Habits define our personalities. And the Chinese zodiac says that our personalities reflect the traits of the animal sign we were born in. So why not combine these two and develop good habits based on the positive characteristics of the Chinese zodiac?
Accordingly, the Dragon represents authority, good fortune and has strong defining characteristics in the Chinese zodiac. It is thus advisable to adopt the positive characteristics of the Dragon sign and make them a habit.
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What are habits
Habits are the thoughts and actions you perform on a daily basis without much thought. And experts say habits account for 40% of your daily actions.
With this fact, it is important to note that habits play an essential role in your life. Because your habits can make or break you.
The Dragon personality
The Chinese zodiac is based on animals chosen for their unique traits. And their significance in terms of a person’s personality, fortune, and birth year.
The Dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese zodiac and represents authority and good fortune. The birth years of the Dragon are 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, and 2024.
Dragon people are confident, intelligent, enthusiastic, outspoken, energetic, generous, and kind. Furthermore, the Dragon sign is innovative, courageous, and enterprising.
Good habits to develop
The following are some good habits you can develop based on these distinctive Dragon characteristics:
Confidence
Confidence is your trust and belief in your abilities.
Fortunately, confidence is a soft skill that can be learned and practiced in order to live a happy and fulfilled life. And this is because having a strong sense of self-worth provides you with the following benefits:
- Less fear and anxiety.
- Increased resilience.
- Better health.
- Improved relationships.
- Better decision-making
How to develop confidence
Here are a few action steps to take to develop confidence:
Start within
Confidence starts from within. So believe in yourself. Love yourself.
Positive self-talk
Words have power and the words you tell yourself affect you. So make sure to say positive things to yourself. And whenever a negative thought enters your mind, stop it or shift it to a positive thought.
Attitude of gratitude
When you are grateful for all that you have, you’ll know that you are not lacking. With an attitude of gratitude, your fears and worries will disappear. Allowing you to be more positive and confident.
Improve your posture
A person’s gait and the way they carry themselves can reveal whether they are self-confident or not.
So, take the time to work on your posture. Practice. Take deep breaths, exhale, and lift your chin. Walking should be done at a steady pace with long strides that are appropriate for your body. Walk with a goal in mind.
Remind yourself of your achievements
Keep in mind that you’re not a loser. That you have what it takes to succeed. And that since you’ve accomplished something in the past, you’ll be able to accomplish it again today and in the future.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is the sensation of being pleasantly surprised, excited or delighted by something. There is an eagerness to be a part of an event, activity, group, project. Or other activity that you are particularly interested in or enjoy.
Enthusiasm is definitely an important quality to have in your career and in life. It allows you to go on with your work, job, or business despite experiencing failure.
Furthermore, enthusiasm provides the spark, the energy to seek out new ideas, better alternatives. Or opportunities that will help you succeed in life.
Other advantages of being enthusiastic include increased productivity, confidence, and improved professional and personal relationships.
How to develop enthusiasm
It’s a good thing that enthusiasm is a skill. Therefore, as a skill, it can be developed.
It may not be easy, as with any good habit you wish to develop. But, with practice and consistency, you will eventually be able to embody enthusiasm.
Here are some small steps you can take to cultivate the habit of enthusiasm:
Choose to be positive
Okay, maybe this isn’t such a small step after all. However, it is critical that you choose positive thinking in all situations.
Take a short break to help you stay positive when things appear to be going downhill. Use this time to listen to music, go for a walk, or meditate and focus on your breathing.
This is to clear your mind and make you feel good. When you are in a good mood, you are more likely to see the good in a situation and come up with new ideas or solutions to problems.
Shift your emotions
Although it may be difficult, shifting your emotions to more positive feelings will help you become more enthusiastic. Train your mind to find a reason to be happy even if it is uncomfortable.
Have a collection of inspiring quotes, funny videos, beautiful scenery, positive images, or feel-good activities to turn to when you’re feeling down.
Record your wins
It doesn’t hurt to keep a record of your wins. These wins, no matter how small, will make you feel valued and acknowledged. It gives you a renewed sense of optimism and makes you eager to get to work.
Keeping a record of your wins also serves as a marker on your path to achieving your goals. It keeps you on track and inspired to begin and complete a new goal.
Generosity
Generosity is a quality that should be developed into a habit. Because it is beneficial not only to the recipient but also to the giver.
Being generous with your time, talent, or resources without expecting anything in return improves your overall health.
In addition, you become more fulfilled, happy, and peaceful, not to mention more productive at home and at work.
How to develop generosity
Here are some practical ways you can develop generosity as a habit.
- Be kind. Always. It doesn’t take much to be nice. A smile, genuine appreciation, or running an errand for an elderly person all go a long way.
- Give a compliment to someone. It feels good to be complimented. So send out some positive vibes.
- Listen to others and avoid making it about yourself. Feel what they’re going through instead.
- Recognize and appreciate the abilities of others.
- Donate to your favorite charity or organization.
- Train or coach another person.
- Support a small business.
- Volunteer.
Kindness
Kindness is an act of generosity, consideration, or concern for others that is not motivated by praise or reward. It is one of the best habits you can develop because it benefits both the recipient and you as the giver.
Among the numerous advantages of being kind are the following:
- Improves your overall wellbeing
- Reduces your stress levels
- Boosts your self-esteem
- Improves your social connection
- Attracts more kindness
How to develop kindness
To cultivate the habit of kindness, here are things that you can do:
Be sincere
Sincerity is an essential value that helps foster trust. Also, because being sincere is free of affectations, pretense, or deception. Surely, you will not suffer from the effect that these negative feelings will provide.
Start small
An act of kindness, no matter how small, can have a ripple effect. So don’t hesitate to show kindness. A smile, a compliment, or sharing extra food certainly helps to brighten someone else’s day.
Daily act of kindness
Repetition is the key to developing a habit. So consciously make an effort to do at least one act of kindness each day.
Simple acts such as preparing breakfast for your family. Acknowledging the guard’s greetings as you enter an establishment. Recognizing an officemate’s input. Or praising your staff for their efforts. All of these count on the kindness radar.
And they don’t cost you a dime.
Be kind to yourself
You should also be kind to yourself. Stop your negative self-talk. Attempt to find the learning in negative experiences and then let go of the memories.
Being kind to yourself allows you to be kind as well to others.
Courage
The mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty, according to the dictionary. This description is consistent with Napoleon Bonaparte’s definition of courage:
“Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength.”
― Napoleon Bonaparte
It is therefore important to develop the habit of courage in our lives. As it enables us to take the first steps despite fear and trepidation.
How to develop courage
Again it is fortunate that researchers believe that courage is a skill. Because it is a skill, it can then be learned. It can also be applied repeatedly, through small actions, until it becomes a habit.
So, here are steps you can take to develop the habit of courage.
Identify your fear triggers
According to Kate Swoboda, author of the courage habit, fear manifests itself in our lives primarily through perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-sabotage. And pessimism in the form of behavioral patterns.
Fear is detrimental to health
Remind yourself that being paralyzed by fear can be detrimental to your overall health. So take a deep breath and relax. Calm down and figure out the smallest step you can take to get moving.
Take chances
Recognize that fear is a natural part of being human. So take it in stride and get started on that project, business, or venture you’ve been wanting to start.
Use fear to your advantage
You can use your fear to your advantage if you take it in stride. Allow a healthy dose of fear to motivate you and compel you to critically examine the quality of your output. Or consider the consequences of an action you are about to take.
Reframe your story
Reframe your narrative. Another point made by Kate Swoboda is that how you tell a story influences how you see yourself and the world. Whether you are a victim or a survivor. To counteract this, you must reframe your story.
There are, thankfully, ways to retell a limiting story. One approach is to question these negative perceptions of our abilities.
Another option is to look at a difficult situation through the eyes of an outsider. These things help us deal with the stress that fear and worry can cause.
Summary
According to the Chinese zodiac, your animal sign can have an impact on your personality. And, as the New Year approaches, here are some good habits to develop from the Dragon sign of the Chinese zodiac.
- Confidence
- Enthusiasm
- Generosity
- Kindness, and
- Courage.
Please share your thoughts about this article in the comments below. You can also read 12 Good Habits From The Animal Signs (Chinese Zodiac), 12 Good Habits From The Zodiac, and Building Good Habits For Your To Be.
You may also like the habits you can develop from the other animal signs of the Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
Outside references:
CHINESE ZODIAC- DRAGON
Enthusiasm is a Skill
11 Tips For Being Confident From Within
7 Effective Ways To Boost Your Courage