I think having a routine for when you start your day is also super important for building some of these habits, too.
I found something even as simple as telling myself "not to do X before noon" was a great way to really ensure my morning were productive.
But overall, I wholeheartedly agree with the theme of this post - learning, being curious, trying new things. If we don't continually innovate ourselves, we get stuck. We become like Blockbuster and the Yellow Pages.