If you’re committed to becoming a real optimist, there’s no better time to start than today, Chopra says. Here are three daily habits she recommends to become more optimistic.

📣 Practice daily affirmations with the 7/10 rule

Affirmations have been shown in psychology to have a measurable positive impact on stress levels and optimism. 

But if you're choosing affirmations you don't actually believe, Chopra says, they can be ineffective — or even make you feel worse about yourself.

That's why Chopra says to follow the "7/10 rule" for affirmations. Choose a statement you're at least 70% confident about, not something you barely believe. 

For example, maybe you got your dream job but are struggling with impostor syndrome. Rather than saying an affirmation like, "I am the very best in my field," you might start with an affirmation you can fully get behind, like: "I'm a hard worker that adds value to my team."

📋 Make a ta-da list

Self-gratitude is an important part of becoming more optimistic — if you believe in yourself, it's easier to imagine greater success in your future, says Chopra.

Chopra recommends a tool called a "ta-da list." It's a list of all your accomplishments of the day, no matter how big or small. Did you go for a walk? Make a new friend? Cook yourself dinner? Add all those to your “ta-da list.” 

"By reminding yourself of all the things you do to make your life better, you can draw strength for the future and build a more optimistic outlook," she writes in her book.

⏰ Schedule your worry time

The human brain is future-oriented, Chopra says. Unfortunately, that means we tend to worry a lot about what might happen, including things that are unlikely or impossible to prevent. Those worries can eclipse our vision of the future, so we end up focusing mostly on the bad stuff that might happen, rather than looking toward the good.

To avoid being overwhelmed, Chopra recommends scheduling "worry time" into your day. 

Throughout the day, jot down any worries that are bothering you, particularly the ones that keep popping up. Then, use a designated worry time to go down the list and ask yourself if you can control or change the worry. If you can't, ask yourself if you can let the worry go.