21 Smart things to do that your future self will thank you for

Do you want to level up and improve your life? Do you ever feel like you are not doing enough to have the kind of life you have always dreamed of? Or do you feel like there is always something missing from your life? Like you are not living your life to it’s full potential?

If you said yes to any of these then this post is for you. We are talking about 21 things you need to do that your future self will thank you for. These 21 things are essentially things that will help you get your life in order. They will help you in designing and working for the kind of life you have always dreamed of. Because let’s be realistic, changing and improving your entire life is hard work and takes time. But I think these things will help.

Of course you don’t have to do everything right away. Sometimes it gets overwhelming, I know. But the idea is to have a plan and tackle things one by one. And always work towards a goal because it will make it easier to make certain choices.

Let me explain. I used to love buying coffee mugs. And I am not exaggerating when I say that I was obsessed with buying new coffee mugs. but then, I also wanted to be more minimal and have a clutter free life. You see how those two are kind of opposites? But then, I started mapping out my ideal life and it allowed me to see what kind of life do I want. And it meant that I didn’t have to give up on buying mugs, but I just needed to buy the ones that could fit into my dream life.

It may sounds silly, but it meant no longer buying mugs with crazy prints on them and sticking to a colour scheme as well. And Iw as able to do that because I wanted to have a very colour co-ordinated kitchen in the future. And having that vision helped me make better decisions when it comes to buying mugs.

You see where I am going, right? Having a clear vision of the kind of life you want will help you make better decision right now and you will be able to design that life every single day with your daily choices.

21 things to start doing for your future self. 21 habits to start and routine to make that will help you achieve your goals and create the life of your dreams.

RElated: How to get a glow up in 30 days

So, Here are 21 things you need to do right now that your future self will thank you for. You ready?

#1: Get your life organised:

Getting your life organised is my number one thing on the list here. And it will just make everything else easier for you. Having an organised life allows you to focus on the things that really matter rather than un-necessary clutter that takes up way too much of your time and energy.

Can you imagine having a system for everything and knowing exactly where things are supposed to be? Imagine someone coming up to you and asking for a particular bill during the tax season and you knowing exactly where it is. Or Imagine having to file a complaint for an appliance that’s in the warranty period and knowing exactly where the bill and the warranty card is. How easy will that make things for you, right? Still not convinced?

Why do you need to Organise your life?

Having an organised life will make it easier for you to manage everything. You will no longer be worrying about whether you paid the bills in time or whether you missed on any important payments. So in a way, it will help you reduce the amount of stress in your life. And even though you may feel like you don’t need that right now, once you give it a try, you will stick with it, I am sure of that. And that’s because it really is quite a powerful tool.
Having everything organised also makes sure that you no longer forget important things and dates like anniversaries and birthdays. And we can all use that.
It will save you so much time in the future because you won’t be strip searching your entire house the next time you have to look for a bill or something. Because you will know exactly where it is. And let’s be honest, we have all done that. We have all turned our house upside down in search of a piece of paper, and having a life planner will help you save all that time.

How to Organise your life?

The best way to organise your life is getting a Life planner, so that you have everything in one place. I can not recommend this enough. Starting a life planner was life changing for me. It helped me keep a track of my income, my expenses and also helped me plan my investments better.

And that’s just the money part. Having a life planner also helps with other aspects of your life and the fact that it is totally customisable, makes it perfect for everyone. So you could include things that are important to you. I keep A track of my passwords, income, expenses, savings, birthdays and important dates etc all in one place. It is also a place where I keep my money plan and my vision board for the next 5 years.

You could even use your life planner to store all kinds of lists. I have quite a few that are constant in my planners. Some of them include cleaning lists (daily, weekly and monthly), pantry restocking list etc. These lists help me maintain a clean and clutter free home, which is something I truly appreciate (more about a clutter free home later on).

You could also organise your life in different folders. So having a different folder for your incomes, for taxes, all your bills etc. And then store all the folders in one place. I know that it is something that a lot of people do, but I still find having a big life planner better than any other system. Because it’s just super convenient to use and easy to grab whenever you need to.

For a detailed article on how to make a life planner, check out this post!

#2: Declutter your home:

Next on the list is decluttering your home. Yes, I know you have heard this before and maybe you have even given it a decent try. But you know what, you need to try harder.Yes I am just going to be shameless about it. Because I know there are still things that you are holding onto. These are the things that no longer serve you and you won’t need in the future as well. And this is your sign to let them go.

Having a clutter free home is again, life-altering. Because when you get rid of the clutter that’s taking up space in your home, you make more space for the things that you actually love and things that bring you joy. And when it comes to creating a life that you absolutely love, having a home that brings you joy is an absolute must. you home should be a place that’s your sanctuary and not a place that you need to constantly escape from. It should be relaxing and calming space and getting rid of all the clutter definitely helps in a big way.

I keep focussing on decluttering here on the blog and in fact have so many posts that can help you declutter your entire home. I know it is overwhelming at times, but once you’re done with it, it’s always worth it. So if you are looking for other resources, here are some that I think you’ll find useful:

20 tips to Declutter your clothes this weekend

#3: Make working out a habit:

If you are not in the habit of working out almost everyday and moving your body, you need to start right now. Yes, even if you are perfectly happy with the way you look. You see, working out, moving your body and getting a sweat on should come from a place of love and not because you hate your body.

And the benefits of working out go fat beyond just physical health. Working out and sweating it out everyday is also great for your mental health. Because when you work out and get your heart rate up, you release endorphins and they make you feel good. that’s why exercise is such a great mood booster.

And before you say that you hate working out or that you don’t have the time because you’re too busy, wait up. You see, you will never have enough time for things. You have to make time for things that are important to you. And you need to remember that you can’t give your best in any aspect of your life, if you are not feeling your absolute best.

Don’t believe me? Think about the last time you worked out and how that made you feel. After the first few minutes of feeling like you’re going to die after an intense workout, chances are that you felt good, right? And that’s because it’s true. When you exercise in the mornings, you will automatically be more productive through the rest of the day.

And it’s all in these good habits. So if you want a good life, you need to adopt these good habits and it’s better to start sooner than later. And the key is to find the workouts that you love. So try a couple of workouts and take different classes to see what workouts do you enjoy doing. They don’t have to be boring. And if it helps, you could even ask a friend to accompany you. That way, you’ll keep each other accountable as well.

#4: Learn to cook if you don’t yet:

Simple, balanced home-made meals are under-rated. And if you don’t know how to cook yet, it’s time you learn. Because nothing beats healthy home cooked meals. Because when you cook your food yourself, you are in total control of the ingredients and you know exactly what you’re putting into your body.

And it’s not that complicated, once you learn the basics. If you are an absolute beginner, here are some things that you should take the time out to learn:

Cooking rice: Super easy and perfect for main dish with a lentil curry or as a side dish with saute veggies. Also great for burrito bowls or wraps.
Making a few basic soups: Again super easy to make and can be had with so many things.

Lentil curry or dal: Cooking lentils and making a lentil soup or a lentil curry is so easy and it’s one of the best things you’ll ever learn. they are packed with protein and nutrients and cook in less than 30 minutes if you’re doing so in a pressure cooker. We almost have them every other day.
Mint chutney & Hummus: Both can be had either with toast or in burrito bowls or wraps and are super easy to make with just a few ingredients.

And cooking meals at home doesn’t require a lot of time. It’s so much easier and less time consuming when you do meal planning and meal prepping in advance. And there are tons of resources online that will help you will meal planning and meal prepping.

#5: Learn to say no and set boundaries:

Saying No is an art that you should definitely learn. Because it does come in handy. And the fact that not a lot of people know how to say no to things and situations that are not serving them, is crazy. The thing is learning how to say no to people and plans that you do not find any value in, will always be helpful in life.

Learning how to say no and setting boundaries will help you allocate your time and energy towards things and people that actually matter to you and that are a priority for you. And by learning how to say no and setting boundaries, you also make time for the things that actually bring you joy. Whether it is at work or in your personal life, boundaries are important and they help you navigate your life.

#6: Discover yourself and your purpose:

The best thing you could do for yourself this year is to discover yourself and to discover your purpose and your passions. If you are stuck in a job that you absolutely hate, maybe it’s time to find out what you actually love doing and then work towards making that a reality and making that your profession.

And I am not saying everyone hates their job, maybe you do love your job. That’s great. Then you could use this year to find your purpose in life. What is it that you want to be doing and what is the legacy you want to leave behind. And then make a plan on how you are you going to do that.

You could invest more time into doing things that you love and finding new hobbies or revisiting old ones. Having a creative hobby and making the time for it, is important.

So let the rest of 2021, be the time when you find out what you absolutely love doing. Maybe it’s pottery, or dancing. The point is, you need to figure it out for yourself and the sooner, the better.

#7: Elevate your life:

If you feel like you are not living the life that you deserve, it’s time to elevate your life. Elevating your life and levelling up means changing things and making changes over time that will improve your life. If you want to elevate your lfie too, then you need to first think about the kind of life that you want.

Having a clear vision of the kind of life you want for yourself, will help you set better goals and work towards building that life and making your dream life a reality. Because having a life that looks amazing, is essentially all about setting the right goals and working towards those goals. It means improving and making changes with habits and routines on a daily basis.

Here is how you can elevate your life too & 5 simple ways to elevate your life right now.

#8: Elevate your style:

If you don’t have a personal style yet, now is the time to elevate your style and figure out your personal style as well. Go on Pinterest and find out what kind of outfits do you like and then try on different style to see what you like best and what you feel the most confident in.

Knowing your personal style is a big plus because it means that you will no longer be wasting your money on clothes that you will not wear that often. Figuring out your style and figuring out what looks good with what outfit will save you a lot of time every morning. Because you will no longer find yourself standing in front of your closet every morning thinking you have nothing to wear.

It will also help you look more polished and chic everyday, with minimal efforts.

If that sounds like something you want, check out these 15 style swaps that will help you looking chic on a budget.

#9: Build more confidence:

Building self confidence is nothing but all about adopting the right habits. Yes, no one is born confident and you can build confidence over time. A part of the confidence building process is dressing up right.

But another very important aspect is having your life organised. Because when you are organised in various aspects of your life, you’re automatically more confident. This means having a clean and organised home, having your finances in order, hacing good health and so.

Here are 10 Daily Habits you should adopt to be more confident and to boost your self esteem.

#10: Make a morning routine:

Making a morning routine can be life changing. Imagine no longer having to rush out the door without having had a proper breakfast. And all you need is basically waking up 30-40 minutes earlier than you usually do. That will give you enough time to get things done in the mornings.

Taking about having a morning routine, here are a couple of habits you can include in your daily routine:

Make your bed first thing in the morning.
Take some time out to move your body. If you are pressed for time then even a small 15 minute HIIT workout will do.
Make yourself a Healthy nutritious breakfast: it doesn’t have to take that long. Again, if you feel like you don’t have the time try making overnight oats or a quick morning smoothie. Make sure to nourish your body.

Make a to-do list for the day. It will help you have your priorities in order.

Now, these are just some examples of things you could add to your morning routine. Everyone’s ideal morning routine looks different and there is no right or wrong way to do it, really. Just make sure to include things that you think are important and that you want to get done in the mornings.

When you are just starting out, you might need to enforce these changes to your lifestyle and it may require a lot of work at your end. Sometimes, even waking up early in the mornings can be quite the challenge. I always find that keeping a habit tracker when trying to adopt a new habit, always works. A habit tracker will keep you accountable.

#11: Make a night routine:

As important as the morning routine is the night routine. Having a morning routine helps you get into a productivity mode and helps you prepare for the day ahead. On the other hand, a night routine will help you wind down and relax after a long day of hard work. Your body needs to rest and eneds to recharge after a long day.

And having a night routine will help you rejuvenate for the next day. And just like the morning routine, night routine will look different for everyone. But here are some habits/things that you can make a part of your night routine:

Remove makeup and take a shower: Also take some time out for indulging in some skin care

Make a to-do List for the next day
Journal for mindfulness
Switch off all the screens( tv, laptop and phone) at least 2 hours prior to bed. This will help you sleep better.

Make yourself a relaxing soothing tea
read a book for 30 minutes

#12: Fix your sleep schedule:

If you have been sleeping at really odd hours and waking up feeling half dead, then this is your sign to fox your sleep schedule. We need at least 7-8 hours of quality sleep to properly function. And while the number of hours you sleep is important, the quality is important as well.

And the best way to get good sleep every night is by fixing your sleep schedule. It essentially means going to bed and waking up around the same time everyday. It helps sync your body clock and you get better sleep as a result.

And when you sleep better, you wake up refreshed and ready to tackle on the day. I have noticed such a big difference in my productivity levels on days when I have had good sleep. And I think if you want to feel energised and productive throughout the day, then it is super important.

If you find trouble getting good sleep, here are some tips that might help:

Sleep around the same time every night. This will put your body clock in sync with your sleep time.
Do not hit the snooze button in the morning and wake up as soon as the alarm goes off. Hitting snooze and sleeping again start another sleep cycle. But then when you wake up after 5-10 minutes, your body is still half asleep as you didn’t give it enough time to complete that sleep cycle.
Switch off all screens before bedtime because they emit blue light that affects the quality of your sleep.

If you are looking for more natural ways to improve your sleep quality, then check out this post: 12 Ways to sleep better even when you have anxiety.

#13: Learn yoga/meditation and stretches:

I know I said make working out a habit earlier on in this post, but this is totally different.

Yoga, meditation and light stretches every now and then are super under-rated and it’s something that you absolutely NEED to learn.

Practising yoga will help you improve your posture and overall flexibility in your body over time. Yoga also has a lot of other health benefits and is known to be super helpful in treating stress, blood pressure and high blood sugars. And the best thing is that you don’t have to be at the top of your fitness level for most of the yoga poses. You can start at any point of your fitness journey and can do variation for all yoga poses. You will develop more flexibility over time and be able to do more advanced version too.

Meditation is also something that’s super helpful, even if it seems like something that won’t really make a difference. Starting with meditation is a little trickier though. And it’s best to start with some guided meditations on apps like Calm. Getting into a habit of meditating can help you get in a better touch with your feelings and understanding yourself better. It could also help you deal with anxiety.

Then comes stretching. Stretching your body right when you wake up is great because it helps you get the blood flowing and helps you feel more energised when you wake up. But stretching during the day also helps. I always make sure to take a quick 5 minute stretching break every hour, while working. This is especially beneficial if you too, spend long hours sitting at your desk. Every hour or so, take a 5 minute break to stretch your neck and back. It will also help you correct your posture. Walking for a few minutes every hour also helps.

#14: Cut off toxic people from your life:

This one is easier said than done. Sometimes cutting toxic people out of our life can be quite challenging. And it’s mainly because they are usually our “friends” or family or colleagues at work that we have to see everyday. And a lot of the times cutting someone off entirely is not even possible. But what could help in such situations is setting boundaries as we discussed earlier on and learning to say NO.

But whenever possible, cut toxic people out of your life, so that you could spend your time and energy on people that actually matter. If you are in a toxic relationship, then it’s time you let this person go. At times, it could feel like you can’t break it off with this person, but trust me, you are stronger than you think you are. So learn to cut off toxic people from your life.

#15: Learn to stand for your beliefs:

Learning to stand for your beliefs is super important and it’s something that should learn in 2021. When talking about beliefs, it’s also imperative to mention that just because someone’s beliefs are different than yours, doesn’t mean they are wrong and you are right. And in life, you need to be more respectful of others too. You need to learn to work with people and not against them even though their beliefs may be totally different than yours.

Before you learn to stand for your beliefs, you need to know very clearly what your beliefs are. Know what you believe in, and it will be easier for you to stand your ground. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, but when you stand for your beliefs, you develop more self esteem and you feel good about yourself.

Communicating is also a big part of standing for your beliefs and while doing so, it’s important to be polite and not rude. You need to be assertive, while also keeping in mind the needs and wants of others.

So often in life, you are faced with situations that will ask you to compromise on your values. And that’s when it becomes even more important to know your beliefs and your values and to stand your ground. because the more you compromise on your values, the more it affects your mental wellbeing. And standing for your beliefs and values will help you inculcate a stronger sense of self, build more integrity and self respect too.

#16: Learn to express yourself:

Communicating and expressing yourself is one of the most important skill sets to have in life. And it’s one that a lot of people lack. And to be able to express your self better, you first need to be more mindful of your emotions. Knowing what you are feeling and why you are feeling that way always helps.

And to be able to get more in touch with your feelings and to understand yourself better, I highly recommend you to try out journalling. It allows you to see things for what they really are and helps you understand the underlying factors behind your emotions.

And when you understand yourself better, you will be able to express yourself better. When you are communicating or expressing, it also works in your favour if you have taken out the time to figure out exactly what you are going to say. So always breathe and take a moment to think before you speak. This will help you gather your thoughts beforehand and express yourself more respectfully and clearly.

#17: Start a journal:

If I haven’t been able to convince you yet, with all the habit tracker tips etc, then let me say it again. think about starting a journal. I took up bullet journalling some 4 years back and haven’t looked back ever since. And no, you don’t need to be an artist to have a bullet journal. And yes, bullet journalling is really practical and super helpful and deserves every bit of hype it gets.

If you are still not sure about bullet journalling, then any journal will do. Even a blank notebook is perfectly fine. All you need to do is get into a habit of journalling and to write in it almost daily. Sometimes, it doesn’t even matter what you write, as long as you’re allowing yourself the freedom to let your thoughts flow. If you feel like you have no idea, where to begin, you could either do a gratitude journal or you could do journalling with daily prompts, whatever you feel like doing. Start slow and you will able to develop this habit overtime as well.

#18: Make self care a priority:

The next thing to do for yourself is making self care a priority. With our busy lives, we are almost always in a hustle mode and we sometimes forget that we need the care too. That often leads to burn out. And if you want to avoid the feeling of burn out and feeling demotivated for days at end, it’s important to make self care a priority on the daily.

Taking some time out for yourself and taking care of yourself is important. And let this be your indication to start doing that right now. And self care doesn’t always have to be expensive spas that take 5-6 hours (although they don’t hurt either, lol). But self care could be as simple as taking your mornings slow and taking extra 5 minutes to have your tea/coffee in the morning. It could also be as simple as taking a cold hot/cold shower and then pampering yourself with your best skin acre products.

Here are 53 free or really affordable Self care ideas that you could try for your next self care session.

#19: Fix your relationships:

Another super important thing you could do for yourself is fixing your relationships. Having healthy relationships with your friends and family is the key to a happy and fulfilled life. And sometimes it does require efforts at your end to fix those relationships. So take out some time to spend with the people you value. Do things that will help you bond and connect with them and have conversations that really matter.

Nurturing relationships is super important and it’s one of the best things you could do for yourself. So schedule fun “dates” with the people in your life that matter to you and make sure to spend quality time together.

#20: Start a side hustle:

If you have been wanting to start a side hustle for the longest time, now is the the time. Not to put any added pressure or stress on you, but times have been super unpredictable and having a little side hustle will do you good. Not just in terms of making you money, but also because it could be something that keeps you motivated through the pandemic.

Maybe you’ve always loved painting, or you’ve always wanted to start a blog, then why not right now? You certainly don’t want to put it off for another few years and then regret it later on. Sometimes we need to try a few different things to figure out what could work for us. And you, deserve to give yourself that chance. to see what your little idea could be, if only you gave it a sincere try.

Related: How to start a blog in 8 Easy steps

#21: Get a control over your finances:

And lastly, get a control over your finances. Again super important and something that a lot of people don’t give enough attention to. Having your personal finances in order will help you build more self confidence and will reflect in other aspects of your life. And if you are still living pay check to pay check, then you need to think about saving and investing for the future as well. And it’s better that you start thinking about these things right now.

Stop spending your money on more materialistic things that you don’t need. Instead, think about what investments you could be making and what is a good use of your money at the moment. If it helps, think about adopting a more minimalistic lifestyle. It will help you save money quickly and get your finances in order.

If you are in debt, make a debt repayment plan and stick to it. The first step to getting your personal finances in order is making a budget and focussing on paying off your debt as soon as possible. You certainly don’t want to be spending the money you don’t have. So don’t pile on credit card debt that has a super high interest rate and be smart about your money.

Here are daily habits of frugal people to adopt to save more money.

And if you know nothing about personal finances and budgeting, now is the right time to start educating yourself. Here are some great posts to get started:

11 Debt pay off mistakes you’re probably making right now

And there you have it. 21 things to do that your future self will thank you for. these 21 things will help you get your life on the right track and set you up for success. Do these 21 things this year to take more control over your life.