My definition of a habit would sound something like this: a habit is that which we do almost without thinking about it, the choices we make on a daily basis which, over time, either help get us to where we are trying to go or keep us exactly where we are at. In the words of Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Habits either make or break us, they either propel us or hold us back. As I’ve observed different kinds of people, the only real difference I can see between a healthy and unhealthy person comes down to their daily habits (or their small daily choices); it’s a difference in habit, not a difference in ability or luck. The difference between habits is what gives one person a slight edge* over another. Here’s a small handful of habits that I see healthy people (people who are healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually) doing from day-to-day:

1. Healthy people read and meditate.

My parents are two of the most spiritually healthy individuals that I can think of. Through good times and bad, their faith has anchored our family down. One thing that they both do every single morning to keep themselves mentally and spiritually strong is read and pray. They are in the habit of having 30 minutes to an hour set aside each morning for this; they read from the Bible, they read from some sort of faith-based book, and they also journal and pray. Just as we can’t expect our physical bodies to remain healthy and energized if we never eat, we can’t expect our minds and spirits to remain strong if we don’t feed them. If you put good in, you get good out. Healthy people read and take time to meditate or pray.

2. Healthy people make plans.

The most productive people, the ones who not only set goals but also accomplish them, are the ones who are intentional with their time. Each of us is given the same 24 hours in a day, the same seven days in a week. And while it may be the easy decision to hit the snooze button a few more times, watch just one more episode on Netflix, or procrastinate just a few minutes longer, those small choices add up to a lot of wasted time. Don’t get me wrong, there’s no shame in sleeping in now and then or taking time to relax and rejuvenate. It’s just that when we are in the daily habit of putting things off, we are less likely to get where we need to go (or it will take a whole lot longer). Healthy people make plans not only for each day, but also for weeks or years at a time. Those plans change, of course, but they at least provide a basic roadmap and help keep us loyal to our commitments.

3. Healthy people eat right and exercise.

We are each given one body. Some of us have to wrestle through more issues within our bodies than others, but at the end of the day, we each have a body that we need to care for as best as we can. Healthy people see their bodies as their vessels for their time on earth, and realize that those vessels need to be well cared for. That means eating an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables. Drinking enough water each day. Exercising at least a few times a week. If you never changed the oil in your car, or never filled it with gas, your car wouldn’t be running very long. Likewise, we need to fill ourselves with healthy foods and water, and make sure we keep ourselves well cared for. Physical health also comes down to daily habits, such as choosing the side of broccoli over the side of fries. It’s small, simple decisions like this that add up over time. Sure, have a burger now and again. Savor that milkshake. Eat up those fries. But enjoy those things in moderation and seek to care for your body.

4. Healthy people laugh.

Laughter is medicine for the soul. We can’t take ourselves too seriously. At the end of the day, we all fail, we all make mistakes, and we are all only human. Beating ourselves up for those things doesn’t help us; we need to learn how to laugh at our mishaps and clumsiness, and how to laugh at life in general. Plus, laughter helps reduce stress and add time to your life. Lighten up and laugh a little more.

5. Healthy people make decisions against themselves.

All of the above habits can be summed up by this one: healthy people are in the habit of making decisions against themselves. It isn’t our gut instinct to eat salad instead of fries. It isn’t our gut instinct to wake up thirty minutes early to exercise or read. It isn’t our gut instinct to walk away from that super cute shirt in our favorite store and instead set that money aside for savings. Yet it’s these small decisions that add up over time to all-around health. Healthy people are in the discipline- in the habit- of making decisions that often go against themselves and their gut instinct. And it’s that habit that proves to be so powerful over time.

Ultimately, health is a choice. Our habits make or break us. And the great part is, we can break bad habits one day at a time by choosing to say no to one thing at a time. We can replace those bad habits with healthy habits by choosing to say yes to the right things one at a time. We can learn to make small daily decisions that add up to our overall well-being and “success”. We all have a slight edge; all we have to do is choose to use it right.

*"The Slight Edge"by Jeff Olson talks in detail about the power of our daily decisions and habits, maybe kick off your new reading habit with this book!