Shadowing Practice: 8 Habits That (Quickly) Changed My Life - Learn English Speaking with Video
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You've heard all the usual advice.
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Drink more water, go to the gym, meditate.
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But here's the thing.
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Those weren't the habits that actually changed my life.
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The truth?
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Most of the habits that gave me back my energy and clarity and motivation were not what I expected, but they worked.
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And I'm going to show you all eight of them.
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These habits changed how I felt within days, not weeks, days.
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Some are backed by science.
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Some I stumbled onto out of sheer desperation.
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and I saved the weirdest one for last.
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So let's get into it.
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Habit number one is the first 10-minute rule.
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What I do in the first 10 minutes of my day changes everything.
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For years, I used to wake up and immediately grab my phone.
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Before I even sat up fully in bed, I'd be scrolling through emails and checking messages and skimming headlines and maybe peeking at social media.
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It felt like I was getting ahead and staying informed and being productive, but in reality,
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Usually I was letting the outside world hijack my brain before I'd even had a chance to come back to myself.
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I was starting the day in reaction mode,
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plugged into other people's priorities and problems and energy before I'd even checked in with my own.
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Now the first 10 minutes of my day are sacred, non-negotiable.
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I don't check my phone, I sit up slowly, take a few deep breaths, and then do something grounding.
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Usually, that means doing a 10-minute gentle yoga float, nothing intense, just opening my body, tuning into how I feel, and getting my breath moving.
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Sometimes it's even simpler than that, stretching my neck and shoulders and rolling out my back
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and just breathing deeply while I am standing in my kitchen as my coffee brews.
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And on some mornings, it's journaling in a notebook
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or watching the sunrise out my kitchen window while the house is still quiet.
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The point is, it's always intentional.
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It's always me choosing how I want to enter the day instead of falling into it.
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And here's the science.
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This is about dopamine priming.
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When you start your day with high stimulation activities like scrolling your phone, your brain gets an immediate dopamine hit.
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It feels good in the moment, but it creates a false high that sets an unrealistic baseline for the rest of your day.
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Everything after that, your tasks, your meals, your conversations, you know, they can feel a bit dull by comparison.
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You're literally teaching your brain to crave constant stimulation and novelty before your feet even hit the floor.
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But when you start your day calmly with presence and intention, you reset your nervous system.
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You reclaim your cognitive bandwidth.
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You signal to your brain that you are in charge, not the algorithm, not the inbox, not the noise.
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And the ripple effects of that are incredible.
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You feel a lot more centered, more resilient, more focused, not just in the morning, but all day long.
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This habit gave me back my mornings, and honestly, it gave me back myself.
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Habit number two is one intentional no per day.
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Now, this might sound strange, but one of the most life-changing habits that I developed was saying no on purpose every single day.
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I'm not talking about dramatic, life-altering no's.
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I mean small, everyday moments where I chose to pause and ask myself, is this actually a yes for me?
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And if the answer wasn't a clear yes, it became a no. Every day I look for one thing to decline.
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It might be a social event that I don't really want to go to, a non-urgent work task that someone wants me to take on,
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or even something subtle like the urge to check my email late at night, or the reflex to respond to a message the second that it comes in.
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Sometimes it's saying no to that little voice in my head telling me that I should be doing more, faster, better.
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At first, this was incredibly uncomfortable.
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I was a chronic yes person, a people pleaser.
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I didn't want to disappoint anyone, and I definitely didn't want to seem difficult or unhelpful.
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But over time, I started to notice something powerful.
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Every no that I said to something that didn't truly align with my values or priorities was actually a quiet, to find yes to myself a yes to my energy
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and to my sanity to my freedom
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and here's what's wild saying no is a skill it feels really clunky at first especially
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if you're not used to it
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but the more you practice the stronger you get you start recognizing the difference between obligations
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and opportunities and between what you can do and what you want to do it also does something really important.
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It reinforces your sense of identity.
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Every time you say no to something that doesn't serve you, you are drawing a line that defines who you are
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and how you operate and in a world
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that constantly tries to pull you in a hundred different directions
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having strong boundaries is one of the most protective empowering things
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that you can do this habit helped me stop living on
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everyone else's schedule it helped me to stop performing for approval
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and it gave me the confidence to trust my own inner yes
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and no and to act accordingly and that's
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when i really started owning my time and my focus
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and my life okay let's move on to habit number three
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every morning i do a brain dump three pages full of
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messy unfiltered thoughts just letting it all spill out onto the
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page i first came across this practice through julia cameron's the artist's way where she calls it morning pages.
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And I'll be honest, at first I was kind of skeptical.
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Three pages every day, what was I even supposed to write about?
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But I gave it a try and within a few days I was hooked.
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So here's the key, it's not meant to be beautiful or profound or even coherent.
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It's not journaling in the traditional sense.
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You're not trying to solve problems or document your life.
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You're just emptying out your brain.
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Stream of consciousness.
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No filter, no pressure.
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And what surprised me most is how this one simple ritual gave me more clarity and calm than any planner,
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to-do list, or productivity app ever did.
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It's like sweeping the floor of my mind before I try to build anything on it.
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Sometimes the pages are just random observations.
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Sometimes they're complaints.
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Sometimes they are half-formed ideas or worries or creative sparks.
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And here's the thing, the science backs this up.
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Expressive writing, especially when it's done first thing in the morning, has been shown to reduce anxiety,
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to improve working memory, and to boost your overall mental health.
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It helps to declutter your mind and just make space for focus and creativity and better emotional regulation.
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I like to think of it as cleaning out the junk drawer in your brain.
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You know that drawer in your kitchen that is full of paperclips and batteries and random receipts?
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Your mind has one too.
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And when you dump it out on paper, you don't carry all that mental noise into the rest of your day.
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And here's the bonus.
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Some of my best insights and ideas have surfaced and bubbled up during these brain dumps.
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I wasn't even trying to find them.
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They just kind of rose to the top once all the static was cleared.
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This isn't a glamorous habit, but it is one of the most quietly transformative ones
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that I have ever committed to habit number four is the two minute rule
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if something takes less than two minutes i do it immediately
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this habit sounds ridiculously simple almost too simple to make a difference
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but adopting this one rule has radically changed how i manage my time my energy
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and honestly my overall sense of calm you know those little tasks
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that seem you know harmless in the moment like putting away the dishes, sending a quick email reply,
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hanging up a jacket, refilling the water filter.
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You know, they just seem so minor that we tell ourselves, oh, we'll just do them later.
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But later becomes later again.
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And soon your space is cluttered, your to-do list is longer, and your brain is juggling more than it needs to.
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What this habit did for me was eliminate that constant mental background noise.
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Instead of walking past a task and mentally logging it as something that I still have to do, I just take care of it on the spot.
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No debate, no procrastination, it's done, it's gone, and it's off my mental plate.
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And here's the deeper piece.
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There's a concept in psychology called task switching cost.
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Every time your brain has to switch from one activity to another, especially if you're holding a bunch of unfinished tasks in your mind,
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it burns energy and focus.
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You think you're multitasking, but what you're actually doing is creating friction in your day.
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By handling micro tasks in real time, I reduce the cognitive load.
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I stop accumulating open loops that drain my attention,
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and I avoid that snowball effect where a few uncompleted tasks multiply into a wave of low-key stress.
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The result?
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Less clutter in my environment, less chaos in my head, and a surprising sense of momentum that carries into everything else.
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It's such a small rule,
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but it has given me massive mental freedom because when your brain isn't constantly nagging you about things that you haven't done,
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it finally has room to think and create and rest.
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All right, habit number five is the midday reset walk.
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Every day around midday, I go for a walk, not for fitness, not to check off step goal not to multitask with a podcast
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or squeeze in one more productive thing i go to reset even if it's raining,
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even if it's cold, even if I only have 10 minutes between meetings.
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I step outside, put one foot in front of the other and let the world recalibrate me.
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No distractions, no headphones, just me, my breath and whatever the day looks like outside.
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It's such a simple thing
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but it has become one of the most powerful anchors in my day this walk isn't about burning calories
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or getting my heart rate up it's about hitting pause on the noise
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and motion of my day so
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that i can come back to myself i notice the air
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and the light and the rhythm of my steps sometimes my mind wanders
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and sometimes it settles but either way i always return from that walk feeling more grounded.
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It's like a system reboot.
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Midday tends to be when everything sort of starts to blur together.
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Decisions stack up and my eyes are really tired of staring at screens and my energy is starting to dip a little.
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This little walk breaks that pattern.
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It clears the mental fog and gives me a second wind.
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Not just physically but mentally and emotionally too.
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And the science totally backs this up.
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Just 10 minutes of walking in nature, even just being outside, surrounded by trees or sky,
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this can lower cortisol levels and improve mood according to multiple studies.
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It literally shifts your body out of fight or flight and into a more balanced parasympathetic state.
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I used to try to just push through the afternoon slump, power through, squeeze out more productivity by sitting longer, staring harder, and willing my brain to stay focused.
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Now I honor this I meet it with movement and air and space and ironically I get more done.
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I feel more focused.
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I actually enjoy my work more.
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This habit isn't flashy, but it is transformative.
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It reminds me that I'm a human being, not just a brain with a calendar.
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Habit number six is stand to think.
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This one might seem tiny, but it has been surprisingly transformative.
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When I'm feeling overwhelmed, unclear, or stuck in decision fatigue, I stand up.
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That's it.
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I just physically rise and somehow everything starts to shift.
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It's not to walk away from the problem and it's not to distract myself.
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It's just to stand and let my body change position before my mind tries to change direction.
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Sounds simple but when I started doing this I realized just how much clearer I felt almost instantly.
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Sometimes I'll move to a different part of the room.
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I might lean on a counter or stand in front of a window
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or step onto the back patio if I'm at home.
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I'm not fidgeting or pacing I'm just upright, present, and open.
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And I take a moment to ask myself, what's really going on here?
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What do I know to be true right now?
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It's become my way of reconnecting to clarity without spiraling in my head.
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There's research showing that standing while thinking shifts your blood flow, enhances alertness, and can improve problem solving and creativity.
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And I found that it also gives me a subtle sense of power, almost like I'm physically rising above the noise and pressure, even if just for a moment.
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In a culture that glorifies sitting at your desk for hours and grinding it out, this habit is my personal interruption.
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It's a signal to pause and shift and reset my energy before I keep going.
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It's so simple, but it has helped me to think more clearly
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and make decisions with more ease and access just a steadier version of myself when everything feels chaotic.
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Okay, let's move on to habit number seven.
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We are constantly consuming new content, new books, new podcasts, new reels, new ideas.
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But one of the most nourishing habits that I have added into my life is the exact opposite.
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I intentionally revisit something that I have already read, heard, or seen every single week.
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It could be a quote that has lived in my notes app for years, or a paragraph from a book that I have highlighted and dog-eared,
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or a podcast episode that I saved because it really lit a fire in me, or even a video that I've seen multiple times,
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but it somehow always lands differently depending on what I'm going through.
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It's what I call a repetition reset.
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It's a moment to go back rather than chase forward.
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And what I have discovered is that revisiting something
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that you already know often unlocks a deeper layer of wisdom because you have changed.
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You're seeing it through a new lens with new questions and new challenges and new context.
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Sometimes I'll journal about the thing that I revisited.
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Sometimes I just sit with it.
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But every single time I walk away feeling more centered, more aligned and more in touch with the person that I want to be.
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There's even neuroscience behind this one, too.
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Repetition strengthens neural pathways.
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So something that you return to regularly doesn't just live in your head, it starts to embed itself in your identity.
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You don't just remember it, you become it.
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This habit might not look terribly productive from the outside, you're not learning something new,
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but from the inside, you're deepening your integration, you're reinforcing your values, and you're returning to truth.
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In a world obsessed with constant input, this habit helps me to remember that growth doesn't always come from seeking the next new thing.
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Sometimes it comes from staying with what already speaks to your soul and letting it sink in more deeply.
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Habit number eight is choose a daily identity anchor.
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This is the habit that seriously changed the way that I show up in my life.
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Every single day, I pick an identity to embody.
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Not a to-do list, not a productivity goal, not even a feeling that I want to chase.
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An identity.
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I ask myself, who do I want to be today?
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Not what do I want to accomplish, but who do I want to show up as?
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It might be, today I'm the kind of woman who follows through.
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Today, I'm someone who trusts herself.
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Today, I'm calm and focused no matter what happens around me.
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Today, I lead with compassion, even when it's hard.
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And the moment that I declare that identity, it's like my entire mindset shifts.
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I start filtering my decisions through that lens.
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I behave differently, not because I'm forcing myself, but because I've already chosen who I am.
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It's subtle but powerful.
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It moves me out of reactive mode and into alignment.
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Because here's the truth.
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When you focus on identity, the actions follow naturally.
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You don't have to willpower your way through your day.
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You just act in integrity with who you have already decided to be.
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That one decision becomes the internal compass that guides everything else.
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Behavioral science calls these identity-based habits.
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The idea is that we are wired to act in ways that are consistent with what we believe about ourselves.
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Once you start seeing yourself as a certain kind of person, your brain gets on board.
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It looks for evidence to reinforce that belief and it nudges you to act accordingly.
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And the beauty is this is entirely within your control.
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You don't have to wait to become that person.
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You simply start choosing to be that person one day at a time.
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This habit made every other habit easier because when you change who you see yourself as,
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You change how you behave and what you tolerate and how you speak to yourself and what you reach for.
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It's not about pretending.
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It's about becoming on purpose.
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And over time, those daily identity choices, they start to add up until one day you look around and realize you didn't just change your habits.
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You changed your life.
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Okay.
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Super quick recap.
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Habit number one is the first 10 minutes rule.
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Habit number two is one intentional no per day.
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Habit number three is the morning mind dump.
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Habit number four is the two minute rule.
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Habit number five is the midday reset walk.
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Habit six is stand up to think.
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Habit number seven is repetition reset.
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And habit eight is choose a daily identity anchor.
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Notice something?
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None of these habits are extreme.
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I didn't overhaul my life overnight.
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I didn't join a monastery or run a marathon.
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These are micro shifts, subtle tweaks, but they created a ripple effect that changed everything because I stopped waiting for the perfect moment.
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I stopped relying on motivation and I stopped doing what everyone else was doing
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and started paying attention to what actually worked for me.
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If you're feeling tired, stuck, or just a little off, try one of these habits.
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Start small, pick two of them and let them root and then build from there.
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You don't need to do them perfectly.
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You just need to begin.
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Let me know in the comments which habits spoke to you the most.
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And if you're trying any of them this week, I'd love to hear about that.
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And if you want a little extra help designing your own reset, I made something for you.
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It's called the Ultimate Morning Routine Menu and it's totally free.
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You can grab it by using the link below.
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Now, if you enjoyed this video, I think that you are going to love the one that I've got queued up for you next,
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which is where I talk about the 12 surprising things that I gave up for a happier life.
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I will see you there.
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Or watching the sun rise out my kitchen window while the house...
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Okay, I'll try the word house again.
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But I gave it a try and within a few days...
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Oh, hair.
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Okay, hang on.
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Excuse me.
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Hang on.
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Tea first.
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Okay, let's keep going.
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Who Is This Video For?
This video is perfect for intermediate to advanced English learners aiming to boost their speaking skills and daily vocabulary. Whether you’re practicing shadowing technique or refining conversational flow, the relatable, storytelling tone makes it easy to follow. It’s ideal for those seeking practical phrases for everyday life and insights into natural speech patterns—great for english speaking practice that feels less like a lesson and more like a chat.
Words & Idioms Worth Stealing
- Hijack my brain: Take over my thoughts (e.g., "Social media hijacked my morning").
- Ripple effects: Small actions causing bigger changes (e.g., "Her kind words had ripple effects on the team").
- False high: Temporary pleasure that fades (e.g., "Sugar gives me a false high, then I crash").
- Non-negotiable: Not open to change (e.g., "8 hours of sleep is non-negotiable for me").
These phrases add color to your speech and are used naturally in the video—perfect for shadowing practice to sound more fluent.
How to Get the Accent Right
The speaker uses a casual, conversational tone with relaxed pronunciation. Focus on reducing "t" sounds in words like "stumbled" (stum-bled) and "settled" (set-uld). Notice how she stresses key words for emphasis: "sacred," "intentional," "resilient." For improve english pronunciation, try the shadowing technique: pause the video, repeat her lines immediately, mimicking her rhythm and intonation. Use a shadowing app or shadowing site to record yourself and compare. Pay attention to her pauses—she slows down for effect, especially when explaining "dopamine priming" or "cognitive bandwidth." This helps you sound more natural in everyday conversations, not just rehearsed. Practice daily, and you’ll soon notice your speech flowing more smoothly, just like the speaker’s.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to wake · used to it · used to try |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | You've heard · has been shown · have surfaced |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are backed · are sacred · was hooked |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | woman who follows · someone who trusts |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.