits??? It's a must question for me because, so far, I found an almost direct correlation between missing this goal and not practicing my mindset routines for the day.

Thanks for writing these emails so frequently, Tom! They really do add value to me and many others, I am sure!
-God bless, Adam

Hands down my best habit is a minimum of 30 minutes a day of personal growth. My second best habit is affirming all my current goals in the first person, present tense. It was nice to see you last night.
-See you at the top! Rick

For me, my time is super-valuable. I am a general contractor and I'm selling my skills and my time, which is limited.

I need to keep my body healthy so I can provide for my family, and there is only so long I can do this type of physical work, so I need to be extremely efficient. First off, I do not work physically past 5pm; after that, I do my paper work no later than 8pm. After that, I will clear my mind of anything work related (I pray to the Lord). I go to sleep early and wake up around 5am. I have a large, healthy breakfast, and plan my day of what I want to get done. I'm really ambitious, so I am pushing myself all day. I eat a "healthy only" lunch (no fast food). Near the end of the day I will find something extra I can do that may only take 5 to 15 minutes. I have found when you're on a roll working, it's easy to get things done. I usually do something my customers won't expect, like repair something not in the contract but beneficial to them. I really want to surprise them with some sort of extra free service.

So, for me it's; take care of my body, pray to the Lord, and take care of my customer with something extra.
-Sincerely, Patrick

I believe my best habit is when I go to the store and I use the concept "is it a want or a need?" If it's a need, I buy it. If it's a want, I don't buy it right then. I wait and think about it for a couple of days. If I still want it, and if I can pay cash and it won't put me in debt, I might buy it. I like this feeling of being in control of my money.
-Daralynn

I listen to podcasts while on my treadmill. (Note from Tom Ziglar - Getting two great habits done at the same time!) I paint and draw at night instead of watching TV.
-Mike T

I hope you find some great ideas within this message.

You are Born To WIn, so go ahead and Live To Win!

Tom


P.S. "Legacy is the transference of habit." Learn more about how you can create a legacy that will ripple through time by becoming Ziglar Legacy Certified. Register for our free informational webinar right here.