It is May, and wow, what a crazy first five months of the year. I have been spending a lot of time thinking about how I am going to make 2020, not the year of COVID-19 but MY year. A great year for me and my family.
We got to spend much of this year with our kids (and a spouse). Family meals, hanging out, watching the 40th season of Survivor — really this is our best life.
Now, what am I doing to make the rest of the year a Fantastic one? Below is a nice article about 30 daily habits you can start now. Here is what I am working on right now for new habits:
–Upgrading my technology skills (in quarantine, we moved to Microsoft Teams, we got great at live video chats, we all learned to work remote). Now I want this to be permanent. Not going back.
–Hiking in the afternoon (in addition to the am). I have always worked out early. I love the sweat and mind-clearing result of taking a hike in the desert in the afternoons. I want more. This is part of my life now.
–Get away from social media. I am not a big twitter, etc. guy BUT I found myself spending hours on my phone during the quarantine. So, I am not spending much time on this at all.
–30-60-90- Our team has used a 30-60-90 action plan for new team members. We started them to make sure we were staying focused during the last few months. This is a great way to prioritize and stay focused.
These are mine. I would love to hear what you are doing for the rest of 2020 to own your year.
Rule #16: Don’t Waste Time
When our lives are disrupted, it’s easy to think we can postpone or pause our goals. But when you fall into time-wasting habits, it gets ten times harder to make up your progress. 2020 is almost halfway over — stop wasting time. Start moving forward.
30 Daily Habits to Start in 2020
By Kendra
January 8, 2020
Are you struggling to get things done? Do you ever feel like you never have enough time in the day? Are you in need of new and improved daily habits to start your new year off right?
It’s a brand new year and you have so many plans to conquer all of your goals and dreams for the year. You bought a pretty cool planner and stickers that you can’t wait to place all over your pages!
You’ve written out your resolutions for the new year and you may even have started working on some of your goals already. That’s great! Go you!
But…you’re also unsure how to implement these goals or you don’t really know how to stay productive. You know for sure that you can’t continue with the habits you currently have.
Because, honestly, these habits are holding you back from achieving your goals and the proof is in every goal you didn’t achieve last year.
The hard truth is, you need to reevaluate the current habits that you have and then create new daily habits to start making changes in your life.
You do that by saying bye-bye to your old bad habits and learn new daily habits to start making life much easier and better for you. Doesn’t that sound like something you need in order to make 2020 your best year yet?
Here are 30 daily habits to start in 2020
1. Declutter your workspace
It’s easier to work and have a clear mind if your view in front of you is clear. With that being said, make it a habit to always declutter your workspace area. If you don’t have a workspace area, then declutter the area you spend the most time at.
It’s recommended to utilize the first 5-10 minutes of your day (or work shift) decluttering your space. This will allow you to become more productive. Here are some tips to declutter your workspace:
Organize all paperwork and categorize them in similar files.
Paperwork or files you don’t need for the day should be put away.
Don’t have more than 5 items on your desk at a time.
Rearrange your desk to make space for daily needed items.
Use storage and organizer bins.
2. Try the one-tab challenge
In all honesty, it is pretty difficult to only have one tab open on your computer. If you are a blogger, it’s even more difficult because one tab can be for research on the material you are writing for a blog post and the other could be the draft of the blog post.
Nonetheless, having only one tab open for the entire day is possible and it does make you more productive. You reduce and minimize distractions and you stay on task while working on one thing at a time.
We are easily distracted when we have several tabs open at one time. It causes us to leave one tab and go to the next which results in us wasting precious time that could be given to things that are important.
However, as mentioned above, you may need more than one tab to complete the task you are working on.
Instead of the one-tab challenge, you should challenge yourself to use only 2 tabs. Try this challenge out for a month and assess your productivity at the end of the month.
If you are more productive then add this habit to your list of daily habits to start in the new year.
3. Track your tasks
Keep up with all of your daily tasks by using a to-do list or a calendar to help you track the things you have to work on for the day. You can purchase a cute to-do list sheet or you can make your own using a notepad or journal.
The way you track your tasks is by listing them on one sheet and prioritize all your tasks by importance. Feel welcome to add a checkmark beside the tasks as you complete them.
4. Check the news — world and local
It’s good to know what’s going on around you and around the world. With so much happening every second of every day, it’s critical for us to keep up with everything going on.
You especially should know about the changes happening in your own local community as they most likely affect you and your family the most. Try turning on the news in the morning before you leave.
You can even utilize the news app on your smartphone to see what’s new in the world. Technology makes it so easy to track the news and media.
5. Learn a new word
Continuing education provides benefits that you may not consider or take into account. Challenge yourself to learn a new word each week and then try to implement that word each day. Download the dictionary app on your smartphone or tablet device.
6. Prepare for the next day
Work on getting your things ready for the next day the night before. This habit is great for productivity and making extra time for yourself. Try to gather your clothing for the next day before you go to bed at night.
Before you get in bed, think of a few things (a minimum of 5) that you will need for the next day then spend some time gathering it all.
Put all items in the same area so you won’t forget anything and you save time looking in different areas for multiple things. You really can save a bunch of time by getting your things ready the night before.
Look at these examples of things you can gather:
Lunch or snacks
Backpack
Purse or wallet (personal items)
Important paperwork
Laptop/Tablet/iPad
Things for your kids
7. Shower meditation
Taking a shower (or bath) is a habit that you already have so let’s take it up a notch and make it a little more beneficial for you.
We will walk through the steps of a shower meditation so that you can use the time you shower to help with any underlying issues that you have at the moment.
You will also be able to focus and remain mindful while you practice deep thinking. This will prepare you for your day so you can have positive thoughts throughout the day.
First: Get in the shower and let the warm water run all over your body.
Second: Visualize all the worries, anxiety, and stress in your life as things that are stuck to your skin.
Third: Visualize the water and soap scrubbing the anxiety, stress, and worries off your body.
Fourth: Picture all the insecurities, stress, guilt, shame, disappointment, regrets, fears, and everything else that is negative washing off your body and down the drain.
Last: Acknowledge that you are now clean and free from it all.
Add this exercise to your daily routines and daily habits to start having a more mindful life.
8. Exercise/ Move your body
Having a healthy lifestyle should always be goals no matter what. If you only have time to workout 30-minutes out of your day then do it. It’s actually recommended that you exercise with some cardio for about 30-minutes a day.
You don’t have to do a serious workout. Gain energy and build this important daily habits to start feeling healthier with regular exercise. Exercising is for sure a habit that I plan to create in the new year.
9. Wake up early and go to bed early
Getting enough sleep at night is key. You will feel more energized and able to tackle everything that comes your way during the day when you are well rested the night before.
Research says that millionaires and CEOs wake up before 5 am every morning which limits distractions and makes you 10x more productive.
10. Take a break
Life is busy and demanding so sometimes you need a break from everything. Put your phone on airplane mode for an hour of your day to take a break from social media and anything else on your phone that takes a lot of your time.
11. Listen to an encouraging podcast
You probably have noticed how popular podcasts have become over the last couple of years. There are thousands of podcasts out there on a variety of different topics. Surf through the podcast app (iPhone users) or Pocket Casts (Android users) and find something that interests you.
Make sure it’s positive and uplifting or encouraging. Try to listen to a podcast or two each day to get your daily dose of positivity.
12. Track your habits
Habit trackers are very popular right now, for many good reasons! If you’re looking to add good daily habits to start making a difference in how productive you are then you should consider tracking the current habits that you have.
Check out these habit trackers that are super cute and convenient. You should also look at this free one we have on our site, below!
https://mailchi.mp/65a0790ad908/resourcelibrary
13. Eat 2-3 green foods daily
We know how important vegetables are for us and our bodies but we still lack the necessary amount needed to ensure a healthy lifestyle. Eating junk all the time is bad for our digestive system. We need green foods like vegetables to help regulate our bodily systems.
Challenge yourself to eat at least 2-3 green foods every day. If you can’t do it daily, try to do it 3-4 times out of the week. You will notice an improvement in how you feel and digest foods.
14. Cook more
Fast foods are unhealthy and can cause you to have a huge dent in your wallet if you eat it regularly. To become healthier and to save money in your pocket, start cooking in the kitchen more often.
Eating healthy and cooking are essential daily habits to start this new year so you can improve your life.
15. Create a vision board
Vision boards have been more popular as the years go on. You know why? Well, because they really work. Seeing all of your goals and plans in front of you makes it more meaningful and pushes you to work harder towards achieving all your dreams.
Check out these vision board kits on Amazon!
The good thing about vision boards is you can go back to them throughout the year and update as you go. Besides, it’s fun flipping through magazines and getting your hands sticky with glue while trying to attach pictures to your board!
16. Stretch different parts of your body
Exercising is great for you but you can take it a step further by stretching parts of your body for at least 10 minutes out of the day.
There are several helpful videos on YouTube that show you how to stretch your body! Only do what your body will allow. Please don’t overextend yourself while you stretch.
17. Devote 15 minutes reading a spiritual text
Spending time with God is a pleasant and relaxing feeling. Even though you are busy and can barely make time for yourself, you can squeeze in about 10-15 minutes of your day to read your Bible or a daily devotional book.
You can find the devotional books at your local Christian book store or even online at Amazon. There is even a Bible app that you can download on your smartphone to give you easy access to the Bible. If you can’t find 15 minutes of your day, at least try to spend 5 minutes reading a spiritual text.
18. Enjoy nature
Nature is a source of healing that our bodies long for each day. We are more at peace when we experience nature so we should strive to do it more often. There are tons of things you can do outside.
One recommendation is to get a blanket and some snacks, sit out and then examine all the beauty around you outside! Invite a friend or a loved one with you to make it more special.
19. Take a class
Is there something you’ve been wanting to learn how to do? Here is your chance to make that happen. Take a class either online or in your local area to learn something new or to freshen up on something you used to do years ago.
For home-related classes, Home Depot and Lowe’s offer free classes all throughout the year. Check out your local home improvement stores for classes. Teachable also has free classes on a variety of topics.
20. Don’t complain
It’s easy to go the entire day with complaints, say negative things, or gripe about things other people do. Instead of complaining and griping, try to turn your words into positive words or say something positive to yourself to get your mind off the negatives.
Notice how you feel when people around you complain. It is unsettling and a mood changer for sure. Well, that’s how others feel when they are around you when you complain.
Keep that in mind and you will decrease the complaints and learn to say more positive things instead.
21. Remove daily activities out of your bedroom
Watching tv, eating, reading, writing and more in your bedroom is common but it sometimes makes us lazy and keeps us from being as productive as we hope to be.
Daily activities in the bedroom are confusing because our bodies think it’s time to entertain when our bedroom is really supposed to be a place for sleep.
Try to eliminate daily activities from your bedroom.
22. Reduce fast food intake
Having fast food available on your route home from work or school is tempting for sure, but if you carry a healthy snack or two with you every day you can eliminate the urge to stop for fast food.
Besides, fast food is unhealthy and oftentimes will put a dent in your pocket if you eat out a lot.
23. Be present
A great habit that everyone should always have is to be present and mindful at the moment. We often find ourselves stuck in the past or worried about the future that it takes away from everything going on right in front of us.
Doing so can put a damper on your relationships and cause you to lose out on a lot of things.
Try to focus on what is going on right now and don’t spend a lot of time on things that happened in the past or what you expect from the future.
24. Be responsible with money
Create a budget and stick to it. That is the only way you can be responsible with your money which will benefit you later in life.
If you have difficulty with being responsible with your money, start by tracking your spending and then learn ways to start saving for your future. For more info on budgeting, click here.
25. Use the 5 by 5 rule
The 5 by 5 rule is exactly what it sounds like: “If it’s not gonna matter in 5 years, don’t spend more than 5 minutes upset about it.”
Keeping this rule in mind will help you take a step back and realize what you are giving your time and energy to, even if it’s negatively affecting you and your mood.
Don’t let unnecessary things stress you out or make you upset. There are far more positive things to focus on!
26. Daily positive affirmations
Choose daily affirmations that will help you get through the day. These affirmations should be positive so you can speak them to yourself when you’re experiencing negative thoughts.
Here is a list of affirmations that will help you get started on your journey to daily positivity.
27. Drink plenty of water
Water is known to have several health benefits for our physical health. The recommended water intake is at least 8 glasses per day. It can be hard to drink that much water in a day so if you don’t usually drink water you can start small.
Maybe, start drinking 3 glasses a day and work your way up to the recommended amount. The point is to increase your daily water intake.
28. Write down 3 goals for the day
Having goals for the day is something you should always strive to do, so it’s only right to add this to the list of daily habits to start in 2020.
Seeing your goals written will drive you to want to complete them. It’s something about being able to check off something on your list that pushes you to work hard and keep going!
Always choose goals that you know you will be able to achieve that day.
Examples of goals that you can work on today:
Read 20 pages today
Limit screen time after work
Try the one-tab challenge
Journal about your day
Clear your closet of things you don’t need
Finish a project you’ve been working on
Start a rough draft of a new project/business/plan/goal
Clear out your email
Check your credit report
Call your financial advisor to discuss your financial goals
Try something new (restaurant, museum, local events, etc.)
There are plenty more goals that you can work on daily, but this is enough to get you started with some ideas. It really does help when you have clear goals for the day.
Challenge yourself to write down 3 goals for the day and incorporate this activity in your list of daily habits to start in the new year.
29. Practice gratitude
Gratitude is a habit that will benefit you and the people around you. You ultimately feel so much better when you practice gratitude. Showing gratitude can positively increase the relationships you have with others.
For more on gratitude, here is a 30-day gratitude challenge that you should definitely try to do.
30. Use your self-care kit
Do you have a self-care kit? A self-care kit is a box full of items that will allow you to engage in self-care and to bring yourself to a place of calm and relaxation. Things you need for a self-care kit:
A box
Journal
Candles and essential oils
Pens and pencils
A coloring book and crayons
For a list of more items to go in your self-care and a detailed step-by-step guide to create your own self-care kit (or create one as a gift to others), read the full post here.
Are you ready to develop new habits for 2020?
This is a small list of things you can do each day or at least once a week to help you have the best year yet in 2020. Take a few habits from this list and incorporate them into your daily routine!