 Hey Psych2Goers, welcome back to another video! Do you feel like your life is in a rut? As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said, Watch your habits. They become your character. Watch your character. It becomes your destiny. Sometimes we just need the right habits to turn our life around. With that said, here are five simple but powerful habits that will change you forever. 1. Work backwards from your goals Do you remember the last time you set goals and failed? Don't worry, we've all been there. Research from Oxford University shows the best way to achieve a big goal is a method called Woop, which stands for wish, outcome, opportunity, and plan. First, identify a challenging goal. That's your wish. Next, vividly visualize the best outcomes from the wish. Then think of the obstacles that stand between you and your wish. Finally, plan small actions to achieve the goal and overcome your obstacles. A study published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education demonstrated that the Woop strategy is more effective than regular goal setting, which is usually too wishy-washy to get results. 2. Do one thing every day that scares you When's the last time you stepped outside, not just your comfort zone, but then did something that truly terrified you? It's easy to stick to what's familiar to avoid pain, but life is never going to be completely comfortable. Try to dive in head-first and embrace challenges. Every day, aim to do one thing that scares you. Try making small talk with a stranger, and go skydiving, or ask out your crush. Take opportunities to make the most of life. But please be reasonable and keep safe. We at Psych2Go don't want you to take up lion wrestling. 3. Remember the end of your life How often do you think about the end of your life? We know it sounds depressing, but it can actually be exhilarating. When you are mentally stuck in the present, tasks seem urgent, squabbles seem overwhelming, mistakes seem unbearable, and risks seem terrifying. Instead, imagine you're on your deathbed at the age of 80 or 90, looking back on your entire life. When you reminisce on the most significant moments of your whole life, will you remember every little squabble and mistake? What will you regret more? Taking a big risk or staying safe and wondering what could have been? When you think of your life from a future perspective, all your problems become much smaller, and your purpose becomes much clearer. 4. Be playful Life's too short to be serious. How many of the best moments of your life were full of joy, play, and connection with others? Probably most of them. How many of them were full of seriousness, chores, and routines? Probably not many. All the weird quirks that made life joyful as a child are still yours to nurture in the present, if you have a playful attitude. We're not suggesting you neglect your duties, but even these can be turned into games. Any task can easily become a fun challenge or competition if you're awarded points and get rewarded at the end for winning. 5. Sleep well After all the previous tips, it's time to close with something simple. Have a good night's sleep, and you will have a good day. Scientists recommend about six to seven hours of sleep each night. Any less in your mental well-being will suffer, even if you don't realize it. Sleep deprivation causes stress hormones to destabilize your mood, block your problem-solving ability, and generally ruin your day. It might be tempting to stay up one more hour, but one more hour of sleep will pay off much better. Do you think you'll use these habits in your life? Let us know in the comments below. And don't forget to like and share this video if you think it will help someone else. The studies and references used are listed in the description below. Until next time friends, take care, and thanks for watching.