Every new year, I try to set an intention for the next twelve months. I think I did a pretty good job about staying present last year, although it definitely devolved around the last quarter of the year.
This year’s intention is actually something that I inadvertently started last year. I want to focus on my daily habits. As great as it is to have long-term goals (and I certainly have mine), there’s something to be said about setting and maintaining daily habits. I have been doing the same things every day and love the way it feels. Some are things I do first thing in the morning and it gives me the boost I need to start the day off on a productive foot. Others are things I do just before I go to bed and it helps me get in the right mindset for sleep.
Some of the things I have been exceptional at already (for example: meditating, drinking water, making my bed, going to bed early) and others I need to focus on a little more to make them truly a daily habit.
I just think that there’s something to be said about making small, consistent changes to your everyday routine to improve your life. It’s not always the case that you need a GIANT overhaul to change your life.
One thing that I’ve done to help set me up for success is to have a tracker in my notebook where I do my daily to-do lists. Every morning, I write down the habits I want to do every day, as if they’re a task on my to-do list. Because, at the end of the day, they really ARE tasks I want to do.
I’ve always been a pretty disciplined person, but I’ve found that focusing on daily habits only makes me more disciplined in other areas of my life too. Excited to kick up the habits even more this year!!
Would love to know what your intention is for the year.
I think my intention is to become a better person and share the idea of love through my blog and continue my mission to inspire people around the world. Also a small intention is to do a collab with you. lol.
This was lovely to read Carly, thank-you so much for sharing! I’ve loved keeping up with your blog through the year. I’m not sure what my intention is yet, but I’m working on it!
Happy Tuesday!
Michael
https://www.mileinmyglasses.com
Happy New Year Carly, I loved reading this post! Rather than having one over-arching intention, I have created several smaller goals I hope to achieve by the end of 2019. I hope you have a happy New Year’s Day and amazing 2019. 🙂
https://alexagmarsh.blogspot.com
This is such a good idea! I think my intention for the new year is to be more intentional about better balance between grad school studying and life. I feel like I sometimes spend way to much of my time studying, and then feel burned out to quickly. HAPPY 2019!!
https://premedwearspearls.blogspot.com
xoxo Libby
I love the idea of daily habits! My word or intention this year is investing. I hope to invest more in my financial goals/literacy, my health, and my career in 2019. Wishing you a happy new year Carly!
Last summer I started seasonal bucket lists where I write 15-20 things I want to achieve or experience during that season (usually it has to do with the time of the year) and then I post it on my fridge and check off things when they happen. I want to continue doing this all of 2019- I found it really helped me to not just sit around and “waste time” but actually do the things I want!
Bianca
https://navyismyneutral-biancab.blogspot.com/
My intention this year is to focus more on my mental health and becoming a more optimistic person. I really hope that my blogging game gets better, too!
I am going to intentionally work on NOT making assumptions about people and assuming everything is about me!
I am doing something similar! Usually I just say I want to be more on top of things or to take better care of myself but I never really felt like I made a step change at the end of the year. This year I decided I want to improve or add one new good habit a month. First up for January is no ipad/phone before bed!
This was something I worked on last year… I felt much more accomplished at the end of every day! I use an app called Momentum and it has been amazing for me. You can track a few habits for free or pay a bit more to throw them all in there. Highly suggest checking it out!
Love the idea of recording daily tasks as actual to-dos – that would help me immensely! I keep thinking about this year as a garden, and I want to get my hands dirty in planting and growing new things, while nourishing existing things to greater lengths. I’m a notorious plant-killer, though, so maybe that isn’t the best analogy, haha!
Love this reminder of the importance and impact of daily habits, thank you! I want to focus on mine as well to help improve my time management. I’m stating law school this fall and want to have good habits in place! Hope you had a happy new year. <3
Completely agreed, we love setting these big goals and resolutions, but lasting change actually comes from the little shifts we make over time. Looking back on 2018 my biggest changes came from small decisions or actions that I just kept with, and were never intended to have such a major impact.
If you’re looking for more info on building and sticking with habits, I highly recommend the books The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg) and Think Small (Owain Service + Rory Gallagher). Think Small is also a really quick and easy read. They both explain the research behind forming and keeping habits and are really good about actionable ways to do so yourself. I hope that’s helpful for your 2019 habit goals!
Try habitica the app to gameify your habits. I thought it was inane before using it… and now my avatar is level 7 with many eggs and tools. I floss daily because of this app.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/habitica-gamified-taskmanager/id994882113?mt=8
After reading The Slight Edge, I’m definitely convinced that small habits everyday are the key to success. One intention is to be consistent with my blog, instagram and YouTube everyday.