Struggling with your goals for the new year? Try turning them into habits and before you know it, they’ll be as much a part of your routine as that morning cup of coffee.
We all have habits we carry out every day, and studies show that having a morning and evening ritual sets you up for a successful day.
If you’ve got some new habits you’d like to incorporate into your daily routine, be it a morning gym session, a daily dose of lemon water or learning a new skill, it pays to put in the work to see the results. It can take up to two months to form a new habit, so bear this in mind as you stick through this time frame on your way to a healthier, happier you.
Read on for five positive steps to set the new year off to a great start.
1. Reading more
Daily reading is a well-known habit of successful people such as Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates, who has attested to reading one new book every week. Set a goal for a specific number of books per week and/or month to get the habit started. Find the genre that appeals to you. Not everyone likes fiction, or what’s on the top 10 of the book charts. Discover the type of reading that speaks to you and you’ll find yourself glued to the pages before you know it. Try starting with 20 minutes of reading a day and gradually increase as the habit grows stronger.
2. Journalling
Incorporate journalling and list making into your routine by tracking your good habits that you’re working hard to keep up. Often, seeing a visual representation of how you are progressing drives you to keep pushing forward. There are lots of great examples of this on Instagram to give you some kick-start inspiration.
3. Sleep
We all know the benefits of adequate sleep, but so many of us are lacking. Form the habit of getting more sleep by establishing a nighttime routine and gradually moving up your bedtime a half hour each night so the change won’t feel so drastic. You can track your sleep progress each night in your journal as well, to help you stay focused.
4. Relieve stress
We don’t realise how stress can build up throughout the weeks and months, so it’s important to keep it in check as we go along. If you don’t already, try to ensure you are making time for activities that you enjoy doing on a regular basis, ideally at least once a week. Having fun is an important component in overall wellness and allows you to work better when it’s time to get back to it, feeling refreshed and re-energised.
5. Get outside
Some people are lucky enough to live close to the great outdoors – here in our home city of Vancouver, we don’t have to go far. Getting back to nature can have a wonderful grounding and stress-relieving effect, so make it a priority in your weekly routine to spend time outside in the fresh air and get moving. The greatest writers and minds often had their best ideas while out for their daily walks!
About Paperblanks: When creating our Paperblanks line, we were driven by a desire to keep the beauty of books alive. By drawing inspiration from great artists and craftspeople, our aim is to help you feel inspired and creative every day and to help you create your own personal pieces of art. For more about Paperblanks and our journals, visit our website at paperblanks.com.
Where is #3?
Thanks for noticing that Douglas! We hope you find these tips helpful 🙂