6 HABITS I’M CONTINUING IN THE NEW YEAR
* i created this vision board on canva — all the images used are from Pinterest
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I seriously cannot believe it’s 2022…that’s crazy! 2021 was an amazing year full of highs + lows, learning experiences, and a lot of growth. I couldn’t be more grateful for all of the experiences and the memories! This past year I started creating some habits that have truly changed my productivity, balance, happiness, and life. They might seem like super simple and easy things to do, but making these small, subtle changes has really created a lot of routine and balance in my life that I didn’t have before. These are 6 habits I started in 2021, that I’ll be continuing to do in the new year. If you’re looking for more structure and productivity in your day-to-day life, give some or all of these a try. Each of us are unique and require different things to thrive, so these may not work for everyone, but I just wanted to share a few things that worked for me. Thank you so much for stopping by my corner of the internet, it always means so much to me! I hope you have an amazing start to 2022! Xx
Have a morning + nighttime routine
— This can be extensive or simple but adding that structure in the first part and the last part of my day gives me so much peace, positivity, and self-love. This is truly the time I take for myself to do the things that are really important for me to have a great day and a restful night to set me up for success the following day. I love waking up and drinking a glass of water before I even get out of bed. I follow that by opening my windows to let the morning light in. I splash my face with cold water and do my skincare routine. I sip on my lemon water while reading my daily devotionals and write in my gratitude journal. I end my morning routine by making my bed and eating breakfast. My nighttime routine isn’t as complete yet since I’m still finding exactly what works, but as of right now I drink a hot cup of tea while either watching sports, HGTV, or listening to relaxing music. I do my nighttime skincare, get fully ready for bed, and read before falling asleep. I also don’t go on my phone until I’m done with my morning routine and once, I start my nighttime routine. I’m on my phone all day, so giving myself that time off is so important.
Write out a daily to-do list each night for the following day
— This has been a game-changer in terms of my productivity throughout the day! It also gives a good idea of how my day is going to play out the following day as well. I list out everything I have to do…literally, even things like working out, doing the dishes, showering, or making dinner. I list everything in order of how I want to get it done from the beginning to the end of my day. It feels so good to check things off once I’ve completed them and has helped me get a lot more done throughout the day.
Read for at least 15 minutes every night
— I have never been a big reader, but it has been my goal to start reading more so in the second half of 2021 I started working on this. It definitely didn’t always happen every night, but within the last few months of 2021 and into this year, I have been making it a priority and I can tell a huge difference in my sleep too. I have struggled with falling asleep and getting a good night sleep but reading before bed and not being on my phone has helped a lot! It helps me wind down and I’m really loving this part of my nighttime routine. I look forward to it each night and it feels good to start and end my day reading. I personally love self-help/growth books and I have a ton I want to read, so I’m excited to see how many I can get through this year!
Write in my gratitude journal every morning
— This is something I started inconsistently in 2020, but really took it serious in 2021. When I tell you this changed my life, it completely changed my mindset! I write out my intentions for the day to start and then I write at least 3 things I’m grateful for from the day prior or that morning. These can be as simple as being grateful I can see move my body. The more I started doing this the more grateful I became and the more I began to appreciate even the smallest parts of my day/life. I can’t go a day without doing this because it truly does make me feel so happy!
Go to bed by 10/10:30 + wake-up at 6/6:30 every day
— I can’t tell you how hard this is for me to do because I have always been somewhat of a night owl or just had a hard time going to sleep because my mind just starts thinking of so many things at night, but once I started to really try to create more of a structured routine for my mornings and nights, this became a lot easier. It’s still something I’m working on, and I don’t always get to bed or wake up at this time, but it’s more often than not and I am way more productive and feel so much more rested when I do! I just feel like I can get so much more done in the mornings before everyone has fully started their day and really allows me to have more self-care/me time in the evenings so I can wind-down and get ready for bed instead of just trying to get off my phone and go straight to sleep. These times may not work for everyone, but this is just what has been personally working for me, give or take a few minutes too. I never try to put too much pressure on myself if I don’t follow all of these habits perfectly, but I can truly tell how much happier I’ve been since starting them!
Create a weekly dinner menu with easy recipes from Pinterest with a link to recipe and ingredients to grocery shop for everything on Sunday
—I love cooking at home but was starting to get bored of cooking the same recipes every week. I had created a board on Pinterest with gluten-free/vegan recipes, but I have added so many to the board they were getting hard to find. So, I started making weekly menus with recipes from Pinterest in my notes on my phone. I do this every Sunday morning, so I can have everything listed out and then go to the grocery store to have a fully stocked fridge for the week. I have each day of the week listed out and then I go on Pinterest to start looking for recipes. Once I find one I like, I paste the link for the recipe under whatever day I want to make it and also paste the ingredients list underneath, so when I go to the grocery store I know exactly what I need to buy. This helps me to not over or under buy for the week and I’m less wasteful because I don’t let food go bad if I forget about it or just don’t make it. This has been so fun because I get to try out new recipes each week and it keeps things interesting, so I don’t get bored. Whenever we find a recipe we really like, we add it to a separate note, so I can make it again if I want!