Our habits impact how we live, our health and shape and determine our daily and long-term outcomes. Positive habits can supercharge your output, propel you miles forward and set you up for your best success. While I don’t make my bed every day — but I do express gratitude — I choose to prioritize other routines to boost my health and wellness , my businesses, and my personal relationships. Below are nine habits to help you level up in 2024.

Read more, scroll less

As Dr. Seuss wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Nowadays, we spend too much time on our screens and mindlessly scrolling. Put this time into action by reading more books. Our minds are continuously being wired to have shorter attention spans, and if you add AI to that, we will continue to lose memory and remember fewer things.

Simply put, how many phone numbers or song lyrics did you know growing up? And how many do you know now? Our brains need exercise, and like most things, we either “use it or lose it.” Reading also boosts brainpower and brain function , improves vocabulary and ignites creativity. Think of it as longevity for the mind.

Get 7 – 8 hours of sleep 

We only have so much energy for our work, relationships, and ourselves. I am hyper-aware of this and guard my sleep carefully, even if it means going to bed at 9 or 9:30 pm so that I may wake up at 5 am. If you prioritize getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night, you are well aware that this affects your output and contributes crucially to your best work.

Reduce distractions and cut out what doesn’t serve you 

Matthew McConaughey shut down his production company and his music label. You can watch why here , where he admits, “I was making B’s in five things. I want to make A’s in three things.” Instead, he focused on his charity, his family and his acting.

He explains how he had about eight campfires to focus on, and he reduced it to 3 campfires. Those three turned into big bonfires! It’s no secret that less is more and quality over quantity are principles that should be implemented for maximum satisfaction and success.

Schedule deep work

Deep work is rare for many these days given our plethora of distractions and the need to always feel connected. I am most productive when I schedule blocks of deep work for business planning, writing and difficult projects. Deep work entails intense focus without distraction, meaning you turn off all notifications and find a place to work where you will not be interrupted.

Take it back to your high school or college days when you had an exam, and it was simply you, your pencil, and a desk. Deep work allows you to focus fully on one thing and work at maximum output. The result tends to be excellent performance, a strong feeling of satisfaction, and a mindset of “I did that!” or “I was so productive during those 2 hours, and it felt awesome!”

Eat slower, it’s what I do

Forget the diets and cleanses, and simply slow down and listen to your body when you eat or drink. Instead of scarfing down food out of habit, slow down your breath, your eating and listen to the signals. Ask yourself: How does this make me feel? How do I feel after? Do I need this much food? Do I need more?

Personally, I need a lot of protein (and you should prioritize this as well — about 30-40g at least for two meals), and when I lead with protein, I feel satiated, and my brain works better. Of course, continue to focus on clean and wholesome foods and cut the processed stuff, but slow down the rate at which you eat. Your entire system will feel better, leading you to perform better and hopefully lead you to make smarter food choices.

Breathwork. Works.

Breathwork is a broad term encompassing breathing exercises that facilitate physical, mental and emotional healing. The world’s highest performers focus on breathwork, be it an early morning meditation or the breathing techniques a professional athlete uses when climbing a mountain, sprinting a field or lifting heavy weights.

Breathwork helps regulate cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress linked to depression and anxiety. Next time you feel anxious or stressed, take a 5-minute break — yes, we all have this time — to breathe. I love the 4-7-8 technique , which helps minimize anxiety by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which governs the body’s “rest and digest” impulses, meaning that when stimulated, more relaxation can occur. Inhale through the nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds and then exhale through the nose for eight seconds. If taking a 5-minute break feels long to you, begin with a few rounds.

Find joy in movement

Instead of an exercise plan you detest following, find joy in walking, dancing, joining a team pickleball or tennis. Don’t have time? Track your time for a few days, and you’ll quickly realize that you do have time, simply by eliminating scrolling your phone or unscheduling meetings that can be handled with a phone call.

Joy snacks

We’re not talking about food. Joy “snacks” are doing mini-things throughout the day that make you happy. Read for 10 minutes. Take a 10-minute walk. Do a 10-minute stretch or yoga using an app. Call a good friend. Research shows that these nuggets of time will cultivate meaningfulness throughout your days which results in a feeling of purpose.

Get out of your comfort zone

It sounds cliche, but if you do one new thing for 2024, it’s to get out of your comfort zone . Professionally or personally, seeking discomfort is the only way you can truly understand and know your potential. Are you too comfortable with your work right now? Challenge it — take more tasks and push your boundaries. Do you want to take on a new role or learn a new hobby? Go for it so long as you feel driven, and it serves your brain, soul, and purpose. One of my mantras when I’m unsure of taking a leap is that, “it’s in the uncomfortable zone, that’s where the magic happens!”

So how do you start a habit? Stack the new habit you’d like to try immediately after a habit you already do every day, ensuring the current habit serves a purpose. So, for example, you likely brush your teeth every day. Try 5 minutes of a “joy snack” right after that. And even better, replace a not-so-great habit with a new one. Do you scroll your phone at night? This is a good time to pick up a book or Kindle and read. Prioritize your best habits, and within sixty days, you’ll note a difference in how you feel and perform. But yes, still wear sunscreen.