At The Vital Guide, we believe that so many things contribute to our health, not just the food we eat. How we contribute to and operate each day is essential to our best life. Here is a list of things we’ve learned to do, and to avoid doing. Enjoy!

START – Implementing a Morning Routine

Every day we wake up, we have the choice to be proactive or reactive. Setting up a morning ritual helps get our mindset and priorities dialed in for the day. Meditate, drink water with lemon, journal, whatever. Start your day off from a confident state, not a reactive pressure filled stressed state.

STOP – Caring What People Think About You

Too often we make our decisions based on what other people will think. Give that up ASAP! No matter what you do some people are going to love it, some people are going to hate it, most people won’t even care. Do what is right for you and let go of the drama.

START – Learning Something You Always Wanted To

Remember that thing you always wanted to learn? That language or that instrument? Yeah, by now you would be a master at it. Stop putting it off and start incorporating it into your life.

STOP – Procrastinating

When we procrastinate we are trying to control a situation or avoid a perceived pain. The irony is you end up creating the very thing you were afraid of. Bite the bullet and get the mountain behind you. It’s always better that way.

START – Eating Right and Improving your Lifestyle

This should be a no brainer but always bears repeating. Forget diets and fad promises. Make eating right, exercising and being happy a priority in your life. If there is no time and room for them, eliminate the toxic and wasteful build and make some room. You already know what you should get rid of.

STOP – Holding Grudges

Nothing wastes your time more than holding on to what someone should have done, been or said. Assume everyone is doing their best with what they have and stop believing people are out to get you. You’ve been hurt, wronged and mistreated. I know, so have I and so has everyone else. Let it go, it is only dragging you down.

START – Traveling More

I always say that traveling shows us in a single breath how big and how small the world is. You will learn more about the world, others and yourself from traveling than you will in school. FACT!

STOP – Rewarding Yourself with Crappy Food

If wasting your energy on digesting junk food is your idea of a good time then have at it. But please stop putting yourself under pressure just to reward yourself with a cupcake. It is stealing way more energy than it is giving you and that is going to destroy your mood and effectiveness in the long run.

START – That Gym/Class You Always Wanted to Try

It’s resolution time! Blah blah blah. Everyone enjoys different types of exercise, so if the gym isn’t your thing then stop trying to force it. Try that other modality that you always wanted to. You are far more likely to keep at it then something you don’t enjoy.

STOP – Watching So Much TV

The average American watches 34 hours of TV a week. That is as alarming as it is sad. That is 1,768 hours a year! If you were really dedicated you could probably launch a missile or split an atom in that time. If you cut out a fraction of that you can accomplish way more this year than you think.

START – Reading More

Think about the person who wrote a book. It probably took him/her YEARS to conceive of, research and go through the life experience to be able to bring you that wisdom, insight or lesson. By reading, you are literally condensing years of experience into hours of your life.

STOP – Worrying So Much

Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it never gets you anywhere. Make a list of what you CAN control and what CAN’T. Stop spending so much time on the second list.

START – Juicing

Want an easy way of getting a ton of nutrition into your bloodstream just short of injecting it in? Start juicing. It will literally change your life if you let it.

STOP – Thinking More Money Will Solve All Your Problems

Money is neutral. It isn’t the cause of all the evil in the world nor will it solve all your problems. Release your attachment to money and start focusing on what you really need.

START – Counting Your Blessings and Be Grateful

Nothing positive has ever come from a negative mindset. When you are grateful for what you have, only more can be added on to it. When you aren’t grateful, no matter how much you have, it will never matter.

There you have it, 15 action items you can begin working on today that can make a huge difference in your life, if you let them. Don’t feel pressured to get through them all in one action packed month. Instead, work on one or two at a time and master them slowly, like a true life ninja would.

We’d love to hear from you. Which one of these do you think you can take on, or which one’s have you already mastered?