Ask HN: What habits have helped you achieve the greatest transformation in life?

honestly smoking weed and drinking made climbing ranks in tech fun for me. learned it from the hood. i would probably be in much worse shape, probably prison. i don't drink anymore because i started using it to escape an unhappy marriage and now the weed keeps me from jumping off of a bridge.

Mixing socialising and exercising! Clears the head and helps prevent visits to the pub . I recently lost my fitness and am now battling to get it back (lost over 5 yrs, regaining over 1),keeping that around would have been a good plan, thankfully got enough years to make it back. When exercising I sleep better, work better, family life better etc. I think the habit is finding a comprehensive app/guide to tell me what to do and when - this offloads the cognitive requirements and let's me just follow blindly whilst life is otherwise too busy.

Weightlifting as a consistent form of exercise. I love to run but I have had issues with my feet. With weightlifting I have been able to work around any injuries and keep consistent. I started in my mid 40s after a foot injury that ended a good couple years of running and bodyweight resistance. When I couldn't run I started lifting much more consistently and actively building strength.

Lower back pain, that I thought just went with middle age went away as I got stronger. Although I had one weightlifting injury that caused me to cut way back for 6 months I eventually recovered and went on to be stronger than before. I am now 61 and I really notice the difference as I look around at other men my age. Seventeen years of consistent resistance exercise makes a big difference.

I hate to shill apps, but Sam Harris’s Waking Up app has really transformed me. It has a steeper learning curve then Calm/Headspace, but that’s because there’s a deeper focus on theory and practice- not just a five minute breathing exercise.

I’m much more content, calmer, and the day to day bs of life just doesn’t get to me as much anymore.

Physically- getting serious about weight training. I much prefer cardio, but lifting heavy has keep me injury free and honestly I like what I see in the mirror now.

In each aspect I try to do something every day. Even if it isn’t perfect, it builds “muscle memory” and I’m less dependent on motivation. Now it compounds even more time after time. Be well :)

I walk 3 miles everyday. It was the first step in me losing 80lbs over a two year period.

Positive affirmations, positive thinking like I will solve this bug and this project will be finish nicely. Reducing negative news, content and ppl

- Weed instead of alcohol. The things I want to do stoned (yoga, writing, coding, guitar) are the polar opposite of what I want to do when I drink (porn, video games, junk food).

- Yoga. If you have ADD/ADHD, give it a try. People usually groan because yoga is corporate's favorite suggestion, but it can change your life. Six months of daily practice was a turning point for me.