Consciously cultivate the most authentic habits you can. For each habit you consider, ask yourself: Is this really me? Is this consistent with the person I most want to be? If any part of your life feels phony and inauthentic to you, it needs to be replaced with a more genuine alternative. This won’t be easy, but it is correct.
Your ultimate goal in this area is to create a set of mutually supportive habits that synergistically increase your alignment with truth, love, and power. Good habits enable you to remain in a positive flow state while you focus on creative self-expression. You consciously make the high-level decisions, and your habits take care of the low-level details. When your habits work together so congruently, the result is both beautiful and elegant. You may never reach this ideal within your lifetime, but every step you take in this direction is worthwhile.
One of my (Steve Pavlina) best decisions ever was to make a daily habit of working on my personal growth. First I started reading self-help books and listening to audio programs; then I began conducting my own growth experiments. Later, I formed an online community to explore personal growth with other people. Although I experienced failures and setbacks along the way, the habit of trying to improve myself just a little bit each day has been incredibly rewarding.
Success in this area has nothing to do with external accomplishments. True success is being able to look at yourself in the mirror and be completely at peace with what you see. When your habits are aligned with truth, love, and power, the guy in the glass is your friend.
* Source: Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina