Do you want to improve your life?
Many of us who are interested in personal development feel attracted to the thought of improving our lives. But how often have you committed to improving your life, only to fall back into the same habits you wanted to break out of?
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
― James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, teaches us that our seemingly small, daily habits can make or break our success. That said, certain habits can help us monumentally in our personal development journeys.
I have identified some simple daily/weekly habits that help me feel my best. These habits keep me moving forward on my journey to become the best version of myself.
This topic has been on my list of blog post ideas for a while. Lana, the Lovely With Lana Podcast host, just posted her 100th podcast episode (congratulations Lana!), which was about 100 habits that changed her life.
This episode inspired me to finally write about my habits.
Consider this mindset before I get into the habits. These habits are not hard. These are very small, simple acts.
But, I will be honest with you, they might feel hard at times, depending on where you are on your self-improvement journey.
I wanted to explain that to remind you that sometimes, very small and simple acts can feel challenging but can also make huge positive impacts on our lives!
Read on to get inspiration for habits that can help you be your best self!
Daily/Weekly Habits to Set Yourself Up for Success
Morning Habits
A good morning routine sets you up for a successful day. These habits help me prepare myself mentally and physically. I hope these suggestions inspire your morning habits.
◇Get sunlight as soon as you wake up
As soon as I get up, I open my curtains to let sunlight into my room. Sunlight helps set your circadian rhythm and tells your body to feel alert during the day. So, sunlight exposure can help you if you tend to feel sluggish in the morning. Plus, morning sunlight can boost your mood and improve your sleep!
◇Make your bed
After I get up and open my curtains to let the sun in, I go to the bathroom, then go back and make my bed. I know that “make your bed” is very common self-improvement advice. I agree with everyone who claims making your bed is a simple way to start your day well.
I’ve been making my bed most days (of course, I miss days here and there) since I was in high school. So, I can speak from first-hand experience to tell you that making your bed is such a small step that can help you feel good about yourself. The sense of accomplishment I feel makes these few minutes of effort very worth it.
I understand that circumstances, like mental health, can cause a task like “make your bed” to feel too overwhelming and daunting. I want to acknowledge that and also encourage you to at least consider adding this habit in (when you feel up to it). Even just taking a minute to smooth out your sheets and straighten out your pillows can make your room feel more put together.
◇Meditate
Meditation is the next morning habit that prepares me to show up as my best self. I highly recommend meditation if you want to calm your mind and feel more grounded and present.
I like to meditate in the morning, before starting work. Meditation helps me stay clear-minded throughout the day.
Organization/Planning Habits
◇Plan Your Days
If you want to increase your productivity, you should plan your days. When you don’t know what you should be doing, you can end up getting off track and wasting time. Making yourself a schedule can help you avoid that.
I use Google Calendar to plan my days. You can use a digital calendar, a planning app, or a physical planner (or some combination of these). It just depends on what works for you. The following habits will help you plan your days more effectively.
I created this as an example to show you what planning your days can look like (this isn’t my actual schedule).
◇Make Better To-Do Lists
Do you keep a long to-do list in your phone or journal that feels like it keeps growing, no matter what you do?
I encourage you to stop doing that!
I find this method much more effective than a traditional to-do list!
Instead of To-Do Lists
Keep one ongoing list of To-Dos.
Time block these tasks into your calendar.
Instead of just going off of an arbitrary list of tasks, which can feel daunting, give yourself set times to work on your to-do list items. Put everything in your calendar, as if it was an appointment.
Planning when to take action is so helpful for getting through your to-do list.
This video gives a helpful breakdown of how to get organized by turning tasks into time blocks. There are also a lot of other YouTube videos if you want to learn even more about time blocking.
◇Practice Flexible Time Blocking
I want to go even more in-depth on time blocking, so you understand how to use this tool to help you. I want to give a disclaimer. If used correctly, time blocking is an extremely helpful time management and organization tool.
But like anything, if you are too extreme, time blocking can feel overwhelming and suffocating. So I want to give you some guidance on how to make time blocking more beneficial, based on my experience.
Assume activities will take longer than you think.
Always overestimate how much time something will take.
Most of us have a bad habit of underestimating how long tasks take. I am often guilty of this. I’ll think I can get ready in 30 minutes, and then end up running late. You can avoid this by giving yourself an overly generous amount of time for each task.
However long you think you need, add time to that. This gives you a buffer. Remember, you can always finish early, and that is better than running late!
Try not to schedule too many things on one day
Do your best to avoid the temptation to schedule your day with back-to-back activities. I understand that this is tempting, especially if you feel excited about these activities.
But trying to do too much will end up leaving you exhausted. You most likely will not accomplish everything, and/or will produce lower-quality work. Trust me, I am also guilty of overestimating my energy and focus.
One day, I was listening to Rob Dyrdek’s Grow With Rob Podcast, and he said that if you end your days feeling exhausted, you are trying to do too much in a day.
When I first started time blocking, a little over a year ago, I was filling almost every opening in my calendar with activities I thought I wanted to do, but then wouldn’t get to. This ended up making me feel guilty for not keeping my schedule. I wanted to share that to encourage you to only block tasks into your schedule that you are truly committed to working on.
◇Give yourself deadlines
Another great thing about time blocking is that setting a time to work on and complete a task makes you more likely to get that done.
Giving yourself deadlines is way more effective than setting open-ended goals. Whenever you want to accomplish something, whether that is learning a new skill or finishing a creative project, give yourself a timeframe.
Plan when to work on each step that will get you to the end goal.
Photo by Enikő Tóth: https://www.pexels.com/photo/round-black-alarm-clock-1179476/
Understand Parkison’s Law
Parkinson’s Law tells us that work expands to fill the amount of time you have to finish it. This can explain why you might find yourself scrambling to complete an assignment right before it is due.
Studies show that people tend to evaluate how much time they can take to complete tasks, instead of thinking about how much time it will take to complete the task.
While this post isn’t an in-depth guide on How to Overcome Parkinson’s Law (maybe I will write that one day), I wanted to introduce you to the concept. Next time you want to start a project, think about how long it will take (not how long you can take) and plan when you will work on each step.
Photo by Lukas: https://www.pexels.com/photo/beverage-filled-mug-near-apple-airpods-with-lightning-connector-and-apple-magic-keyboard-317377/
◇Take Action When The Moment Strikes
If you, like me, tend to procrastinate, get in the habit of starting a task as soon as you feel motivated.
Now don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying to only act when you feel motivated. Motivation is fleeting and unreliable. If you only act when you feel motivated, you likely won’t get much done.
What I am saying is to make sure that every time you do feel that elusive motivational burst, make sure you act.
To illustrate my point, I could not tell you how many times I feel inspired to work on a blog post or social media content but put it off because I feel like I need to focus on something else. Or more realistically, because I don’t feel ready to take on the mental burden that accompanies challenging, daunting tasks.
But if I actually started working every time I felt called, imagine how much more content I would have. It’s a little sad to think about the content that was potentially lost to procrastination.
I’m currently listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear as an audiobook. My therapist recommended it to me, and this book is completely changing the way I think about my own creativity.
Big Magic is Elizabeth Gilbert’s (author of Eat, Pray, Love) explanation for how she overcomes fear in her creative pursuits. One of my big takeaways is that I need to show Inspiration more respect. If I ignore her whenever she comes by, Inspiration is not going to want to visit me anymore. So this is why I am now committing to acting whenever Inspiration strikes. Even if that commitment feels uncomfortable.
I started this blog post because, while I was taking my afternoon walk and listening to this audiobook, I felt called to write. Which I knew meant it was time to sit down and write as soon as I got home. Ironically, I also got an idea for a TikTok/Instagram Reel that involved getting some shots of me writing. And setting up for that took a little while, so I actually didn’t start writing immediately. But you get the point!
Interestingly, I noticed that I felt very good during that writing time. I felt like I was in flow. I felt excited to write about a topic I feel passionate about. Correlation or causation?
To give you another perspective, when I was doing research for my blog post about journaling, I discovered this YouTube video from Hayley Honeyman. Hayley said something so obvious I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner.
This video is about Hayley’s experiment to find an ADHD journal method that works. Her advice was to “journal when you feel compelled to do it. Follow the dopamine.”
Mic. Drop.
Tell yourself you only have to commit to doing the task for a few minutes. The point of this habit is to get yourself to start. If you only have to do something for a few minutes, it is easier to start. This is why The Pomodoro Method helps increase productivity!
Self-Care Habits
◇Take a Walk on Your Lunch Break
Taking a lunchtime walk was something my dad suggested to me, and it’s made such a difference in my life. Going outside and getting some fresh air and sunshine can help you clear your head and break up your day, especially if you spend most of the day inside.
But what I really love is that I’m able to get my movement in during the workday. Instead of scheduling movement before or after work. And then I’ll eat while I’m working. Whether you work or are in school, this habit can help you if you want to free up your evenings for other activities.
◇Read while you eat
When I wrote this blog post called How to Fall (Back) in Love With Reading, I mentioned that I was toying around with the idea of reading while eating. I now really enjoy reading while eating dinner. This is something that I look forward to every day. I like this habit because I used to find it difficult to make time to read, but combining reading with an activity I do every day helps with that.
I know some people feel that you need to stay completely present with no distractions while you eat. But, this habit works for me. There are only so many hours in a day, and this is when I like to get my reading in. But, again, do what feels good to you.
◇Simplify Meal Prepping
I used to think meal prepping meant spending an entire day cooking and portioning that out into a bunch of containers to eat throughout the week. And while you can meal prep like that, I discovered a meal prep method that works way better for me. I’m calling this the Strategic Leftovers Method.
How To Meal Prep Using the Strategic Leftovers Method
As you prepare a meal, set some aside in a container for another day. For example, when I’m making dinner, I’ll make extra portions of everything to save for later. You can make as many extra portions as you want.
I got this suggestion from my friend Diana Mcallister, a life coach who runs Trust Life Coaching. Adding in this extra step when I’m making a meal feels more manageable to me.
Meal prepping is super helpful, especially, if you tend to have evening plans, like I do. It is convenient to already have a meal ready, so you can just heat it up and eat it before heading out.
Get Creative With Your Leftovers
Meal prepping doesn’t mean you have to eat the same thing every day!
This is a meal-prepping tip I got from my parents:
When my parents cook, they’ll come up with creative ways to turn leftovers into different meals. For example, if they make a chicken dish, they use the leftovers to make chicken tacos, then chicken pasta, then a salad with chicken.
If you don’t like eating the same thing multiple days in a row, figure out how you can create variety with simple ingredients.
◇Candle-lit dinners
Candle-lit dinners are one of my favorite self-care habits. Just like it sounds, I like to light a candle while I eat dinner. I also like to read a book and play some soft jazz. These small steps help me romanticize life and feel my best.
◇Keep a Water Bottle or Glass of Water Nearby
We all know hydration is important, yet many of us struggle to drink enough water.
This is a very simple tip for anyone who wants to drink more water. I realized that just keeping water nearby prompts me to drink water throughout the day.
Keeping a glass of water or a reusable water bottle with you makes staying hydrated more convenient. And if you make drinking water convenient, you are more likely to actually do it.
Financial Habits
I wanted to include a financial habit in this post after finding a TikTok creator who is doing a ‘30 Days to Financial Freedom Challenge’ (and sharing financial tips each day).
◇Track your expenses (TikTok)
At the beginning of 2023, I started tracking how much I spend each month on groceries. This was the start of my journey to gain financial literacy. Now, I’m expanding that to track how much I spend on other activities, like going out with friends and self-care.
I track my spending using a very simple Google Sheet. I just list how much I spend on the different categories I just mentioned, so I can get a rough idea.
Tracking how much you spend is a small step you can take towards more financial literacy. Awareness is important in many aspects of life. Knowing how much you spend can help you decide if you want to re-evaluate your spending habits.
Cleaning Habits
Do you love a clean space, but don’t love cleaning? If so, I totally relate. This conflict of interest led me to adopt habits that allow me to keep my home (relatively) organized, without feeling overwhelmed.
◇Master the Mini Declutter/Micro Tidy
Make it part of your routine to do a small tidy every day. This is a new habit for me. I adopted this to go along with this post about spring cleaning. In this post, I admitted that I do not like cleaning and will put it off if left to my own devices.
Every day, spend just a few minutes picking up some of the clutter around your house. This can be as small as 5-10 minutes. Just see how much you can get done in that time.
It is way easier to get myself to do a small cleaning task than to spend hours cleaning my entire house at once. Cleaning a little bit each day can feel like a more manageable way of keeping your space organized. The idea is that, by picking up a little bit each day, you can keep your house clean without spending a lot of time cleaning at once.
◇Write Down Where You Place Easily Forgotten Items
I spend too much time looking for misplaced belongings. I got tired of losing my belongings in my house, so I started keeping a list of random items I kept misplacing (Airpods, jewelry, gift cards, crochet hook, etc.).
The idea is to write down where I place those items, so I can find them later, in case I forget.
I’m not perfect with this, but it’s still a helpful habit. Just having this list can help you be more mindful before putting your things down in random places.
Evening Habits
Evening is my favorite time of day. These are some of my favorite evening routine habits that help improve my life.
◇Review your calendar at night
Every night, I have a reminder that goes off at 9 pm reminding me to review my calendar. I started this habit after missing an important meeting when I was in college.
Reviewing your calendar helps you remember your commitments for the next day and can help you mentally prepare for your day. I find looking at my calendar more effective than trying to just go off my memory.
◇Journal to Connect With the Best Version of Yourself
In this blog post, I explain all the journal prompts I go through before bed to reflect and connect with the highest version of myself.
Gratitude Journaling
I’ve been gratitude journaling for over 7 years. So I feel I can pretty accurately report the benefits. Every night before bed, I write a list of things I’m grateful for. I love that this is such a simple practice, but I get so much out of it.
Taking time to appreciate everything I feel grateful for makes me feel so good and helps me maintain a more positive mindset.
If you also want to start tapping into these benefits by practicing gratitude, I recommend you start by keeping a gratitude journal. Spend just a few minutes each day writing down some things you feel grateful for. See how that makes you feel.
Reflect
I learned about the power of taking time to reflect after listening to this episode of Michelle Barnes’ (MuchelleB on YouTube) Grow With Intention podcast. Setting aside a dedicated time to reflect on your life can allow you to gain helpful insights that can make a huge difference in your life.
The more you understand yourself and your patterns, the better you can set yourself up for success and make positive changes in your life.
Document/Review/Celebrate Wins (Mini Triumphs)
At night, I also like to make a list of the things I accomplished that day, big or small. My therapist suggested I start doing this. Documenting my daily mini triumphs is so helpful for boosting my self-confidence. This practice is especially helpful if you tend not to give yourself credit for your accomplishments.
I hope this post helps you! I could talk about self-improvement all day long, and I love getting to share content about tips to become your best self.
What are your favorite habits? Leave a comment, so you can inspire others. I intend to form a community where we can inspire each other on our journeys. That said, thank you for reading! Make sure to sign up for my email list to get notified of new blog posts with more tips to help you live your best life!
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Featured Image: Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Life by Julia 
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