Normally people talk about habits around New Year. But, in my opinion, there’s no right or wrong time to form a new habit or work on an existing one. Because in reality, our habits form around 40% of our daily routines. So if we want something to change, we most likely have to change our habits.
Whether it’s health-related, financial-related, relationship-related, or anything else, we tend to fall into a routine based around our habits. And recently, I’ve wanted to work on mine. But I know just how overwhelming it can be as well. So, I’ve got a few ideas that can hopefully work for anyone wanting to work on theirs too!
Now remember, it’s not about punishing yourself when you’re not doing as well as you’d like. It’s about acknowledging your successes and creating a pattern of those successes over and over until it becomes habit. And when it becomes habit, it becomes a part of our lifestyle!
So think of one habit you’d like to see improve in your life, or one you want to see implemented into your life, and see if one of these ideas work for you! And feel free to click on the photo to get a better understanding of what’s going on as well!
Otherwise, let’s get to it!
Baby Steps
The first option for starting to work on habits and process automation is to start small. One habit, one week at a time. This way you can get in the groove of sticking to habits without feeling too overwhelmed from the get go. Below is an example of one that I started for this current week, as well as a free printable that I made just for you! It’s a blank template, so you can click on it and print it out for as many weeks as you’d like to stay consistent!
Step By Step
If one habit and one week at a time isn’t enough to keep you going and on track, the next option would be to work on as many habits as you feel comfortable with and track your progress for a month. If printing out and filling in the blanks works for you, this adorable format from bykeke helps keep you accountable and makes the work more fun! Plus, studies show that when we write something down by hand, it increases memory retention and understanding.
Same Goal, Different Avenue
If monthly, multiple-habit tracking is your jam but you aren’t a fan of printing out new sheets each time, this acrylic board with a dry-erase format from 1801andco is a great alternative for you! It’s still as many habits as you’d like to work on, but instead, at the end of each month you can snap a photo of your progress, erase, and start from scratch. Plus, it’s meant to be prominently displayed in the home so there’s less chance of missing the reminder of seeing it!
On The Go
If you’re the type of person who doesn’t need something displayed at their house because they’re almost never there, perhaps investing in a portable habit tracker like a notepad. Or, even if you’re not that type of person and still think that keeping a notepad or journal with you would help keep you motivated and accountable – like I do – then this is still a great idea. In fact, I actually just bought this one for myself from BlissCollections and it’s elegant yet minimalistic and I’m super excited to get it and put it to use!
Out With The Old, In With The New
I know that everybody is different, and what works for one person might not work for another. I also know that some folks like to do things the old-fashioned way, and others like the benefits of innovation and modern technology. So, if you’re in the category that likes to keep everything organized in one area – like your phone – there’s still ways to practice our skills on our habits. The Productive Habit Tracker app is actually one that I just downloaded and I like it a lot! It comes with preset habits to choose from or you can create your own, and it will even allow you to set reminders to stay on track.
Habits = Automatic Processes
Whether we like it or not, (or even know it or not), the habits we form shape what we do on a day-to-day basis. So it only makes sense that we work on forming healthy habits. Those healthy habits then become the automation processes we do without even thinking about it! Like I said, pick one habit that you want to work on or form and use one of these ideas to turn it into process automation.
Or even use one of these templates as is or adjust to your needs/wants to help you Littles develop more healthy habits too! As always, thank you so very much for being a part of ETM’s community! I encourage you to join discussions, interact with others alike, and be unapologetically yourself! And don’t forget to tag ETM on social with any of these projects or activities! Until next time, I hope I’m able to help make your life as simple as could be. (:
With all my love, Brandolyn – Earth To Momma
