
This post was inspired by something I ran across on Twitter:
7 Most Important Habits For Men:
-Self Awareness
-Reading
-Meditation
-Working Out
-Visualization
-Socializing
-Positive Self TalkWhat others would you add?
— Alpha Male Advice (@BeMoreAlpha) April 22, 2020
Trending: He Watched 9 Guys Run a Train On Her & Then Later Married Her
The important habits for men? Great topic. Do I agree with his whole list? Not all of it, but some of them are right on. For example…
1) Working out: Our ancestors didn’t necessarily need to “work out” because they lived such an active lifestyle from birth to death that it was superfluous. You spend from dawn until dusk every day walking behind a plow horse, weeding, chasing down animals, cutting wood, etc, etc and you are probably in pretty good physical condition. Today, we sit. A LOT. Doing regular exercise helps us look better, feel better, and stay healthier.
2) Reading: Not everyone is a reader, but personally, I’ve read over 2000 books in my lifetime. Does everyone need to read that much? Nope, but there are so many books out there from wildly successful people, that explains how amazing things were done or that teach you how to do anything you want to do that you’re missing out if you’re not reading. There’s nothing wrong with reading social media or websites like this one (especially this one), but there is nothing like reading books.
3) Socializing: Let me add to that. Socializing IN PERSON. Friends online are great, but it’s more important to have friends that you see in person. People you go to dinner, the bar & movies with. It’s just better for your mental health and communication skills to be able to shmooze and enjoy people’s company. Finding good friends is worth it.
(Here is where I start to diverge from his list)
4) Learning self-defense: Depending on your situation, we could be talking martial arts, handling a firearm, or ideally both. You hear a lot of people talk about “safe spaces” these days, but when you are confident you can protect yourself in a physical confrontation, everywhere feels like a “safe space.” Being able to defend yourself gives you the sort of confidence in dealing with other people that no book, guru, or course ever could.
5) Quality sleep: There are books on this subject and personally, I have written whole articles about it. You’re going to spend 1/3 of your life asleep. It’s going to impact your health, your mental sharpness, how you feel, how you perform, whether you gain weight, you name it, so you have got to take whatever steps are necessary to get quality sleep each night. Just to give you a few quick suggestions on that front, I’d say get a quality mattress, use a sleep tracking app like Fitbit, use blackout shades, get rid of light and noise sources before bed (especially your cell phone) and only have sleep or sex on your bed, nothing else. Dig into this subject. Experiment. Find what works for you. It’s worth it.
6) Doing Whatever You Fear: Want to get rid of anxiety and depression while becoming confident that you can do anything you set your mind to doing? Start doing anything you know you SHOULD BE doing but are afraid to do. Scared to ask a girl out? Then you have to do it. Scared to do Kareoke? Then you gotta sing. Your friends are all going to a shooting range to rent machine guns to fire off, but you’re scared to go? Guess what you’re about to go do? This habit will transform your life.
7) Challenge Yourself: You’re either growing or you’re dying. The moment you start to feel like, “I’m comfortable now, I’ve got everything wired, I could do everything I need to do with my eyes closed…” is the moment you’re starting to turn towards boredom, depression & unhappiness. Every day, think about practicing something you aren’t good at yet, learning something new from a book, teacher, or YouTube video or doing something that makes you uncomfortable. That is what will make you into a stronger, better, happier man.
Join the conversation!
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please hover over that comment, click the ∨ icon, and mark it as spam. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.