Tag Archive for: habits

Habits that shape us

As 2025 begins, I’ve been considering the habits I’ve developed over the years – the small, steady practices that have shaped who I am today.
Daily journaling, something I began decades ago, has grown into something far more meaningful, even inspiring me to finish my book this year.
It reminds me that the smallest, most consistent actions can lead to unexpected and fulfilling results.
This year feels like an opportunity to build on those routines and make them even more purposeful.
Our daily walks, for instance, could become a time for deeper reflection, meaningful conversations and they’re certainly helping me prepare for the West Highland Way’s 96 miles in May!
I think my writing could even evolve into exploring new forms.
For instance more storytelling or allowing creativity to stretch me in new directions – poetry perhaps!
As we slow down and notice our positive habits, they seem to have a way of growing with us.
What starts as a small step, making time for gratitude, connecting with others, or simply being in the moment and present, can compound over time, shaping our lives in powerful ways.
What good habits or productive practices have shaped your life in recent years?
As you look ahead to 2025, how might you take them further or adapt them to your current needs?
I’d love to hear what’s worked for you – your journey might just inspire someone else to start theirs…

Steady Effort

Since returning to Scotland in the summer, I’ve had a few projects on the go.
One of them, writing a daily devotional book has dominated a lot of my time…and I mean lots!
I’m especially grateful through for a number of returned missionaries who have helped in the due process, gathering content, editing and keeping me on track.
I’ve particularly enjoyed the regular check ins with our Project Manager – Emily Hodder, where we have talked about progress being made!
Thank you one and all!
I’ve learned that writing a book is no easy task, but hopefully in the end it will be worth it.

Do one small thing

Steady consistent effort is key, simply by doing one small thing.

By embracing the principle of “by the inch, it’s a cinch; by the yard, it’s hard,” the task became not only manageable but deeply fulfilling.
Tackling a daunting task all at once can feel overwhelming for all of us, but dividing it into smaller, achievable portions has made it much easier.
Each day, I committed to writing or editing a small portion.
Sometimes a paragraph, other times just refining a sentence.
These small but steady steps have brought me closer to my goal.
A few minutes of focused effort might seem insignificant in the moment, but over time, these moments compound into something quite remarkable.
As the days add up, so does my progress.
I’ve learned that writing a book becomes less about monumental bursts of creativity and more about cultivating a rhythm of perseverance.
I have also learned that first drafts are often messy!
Yet, a book grows word, by word and eventually they all add up!
Now we are in touching distance of having a final manuscript to submit to the publishers, hopefully by the end of this year.
This idea of breaking big goals into smaller steps—applies to more than just writing.
Whether you’re tackling a fitness goal, starting a new career, or organising your home, the power of steady effort is transformative.
My biggest lesson: Daily effort, no matter how small, can transform daunting challenges into achievable successes.
The journey to write this book has reminded me that success isn’t about grand gestures but daily perseverance.
What goal could you achieve if you simply took it one inch at a time?

Morning Routines

“Nothing much happened today….”
Those were the opening words of my first diary entry on January 1st, 1978.
Since then, I have written thousands more.
In a few weeks’ time, it’ll be 47 years since it all began.
And my daily morning entries have filled 49 page a day journals (a couple of years 1983 – 1985 I filled a few.)
I am grateful for my mother.
Since Christmas day 1977, with her gift of the little diary, every December 25th since, she has presented me with a new journal for the year ahead.
Filled with priceless memories, stories, insightful experiences, a few travelogues and a number of boring entries too 😉, they have become a record of my life.
They are a way to remember.

Mornings

I believe that how you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.
In 1977, I began my years at High School in Dunfermline.
That summer, I started an early morning newspaper round.
Those early rises allowed me to establish regular morning habits that developed into consistent, reliable daily patterns from a young age.
I discovered that if you start every day with intention, a disciplined mindset is the result.
It has been the foundation for steady growth in my personal learning, development, family and professional life.
A structured morning routine helps you to focus on any priority tasks for the day ahead, without feeling hurried and to plan your time and resources accordingly.
Finding a morning routine that suits you, may take a little time.
The important thing is to commit to a routine that supports your own goals and lifestyle.
For me jotting down my thoughts of the activities of the day before in my journal is a powerful way to slow me down and clear my mind.

Top Tips

– Set a regular, consistent wake up time.
– Hydrate immediately and drink a glass of water.
– Journal – Start small – my first journal entry was just 12 words.
– Meditate & Study
– Prioritise your day.
As opposed to those first few words of my journal of 1978, something of real value happened that day, which has set the daily routines of my lifetime.
What did you do this morning?

Guarding Against Silent Judgment

Five years ago, I wrote about the dangers of pointing out faults in others. See https://www.darylwatson.org/…/the-dangers-of-pointing…/
Reflecting upon that blogpost, one thought comes to mind as I try to do better, is this… “I choose not to let passing judgment become a silent habit that I don’t know is happening.”
It’s easy to slip into judgmental thinking without even realising it, by quietly critiquing others’ choices, behaviours, or appearance in our minds.
Just the other day, I caught myself doing that very thing.
When unchecked, this internal habit can become a barrier to compassion, humility, and true meekness.
Passing judgment often starts as a whisper in our thoughts.
It might seem insignificant, a fleeting observation of someone else’s shortcomings or differences.
However, these seemingly small judgments, left unaddressed, can build up over time, shaping how we view and interact with others.
Worse, they can become so ingrained that we may not even recognise when we’re doing it.
Our perceptions of others become clouded by preconceived ideas, biases and crazy notions, which can erode our ability to extend love and understanding.
To counter this, it’s vital to actively constantly cultivate self-awareness.
Just as we try to monitor our words and actions, we must also be mindful of our thoughts.
A helpful practice is to pause when a critical thought arises.
Ask yourself: “Why am I thinking this? Is it rooted in compassion, or is it a reflexive judgment?”
By catching these thoughts in the moment, we can prevent them from taking root and influencing our attitudes.
More importantly, we need to replace judgment with empathy.
We are each on a unique journey in life, filled with struggles, difficulties, and stories we may never fully understand.
I believe when we shift our focus from judgment to empathy, we can begin to respond with kindness and support, rather than criticism.
We can remind ourselves that, just as we desire grace for our own imperfections, others deserve the same grace.
I am more committed than ever to avoiding the silent habit of judgment.
It requires constant vigilance, self-reflection, and intentionality.
By staying mindful of my thoughts and striving to replace judgment with empathy, I hope to become more mindful of my interactions, seeing the best in others and focusing on love rather than faults.
How can you prevent judgmental thoughts entering your mind?

Uncommon

Yesterday, whilst waiting on others, it wasn’t long before I was chatting with a few of the missionaries.
Whilst doing so, I observed an uncommon behaviour.
𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧: “out of the ordinary; unusual, not seen, happening, or experienced often, rare.”
I drew closer to my fellow uncommon friend and we caught an in the moment picture together.
Thank you, Sadie Casperson
We laughed and talked for a little while about our uncommon habit.
See below – we’re focused on our watches!
The vast majority of people wear a watch on top of their wrists.
And I am certain they have a whole host of reasons why they do so.
But Sadie and I, wear our watches, along with the minority of people on the inside of our wrists.
I have often been asked why?
Firstly, it is most definitely a habit! I can’t remember not wearing it on the inside!
Secondly, for me turning my wrist to the inside feels much easier, more subtle, and gentler.
And thirdly, there is a practical implication! Professionally and also in my current responsibilities, it is much easier to discreetly glance at my watch and catch up on time during a coaching session or interview.
For me, it has nothing to do with style, protecting the watch against damage, or even to stop glare or reflection of the sun.
I know many professionals, nurses, plumbers, police, armed forces and others choose to wear their watches on the inside. But take a look around, it is uncommon.
Finally, I wear my watch on my non-dominant wrist. How about you?
What does it matter? – I hear you say….!
At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong way to wear a watch.
After all, it’s simply a matter of choice and preference.
Are you outside or inside? Why?
What uncommon habits do you have?

Habits

𝐇𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬!
I have a regular early morning routine.
It’s a habit of mine.
It’s precious time, to set me up for all the activities and plans for the day ahead.
I pray, meditate, read, study, ponder, plan, journal and reflect on those things that matter most.
Frequently, it is the most insightful couple of hour’s of my day.
In fact, getting up early has also become a habit of a lifetime.
At home in Scotland in our living room, we have a massive clock that hangs on our wall, above the fireplace.
In the wee small hours of every morning, it has an extremely loud TICK TOCK! Here in the Netherlands, the clock is smaller, but equally loud!
So much so, that I have for many years now reverted to placing ear plugs in each of my ears to block out the noise of the clock, during my precious morning routine.
In fact, that has become another habit of mine.
The reward is silence!
I guess I could sit elsewhere in another room perhaps, but no, my choice is always the living room, because it is comfortable there and I love to pick up a book to study!
How I love the silence of the morning.
These habits, have become part of who I am.
“Your habits shape your identity and your identity shapes your habits.” – James Clear.
Your habits shape what you will become.
I believe that one of the keys to success in life is instilling good habits.
So, what are your habits?
What regular routines do you have in your life that formulate the essence of your being?

Finishers Wanted

Recently I was asked; “How do I improve my self-discipline?”

It requires time and effort on your part.

It also requires the development of daily habits by reminding yourself often why you need this ability and how it will help you achieve your goals in life.

Remember the little poem…

Finishers wanted.

Stick to your task, till it sticks to you;

Beginners are many, but enders few.

Honour, power, place and praise will come, in time, to the one who stays.

Stick to your task, till it sticks to you;

Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;

For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile

Will come life’s victories after a while.  (Anonymous)

Focus and self-discipline are the foundations for producing truly amazing results and performance.

Plato said: “The first and best victory is to conquer self; to be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile.”

Consider these ideas…

  • Set clear goals.
  • Start small.
  • Learn how to say no.
  • Know where you will struggle and where you succeed.
  • Find a way to monitor your progress – create a to do list.
  • Encourage yourself to stick to your plan, a partner can help too!
  • Get rid of your distractions.
  • Forgive yourself when you fail – begin again!
  • Keep a journal.
  • Practice, repeat, practice, repeat.

The path may be tough, but the results are amazing.

The pain you feel today, will be the strength you feel tomorrow.

It starts with you – begin now!

Why do you think self-discipline is important to your progress and happiness?

Self-Mastery

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤?
In recent months, I have enjoyed too many Dutch desserts (toetjes).
Subsequently, my waistline has expanded a little, by 5 kilo’s or 11 pounds.
Yesterday, I’d eaten healthily and had some exercise too – I was pleased with my progress.
By 8.00pm, my thinking had slowed down, I was starting to relax.
Then it happened!
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌?
I had a craving for something sweet!!!
Do you know that feeling?
I walked in and out of the kitchen a few times.
I’d already had a few pieces of fruit through the day, blueberries, an apple, an orange….
Some raisins perhaps?
I’d had enough fruit.
Then I spotted a chocolate Toblerone bar.
I walked back out of the kitchen.
Luckily Monic was there.
I confessed my thoughts – she said, “You can do this!”
I know I didn’t need it, but I wanted it!
Don’t you?
Then it struck me.
I knew that 30 minutes later I’d regret eating the Toblerone, and it wasn’t worth the five minutes of enjoyment!
A few minutes later, some visitors arrived. After a pleasant short visit, they departed with every piece of chocolate we had in the house – including the Toblerone!
Through a little willpower, self-mastery and a great deal of help from Monic, I realised that present pleasure is nice, but the joys of overcoming, are a much more meaningful reward!
Be ever mindful of your downtime – thoughts come that you may regret!
Rather choose to apply the principles of self-mastery and discipline. A little help from a trusted friend never goes amiss too!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤?

Customs

Do you have any customs or habits in your country that communicate information in an unusual way?
A few weeks ago, whilst up in Leeuwarden, we discovered one about the Netherlands and had absolutely no idea what it was!
It was 12 noon on the first Monday of November, and we heard a very loud wailing siren which went off for a minute or two.
We thought it was some kind of huge factory siren, informing the workforce it was the lunch hour!
As it continued, it became a little disconcerting.
However, we needn’t have concerned ourselves too much.
A little bit of further research informed us that it was actually the Dutch emergency siren test.
It certainly caught our attention the first time we heard it.
Now we understand that it is a regular monthly test that lasts for approximately 90 seconds. All 3,800 emergency sirens throughout the Netherlands are set off simultaneously.
I also received a text message this month, which I am guessing is also some kind of test.
The monthly emergency siren test is a normal part of daily Dutch life.
It reminded me of the one o’clock gun, back home at Edinburgh Castle, which is now great for tourists.
In the late 1800’s it was an important part of aligning ships chronometers in the Firth of Forth.
Each of these customs form an important part of the structure and foundation of our societies. In some ways they provide constancy, stability, familiarity and a semblance of order and predictability to our existence and our community.
We communicate in lots of different ways.
What unusual customs do you have where you live?

Change one Thing

Change One Thing….
Have you ever asked yourself what’s the one thing that I can change about myself that will make the biggest difference in my life?
Change happens one (baby) step at a time.
In a number of recent conversations, I have found that we tend to focus on far too many changes at once.
Then it struck me this morning that we must remember, that new habits are formed one step at a time……One By One.
By changing one thing in your daily habits and routines, no matter how great or small, I have found that just one little thing can have many big consequences in your life.
Perhaps its that one annoying habit that consumes lots of your time every day, that is really just a waste of time and effort!
You know what I mean.
So – why not do something today that will make a big difference?
Choose to change.
It may help you to soar higher.
What one thing will you change today?