As a chronic list maker and goal setter, I actually started the year with the determination to make zero goals. Odd right? But as someone who has put too much value in the past on productivity, this year is more about continuing the practice of rest and habits that fuel my life in the right ways. It takes a long time to become the person you hope to be, but the small habits we implement are what lead to the bigger outcomes. I wanted to share 5 habits that changed my life for the better, and that I am continuing to fight for throughout this year…
1. Start the day with a power hour or power 30 -This is so hard for me to be consistent with, but whew! What a difference it makes on my day. When we give ourselves time to address the core aspects of our being, it bleeds into every hour of our day, and every aspect of our life. When we feel aligned with our purpose and focus for our lives, we are much more likely to be able to give to our day and the people in it with intention. See this post for my morning power hour outline.
2. Block schedule your week. This is a habit I fall in and out of way too frequently. I will get the fancy planner and eagerly fill out the week, and then let it slide as the month goes on. Working this part of organization into my Sundays has helped me significantly in sticking to it. I take a look at the week ahead, fill out the week according to time blocked segments for personal, family, and business. I will also meal plan for the week. When I visually see the blocks of time in my day it immediately removes the stress of everything sitting in a cloud like form in my mind, as well as adjust my expectations to a more realistic place of what can actually take place in a given day. (You can look up some helpful vieos on block scheduling on YouTube.)
3. Replace screen time with something soul fueling. I just heard on a podcast that the average American watches 4+ hours of tv a day. That is 13 years of an average life span. What?! Replace the mindless scrolling or Netflix binging with something proactive. I have heard these words come out of my mouth too many times...”I don’t have time to read!” “I don’t have time to pray!”” I don’t have time to exercise!” Yet somehow I can manage to watch an entire season of The Office in a weeks time. We can choose to replace screens with things that are good for our mind, body, or soul!
4. Move every day. Even if it is just ten minutes! If it is proven that physical exercise releases feel good endorphins in our brains + gives us more energy, than why do we put it on the back burner? I am realllll good at coming up with a list of excuses to avoid going to the gym. Something that helped me change my mindset was “just move.” I started going out in our backyard with my kids and kicking the soccer ball or running sprints with them. (They love to do whatever mom is doing.) A bike ride around the neighborhood. Strength conditioning on the living room floor. Whatever you need to do to get the blood flowing!
5. Set aside intentional time for relationships – Everyone is “busy”…. it is an epidemic of our culture. Yet, as human beings we need connection. I sorely failed on the friendship front last year, as I found myself barely swimming to keep my head above the water. That is a post for another day. However, I did get into the habit of scheduling time in the week spend with Gabe for a date, visit with my parents on Sundays, or get together with my sisters. These relationships are soul filling and life giving. Fighting for time with people who lift you up can positively affect how we live our lives.
If your work schedule or your phase in life with babies doesn’t allow for much of any down time, I have been there too. I am all too familiar with survival mode. Even small habits you can make can lead to a big difference in your day. What are the habits you cling to in your week?
P.S. A more thorough look at renewing your mind, body, and soul in this post.
