The following was an exercise to get back into the “ritual” of writing and submitted through Magnises as part of a call for entries to a Forbes online article. I’d love to know: What daily habits do you have or would like to have?

Lately, my daily habit has become the early morning walk. It’s been my preferred form of meditation as well as media consumption (audiobooks, podcasts, and music).

Here is the short article I wrote earlier this year…

5 DAILY HABITS TO STAY ON TOP OF YOUR CAREER AND LIFE
by R. Julio Diaz

The 5 daily habits that help me stay on top of my career and life in general include time for fitness or sport, dedicated time for planning my tasks for the day, dedicated time offline at the start, middle and end of each day, journaling and sketching, and maintaining a sense of mindfulness with everything I do.

Although it isn’t easy to maintain this discipline, I have discovered that my most productive and satisfying days have included each of these habits.

I’ve tried traditional meditation that requires a focus on breathing and being still, but I get into a deeper meditative state when I am biking, swimming, running or playing a sport, which ideally happens before my work day begins. Afterwards, spending some time organizing my day and establishing my priorities helps me to define my productivity goals. I make sure this happens ahead of checking my email, which has its way of establishing priorities and tasks for you which are not necessarily productive. Once or twice a day, I check in with my journal/sketchbook to brainstorm business ideas, sketch a home, interior or bag design, or simply doodle, which I also find meditative. Whether for business, family, or myself, I make every effort to be mindful of the actions I’m taking. When I eat, I put my work away. When I work, I eliminate the distractions of social media and even silence my phone. When I’m with my family, I eliminate all other distractions that would keep me from being present. In general, I believe that the idea of focused attention on everything we do in work and in life is important for our well being and happiness.