Somehow, I missed New Years resolutions.

I guess what I mean is I had meant to officially “blog” those resolutions, but then decided against it. I tried it a few years ago, but I quickly lost sight of the resolutions. I know I’m not alone in that failing, right?

This year I have been plugging away at my “word for the year”. I just naturally started to simplify. I found myself purging closets. I was mindful of my spending habits. I was saying no to some things, and focusing on the things that were important.

So far, so good! But now that we are halfway through the year, I thought it was time to put a little more meat on the bones.

Here’s the thing – often times I get too large or silly with my goals. Either I make them so large and unattainable that I’m always missing the mark or I choose something that’s not actually a goal at all. I make a task and call it a “goal”. Or I say “change the world” when I can barely change myself.

So as we’re closing in on July, I decided I’d work on some habits.

Habits are great! Habits are things that, once established, you do automatically, without thinking. They just become a part of your everyday routine.

And I like routine.

This past year there are a few previously-established habits that I’ve ignored… and I want to get them back. There are also some habits I’ve tried and failed to implement, and I want to actually succeed this time.

There’s quite a bit of research out there that says it takes an average of 66 days to solidify a habit! 66! That’s quite a bit of time, right? But in order for something to become a regular habit, you need to focus on it for a prolonged period of time. And really, 2 months isn’t long at all!

So, for the next 6 months, I am going to focus on 6 habits. I’ll track my progress each day. Once I’ve hit the 30 day mark on a habit (hopefully the end of the month!) a new habit can begin, while continuing the final 30 days on the first habit.

Here are the habits I’ll be tracking over the next 6 months:

• Planning | I’ve gotten out of my habit of planning daily. I was REALLY doing well with that! But then along came William (I know… a year ago!) and I just fell out of the routine. I’m confident that any goal I have will be more successful if I take to plan!
• Water | I drink way more tea or coffee than I do just plain water. I realize that tea and coffee could count towards my daily intake of water, but I should be drinking more water…. I want to do better!
• Outside | I love a good walk! But if the stars aren’t aligned for walking (like kids are crabby, it’s too close to nap time, etc) I am also quick to say “maybe tomorrow”. I want to get outside, even if it’s just for chalk art on the driveway, every single day. And if it’s raining, oh well! I quick dance in the rain never hurt anyone!
• Bible Study | This probably should be number one on my list… but the truth is I’m already doing something. But I want to set aside some quiet time for deeper study and prayer.
• Spending | I’ve actually been doing REALLY well on my spending habits. But I’d love to have a habit of not just spontaneously spending. I want to stop and take a breath before I buy something. And it may take longer than 60 days haha!
• Reading | There is nothing better than curling up with a book! But I don’t take the time to do it like I used to. So I want to try to read every day for 60 days.

So starting July 1, I’m challenging myself to spend just a few minutes each day to plan for tomorrow. It’s such a valuable habit! I’m disappointed in myself that I’ve let this slip. And it seems like the best one to start up! Stay tuned for an update in 30 days 🙂

What habit do you need to start working on? Join me for the next 60 days!

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