9 Habits Can Change Your Life

Eva

8 min readApr 8, 2024

I kicked off the self-improvement program 9Habit back in September 2023.

The biggest transformation? I’ve learned to love myself.

I’ve come to believe that I can be the person I want to be.

Mondays don’t suck anymore, and I actually look forward to tomorrow.

I’ve become grateful for the things around me.

I want to be a positive influence on others.

9Habit has been showing me the way step by step,

whenever I felt lost and overwhelmed.

Just by following the program, I’ve realized I’m growing.

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1. Waking up early — My life is getting organized.

I used to think my life was a complete mess.

Nothing substantial accomplished.

No “success” as the world defines it.

I disliked everything around me.

I hated my current self so much that I wanted to do something about it.

The first time I tried waking up at dawn, it felt like Christmas every day.

Imagine, even Mondays became enjoyable!

It was the first time I had time just for myself.

A time to confront and love myself.

A time to listen to what I truly want.

A time to become the master of my life.

A time to see hope in a life I thought was shameful and had given up on.

I no longer think my life is a mess.

My life is getting organized.

I’m starting to like myself more, and my days are becoming joyful.

I’m not lazy.

Waking up at 5 am, I’m no longer lazy.

I live a diligent life.

And waking up early naturally leads me down other paths.

2. Reading — I’ve found the compass for my life.

Waking up early naturally led me to read.

From barely reading a book a year,

I think I’ve read at least 20 since starting 9Habit.

I always wished someone else would make decisions for me.

I was so unsure about everything, even the trivial things.

I didn’t want to be responsible.

I wished someone, anyone, would just tell me what to do.

Books give me the answers.

They tell me it’s my life, and I have to take responsibility.

I can’t change if I just look away.

Don’t opt for the easy way out by blaming others.

If you don’t acknowledge it, it won’t change.

Don’t be afraid of change; move forward.

You have your own talents and uses, so strive.

Even fleeting doubts I had come across answers.

I meet truths I tried to ignore,

And realize the wrong ways I’ve tried to solve problems out of ignorance.

I’m constantly learning.

3. Exercise — Is this how others have been living?

My irregular lifestyle and diet often left me with a sore stomach.

I was so weak after frequent visits to the bathroom.

I tried supplements and probiotics, but nothing really changed.

Then, through 9Habit, I started exercising for the first time.

At first, even running for 30 seconds was hard.

Now, I can run 3miles without stopping.

I even completed a challenge of running 6km every day

for six days to help African children.

Soon, I’ll tackle 5miles.

Half-marathons and full marathons are on my list too.

Someday, I even want to try a triathlon.

9Habit’s morning home training introduced me to strength training.

I couldn’t hold a plank for 10 seconds before,

but now I can do it for 30 seconds.

Squats were just something I heard about,

but I learned the correct posture is sticking your butt out.

I used to only be able to sleep on one side because of shoulder pain after work, but now I can lie down however I want.

It’s amazing not to have stomach pain and to have strength in my body.

So this is why they say to live a regular life.

I can’t believe everyone else has been living with such ease!

Though my knees do hurt a bit.

4. Diet and Eating Habits — There’s my waist!

I’ve lost 4–5kg compared to January, from a body that had gained over 10kg.

A slimmer waist is emerging.

For now, it’s just eating less out and more vegetables.

But soon, I’ll try barf.

5. Investing — Dreaming big about real estate

I thought real estate was out of reach because I didn’t have starter money.

And then prices got too high, I thought I was too late.

But now, even though I don’t have money,

I dream of buying my mom a place.

A place with a living room bathed in sunlight.

Dreams are free, right?

Might as well study for when the opportunity comes.

6. Social Media— Maybe I should try YouTube?

When I learned about the possibilities with blogging,

I only recommended it to friends.

I never thought I could do it.

Blogging can earn you money, let you teach courses,

and even publish books — it seemed like a world apart from me.

Now, I’m writing this on my blog.

The posts I wrote after attending a blogging course even made it to the first page of search results.

If I keep at it, getting to Ad Post seems doable.

Becoming an influencer might take a while.

But now, I can imagine it.

Maybe I can hit the jackpot too?

What would it feel like to go to work just as a hobby?

It makes me wonder what I should focus on.

7. Family — I grew up happy.

My dad, who struggled with alcoholism, passed away

when I was in my senior year of high school.

My mom worked from early morning till dawn and had no energy left for us.

Our home was always a mess, and on her days off, she just slept.

I blamed my parents for my messed-up life.

I learned depression and lethargy from my mom, who worked hard

but often fell apart, and thought it would have been better if my dad,

who lived and died without a plan, hadn’t been around at all.

My brother, who was always getting into trouble, seemed pitiful,

and I wanted to cut ties with him for being such an idiot.

But then, waking up early and writing in my diary, I found past happiness.

Thanks to my carefree dad, I could go on summer vacations,

and I got the bicycle, roller skates, and computer I wanted.

He even let me join the Girl Scouts.

I had a happy childhood because of my dad.

Just before he passed away, he bought me a bouquet of red roses for my church presentation, even though he was sick.

I miss the dad who loved me.

I hated that my mom always seemed to let others win.

I wanted to live fiercely because my mom seemed to live at a loss.

I pitied her for giving up on herself, and I didn’t want to live like that.

Now, I know that my positive strength is something my mom passed down to me.

She’s amazing for not giving up and raising me under tough circumstances.

I’m proud of my mom.

I want to comfort her for the wounds she got while she was alone.

But first, I need to heal my own wounds.

My heart needs to become stronger.

I’m trying to understand my brother.

It’s frustrating that he had to work even on the day,

he was supposed to meet my mom after a year because of his vacation.

It’s annoying that he only takes and doesn’t give back.

But thinking back on our tough times living in a shabby motel,

I realize he must have been lonely and had a hard time living separately as adults.

Before starting 9Habit,

meeting my mom and brother wasn’t that enjoyable.

Now, through our family’s gratitude diary in the group chat,

I look forward to seeing them.

8. Work Skills — I want to do well at work too.

When an important task suddenly comes up, it means a week of overtime.

Working past 10 pm was a huge stress.

My heart would race, dreading the tough overtime that might come with each new task.

I used to complain and vent everywhere when work came up.

Now, I see it as an opportunity for growth.

Since I have to do it anyway, I might as well do it better.

Thinking the workday will pass quickly feels good.

I ponder over the first domino to increase my work capacity.

There was an employee I couldn’t stand.

Everyone talked badly about them.

Their attitude was so overbearing, and I’ve raised my voice at them before.

Recently, I misspoke without checking properly again.

I was overwhelmed with frustration.

Why can’t they do better? I was angry.

I wondered if I should scold them or embarrass them, but then I thought, for their own sake, I should offer constructive advice.

I was worried they wouldn’t understand and would be stubborn, but to my surprise, they apologized sincerely and promised to improve.

I felt proud.

9. Gratitude — I’m grateful for everything.

I used to complain a lot.

My mom called me a grumbler.

But as I started looking for things to be grateful for,

I found so much to appreciate.

Really, there’s so much to be thankful for.

I’m grateful for being able to see, for having my mom and brother,

For reaching an age some people never do,

For being healthy enough to run on my own two feet,

For having people who love me,

For meeting great teachers who guide my life,

For having friends who truly support me and strive alongside me,

For being able to support them and find strength again,

For having so many things I want to do now when I used to hate my life,

For slowly growing, even if it’s slow, I like myself more.

As I move past the time of organizing my life, I look forward to

what I’ll create in the future.

I’m going to discover an amazing me.

I won’t give up and will keep moving forward every day.

I can become the person I want to be.

Just by doing what 9Habit tells me, I’m going to grow a lot

If you spot any mistakes in the info above, don’t hesitate to give me a shout!

Thank you 😊

💚 Your cup of coffee is a big help in running my blog 💚
☕ Buy me coffee please ~ ^_^ buymeacoffee.com/Eva ☕

9 Habits Can Change Your Life

1. Waking up early — My life is getting organized.

2. Reading — I’ve found the compass for my life.

3. Exercise — Is this how others have been living?

4. Diet and Eating Habits — There’s my waist!

5. Investing — Dreaming big about real estate

6. Social Media— Maybe I should try YouTube?

7. Family — I grew up happy.

8. Work Skills — I want to do well at work too.

9. Gratitude — I’m grateful for everything.

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Written by Eva