You’re One Habit Away From a Life That Feels Completely Different

There’s no shortage of advice online about how to “level up”—invest here, buy this, subscribe to that. It’s exhausting, and honestly, most of it costs money you may not want to spend. But Jon Volk and Kristin Johns came to this episode of That’s The Point with a different take. What are the things that have genuinely changed their lives that didn’t cost a single dollar?

And as they started building their lists, something clicked. The stuff that actually makes a difference—better sleep, stronger relationships, a clearer head—has nothing to do with your bank account. It has everything to do with what you’re letting in and what you’re willing to cut out. Social media has conditioned us to think improvement is always something you purchase, but this episode is a pushback on that idea.

Jon and Kristin are also the first to admit they’re speaking to themselves here, too. These aren’t things they’ve mastered, but rather the things they’re actively working on. Which honestly makes the list feel a lot more livable.

✅ The checklist

☐ Cut the negative content

Go through who you follow and be ruthless about it. Unfollow, block gossip accounts, and if you’re not ready to fully cut someone loose—mute them, no guilt required. “If you’re not consuming that stuff, you’re not thinking about it, therefore you’re not feeling bad about it, therefore you’re happier,” Jon says. Kristin follows up on that idea by suggesting you take note of what apps are consuming your time. TikTok anyone? Yeah, same.

☐ Write things down 

Journaling, morning pages, end-of-day highlights—whatever it is, pick your format and jot stuff down. Jon says he started writing down yearly highlights while scrolling his camera roll and realized that 2025 had been the best year of his life. He wouldn’t have seen it that way if he hadn’t written it down.

☐ Prioritize sleep (New moms, fair warning—this one stings a little.) 

Getting on a real sleep schedule and building a simple nighttime routine—tea, a book, a candle—can change how you feel more than almost anything else on this list.

☐ Build a morning routine 

Jon is a morning person through and through, but the science backs him up here. The way you spend the first hour of your day has a measurable effect on how the rest of it goes. The enemy of a good morning is the phone. Scrolling in bed before you’ve even gotten up is what Jon calls one of the “worst ways to start your day.” Instead, make your bed, get your coffee, move your body if that’s your thing. 

☐ Romanticize the mundane 

The dishes, the laundry, the same tasks on repeat…instead of resenting them, try reframing them. Kristin folds laundry and says a little prayer for each family member. Cheesy? Maybe. But it works. “I get to take care of my family.”

☐ Get an accountability partner 

Someone who’s going to check in and ask how it’s going—whether that’s fitness, work, or relationships. Jon has a few guys in his life who keep him accountable with his workout routine and his faith, and he’s honest about the fact that knowing they’re going to ask is exactly what keeps him showing up. It works both ways too, being that person for someone else is just as valuable.

☐ Encourage the people around you 

A text, a card, dropping cookies on someone’s doorstep. It takes almost no time and it means more than you’d think. “Just sending that text takes 15 seconds,” Kristin says. We’re all so locked into our own to-do lists that we forget how much a small, genuine gesture can mean to someone. 

☐ Do something for someone else 

Thinking outside of yourself is one of the most grounding things you can do, especially on days when everything feels heavy or stuck. It doesn’t have to be grand. It just has to be intentional—a small act directed toward someone else. The more selfless you are, the lighter you feel.

To hear the full conversation, listen to That’s The Point wherever you get your podcasts.

Read More

• Those Weird Dreams You Keep Having Might Be Trying to Tell You Something
• Are GLP-1 Drugs Quietly Rewiring How We Experience Love?
• Feel Like You’re Overreacting? You Might Be Misreading Your Anxiety
• Ben Greenfield Daily Routine: A Look Inside His Optimized Day