We all have goals we hope to reach and things we hope to achieve, whether it’s in the workplace, at home, or elsewhere. Regardless of what you’re working towards, it’s always true that small habits can make a huge difference in your life. By changing small things in your routine and lifestyle, you’ll see bigger effects over a long-term period of time. This list contains five habits you can start today that will help you see improvement in your life no matter what goals you have.

1. Write things down

Whether it’s taking notes digitally or carrying a pen and paper everywhere you go, we highly recommend you write down the important things you come across every day. Perhaps for you, this translates to taking notes from a meeting with your supervisor at work or recording an interesting fact you learned. Maybe you take time to create to-do lists and keep track of due dates. You could also journal your thoughts about things you’re experiencing in your day-to-day and record memories you make.

It’s also factually supported that taking notes is a good thing. The ASCD cites the following research: “According to Beesley and Apthorp’s meta-analysis (2010), showing students how to take effective notes is strongly correlated with better achievement.”

Additionally, writing helps our brain encode things. As this Forbes article explains, “Encoding is the biological process by which the things we perceive travel to our brain’s hippocampus where they’re analyzed. From there, decisions are made about what gets stored in our long-term memory and, in turn, what gets discarded. Writing improves that encoding process. In other words, when you write it down it has a much greater chance of being remembered.”

Bottom line—writing things down helps your brain become more effective at remembering important things. By starting this habit today, you’ll be sure to stay on top of the things you need to do. And you might impress the people around you as well.

2. Find moments for personal development

Personal development is highly valued in the workplace. It’s how you build additional skills that make you a good team member, collaborator, and leader. But when you’re faced with an eight-hour workday and your own personal, social, and familial responsibilities after work, finding time to grow as an employee or even as a person can seem impossible. Don’t let your time crunch get you down! You can find moments to improve yourself throughout the day if you use your breaks effectively.

First, identify where you have an extra five minutes in your day. Then, decide what kind of personal development you want to pursue. Perhaps you decide to listen to five minutes of a podcast about your line of work every day on your commute. Maybe at some point every day, you read an online article about leadership skills. You could even grab a book from the library and read a page or two every night before bed.

Your life is hectic. There’s no need throw demanding tasks in there to make it even more complicated! Starting small is the best way to incorporate professional and personal development into your life. Pace yourself and ensure you still have the time to relax your mind when you’re not working.

3. Connect with the people in your life 

Relationships with our family, friends, and significant others make life meaningful. The people in your life can provide emotional, mental, and physical support when you have a need. Consider the people in your life that you haven’t talked to in a while and make an effort to reach out. Plan a small social gathering or even send a text to ask how they’re doing. If you’re an introvert, balance your social time with the chance to recoup your energy afterwards and remember that short get-togethers are no less important than long ones.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the myriad of things you’re working on and forget to connect, but building and strengthening interpersonal relationships is key to ensuring you remain grounded and focused on what matters most. Additionally, you’ll have a support system in place in case you need it.

Who in your own life are you considering reaching out to?

4. Show gratitude daily

It’s no secret that gratitude is good for you. But how good is it exactly? 

Harvard Health explains, “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

No matter your circumstances, those sound like pretty great outcomes. That’s why we highly recommend starting the habit of showing daily gratitude to those around you. It doesn’t have to be an exuberant show of thanks—a quick word of appreciation goes a long way. Additionally, when people understand their actions are appreciated, they’re more likely to continue those actions.

Gratitude is more than just saying “thank you.” Each day, notice something specific a person in your life does. Maybe your partner does a house chore without being prompted or makes a particularly delicious meal for dinner. Perhaps a friend goes out of their way to talk to you or a coworker completes a job with more enthusiasm than you expected. No matter what you’re showing gratitude for, it’s an important and effective way to show the people around you how much you appreciate them.

5. Take time for what you love 

Workaholics, this one’s for you. Start a habit of taking time to do what you love and enjoy outside of work. It’s worth the time it takes to pursue a habit or spend your down time relaxing. Best of all, doing what you love will help you recharge, so when you get back to your responsibilities the following day, you’ll feel refreshed and look forward to the tasks ahead of you.

While it may seem like a poor way to spend your time if you have deadlines to meet, taking time out for yourself can also aid you in getting things done the next day.

Which of these five habits stood out to you the most? Do you plan to pursue any of them?

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