Adrian Volenik
The way we behave and the habits we have speak volumes about our personality and are much more important than the words that come out of our mouths.
The most glaring examples are politicians that typically say one thing but do something entirely else and don’t have any scruples about breaking their promises.
So if you want to find out what habits paint a picture of your personality, you’ve come to the right place.
1) Active listening
The most underrated habit or even skill must be active listening. When you actively listen to someone, you’re not just hearing their words but also paying attention to their emotions, tone, and nonverbal cues.
This habit confirms your empathy, genuine interest in others, and your ability to connect on a deeper level.
In a world where people stopped actively listening to each other because they have one or both of their eyes on their phones at all times, having this criminally underrated habit is refreshing.
2) Punctuality
Another habit I hold near and dear is punctuality. I try to come to every appointment at least 15 minutes early and have come to expect the same from others.
I understand traffic and other somewhat unpredictable circumstances can happen, but not all the time.
If you’re constantly late, then the problem isn’t external. It’s you!
Being punctual also proves that you value time management, organization, and, most importantly, other people.
It reveals your respect for commitments and your consideration for other peoples’ schedules, verifying your responsible and reliable nature.
3) Reaching out to long-lost connections
Another incredibly underrated habit that more people should have is the will to reach out to people they’ve lost contact with.
Reconnecting with people from your past indicates your sentimentality, your willingness to forgive and reconnect, and your value for maintaining relationships.
Think about how many people you’ve lost touch with over the years. It must be dozens and at least a couple you regret losing a connection with.
I know it isn’t always easy reaching out to someone out of the blue. The more time has passed, the more difficult it is.
Just to be clear, when I’m talking about reaching out, I’m not thinking about romantic connections. I’m talking about people you were good friends with at one point, ex-colleagues, and even family members.
Ultimately, if you want to reach out to someone you’ve lost a connection with, just do it. Send a message. What’s stopping you?
4) Random acts of kindness
Performing unexpected acts of kindness, like paying for a stranger’s coffee, offering a compliment, planting a tree, or leaving an unexpired parking ticket at the machine, showcases your empathy, spontaneity, and desire to make the world a better place.
Although doing things like that means your good deed will be anonymous, don’t get discouraged.
There will be at least two people who will know and care about it – you and the person on the receiving end.
If you haven’t done something like this in a while, here are some more ideas:
- Send a handwritten letter or card to a friend or family member
- Help a parent by offering to babysit their children for a few hours
- Offer to tutor or mentor someone who could benefit from your expertise
- Donate blood at your local blood bank to help save lives
- Bring in homemade treats to share with your coworkers or classmates
5) Consistency in values
Do you have consistent values? Or do you flip-flop from idea to idea depending on how popular it is at the moment?
Demonstrating consistent behavior that aligns with your values shows your authenticity and integrity. It displays that you live by a set of principles that guide your actions in various situations.
You aren’t like a thin tree going from side to side as the wind blows from different directions.
6) Smiling at strangers
This is a habit I picked up while working as a sales assistant many years ago. It was drilled into me by my manager, that was really pushing for friendly customer service.
To this day, I still catch myself smiling at strangers anywhere I go. And let me tell you, some of them look at me like I’m crazy.
But offering a simple smile at strangers shows your approachability and friendliness. It reflects a positive outlook on life and suggests you’re open to forming connections with people from all walks of life.
Well, unless you’re only smiling at a particular demographic, that is. In that case, shame on you.
But some people have a praiseworthy habit of engaging in meaningful conversations with strangers.
This also shows their openness, adventurous spirit, and ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds.
7) Remembering names
One “skill” that keeps eluding me is remembering peoples’ names when I meet them for the first time.
I’ve tried a couple of techniques to help me with that, but when the moment happens, I simply forget the name on (too) many occasions.
The effort to remember people’s names is another way of proving your attentiveness to details and your respect for people you meet.
It also highlights your desire to make meaningful connections and the importance of each person you meet.
8) Expressing gratitude and appreciation
Regularly expressing gratitude suggests you’re humble and recognize the contributions of others.
But gratitude goes beyond telling people “thank you.” Expressing gratitude is a way to recognize how blessed you are and how much you cherish all the good things in life.
I sometimes write it down in a journal as a way of staying grounded and content when I have too much going around.
But my wife was the one that truly opened my eyes to expressing appreciation. She always does it, and it’s second nature to her.
When you think about it, it’s not that difficult, is it? So why don’t more people do it?
9) Offering help
Offering help is the epitome of empathy and compassion. This underrated habit is something we should all incorporate into our daily lives.
The world would instantly be a much better place if a neighbor helped a neighbor.
This simple act of extending a helping hand would lead to stronger bonds, increased empathy, and a shared commitment to creating a positive and uplifting environment for everyone to thrive.
Ultimately, if you’re willing to offer assistance without being asked demonstrates your reliability and supportive nature.
It shows your commitment to making others’ lives easier and reflects a strong sense of empathy.
10) Being patient
As someone who is inherently impatient, I genuinely cherish this trait and habit in others. I recognize that this is (one of) my Achilles heel, and I’m working on it.
Having patience reflects your emotional maturity and self-control. It indicates how good you’re at handling challenging situations with grace and your understanding that not everything needs to happen immediately.
When you look at it, is everything equally urgent? No. There are clear nuances, and that’s why it’s hard for me to understand why I’m constantly impatient.
I know I shouldn’t be. Yet here we are.
11) Being respectful online
Exercising kindness and respect in online interactions mirrors your offline behavior and shows consistency in your values. Something I talked about above.
It demonstrates your digital etiquette and your understanding that your online presence matters even when you’re anonymous.
But it seems like the majority of people can’t grasp this simple concept. Okay, maybe it isn’t a majority, but a very loud and rude minority consisting primarily of kids, spoiled adults, and people that like to complain.
You can’t go to any comment section anymore to have a civilized conversation and express your thoughts without being attacked and ridiculed.
12) Being aware of your body language
Body language is incredibly important because it’s a powerful form of nonverbal communication that conveys a wide range of information, often more accurately than words alone.
Awareness of your body language shows your emotional intelligence and consideration of how your actions impact others.
It showcases your ability to communicate effectively both verbally and nonverbally.
Positive body language, such as maintaining eye contact, nodding, and open gestures, build trust and rapport with others.
It signals your attentiveness, engagement, and genuine interest in the conversation.
Again, it seems like many people completely disregard this aspect of conversations, and that tells a lot about them.
Final thoughts
I hope this article helped open your eyes as to how great a personality you have (or not). In any case, it will at least give you some ideas for improvement and growth.
If you want to learn more about this topic and learn how you, too, can become a well-rounded person with a magnetic personality, read the 10 secrets to being a people magnet.
