Habits - Routines and Tips For Quick Changes

Allowing change is necessary. Each of these areas of habit formation will work until suddenly one day they don’t. And that’s okay.

When a house plant is dying it often needs a new location and a different watering schedule. Our routines and rhythms in our homes are the same way.

Sometimes we just need a change to spark new growth.

We get stuck in what used to work and we forget that we need to make adjustments. I love creating systems and plans. I am usually surprised when something stops working. A routine that has worked for the summer no longer works for the school year. Something that used to bring me peace and helped me feel grounded now feel like too much work and a waste of time.

“It is pleasant to know that, even in mature life, it is possible by a little persistent effort to acquire a desirable habit.” - Charlotte Mason (Vol. 1 p.135)

Allowing change is necessary. Each of these areas of habit formation will work until suddenly one day they don’t. And that’s okay. It just means that you have to adapt and change to fit where you are right now.

In my life, I often do this with playlists and parts of my morning routine. Something will work for weeks. It will be the reason that I get out of bed in the morning. And then one day I decide I just cannot listen to that same playlist anymore, or this book is not working for me, or I need to take a break from this podcast, and I need to change what I’m eating for breakfast.

So, why are these important?

These daily decisions are actually how we build our lives. These small pieces decide how we do things in our homes. No matter if we are intentional or if we mindlessly participate.

Our Rituals, Routines, and Rhythms can be life-giving or harmful for our long-term goals. The way we structure the small things in our lives adds up over time.

• Choosing to add a one mile walk in the neighborhood 3 times a week = 3 miles a week, 12 miles per month, and 156 miles in a year.

• Spending time reading on the couch every night adds up too. Even just 5 pages a day = 35 pages a week, 140 pages per month, almost 2,000 pages a year. (that’s about 6 books)

• If I have the routine of walking in the door and turning on the TV my habits and activity level will be very different from someone who puts the TV in a separate place and chooses when they intentionally want to watch it.

Routines

Routines are steps that usually happen in a specific way. They are tasks that need to be done. It can be helpful to use a few tools.

When we harness the power of routines we can get more done in shorter amounts of time.

We can put things together that logically stack onto one another.

Here is a practical list:

habit stacking – What can you put together to form new habits and keep up with old ones? I used to have 5 separate tasks to do each morning fitting it between what the kids needed. But now, I get it all done at once in 15 minutes and then have space to do other things or just be fully present with my kids. No more multitasking.

lists – I have found freedom in list-making. When I know what I need to get done then I can choose what to do.  I can make a conscious decision to spend my time on something or ignore it. I feel calm.  I felt frantic when I used to listen to “the squeakiest wheel”, the loud, and the urgent.  I ended up wasting time on what does not matter to me for the long-term.

charts – In our house chore charts mean that each person has a list of what they are in charge of. These are typically household tasks that we choose to get done in the morning. By the time we eat breakfast, the house looks cleaner and the animals are fed. These simple routines have made things around our house more manageable and peaceful. No matter what the rest of the day holds, we have started on the right foot. When the list is posted where we can see it nagging is unnecessary.

phone reminders – I often use my phone reminders to help me remember what I need to get done and when. Set some alarms, schedule blocks of time in your calendar, and use your phone as a tool to keep you on track.

bullet journal pages with check marks – There is something so very satisfying about checking off boxes. If you are a planner/goal-driven person like me you get it. I know this idea is not unique, but often the simple basics make a big impact.

Using rhythms and routines can feel daunting if the goal is to start new habits or do things differently. But finding the places in your life where these are already making an impact is the best place to start.

Work with your natural bent and your personality. Instead of choosing something that needs an overhaul, pick something that is going okay and can be better. Small adjustments make an impact over time.

• What if we looked at our lives at all the places we turn on autopilot?

• Where do you have rituals that are life-giving and fill you up for the next activity?

• When do you just go through the motions? What can you add or change in those areas that would help your daily life?

• Do you walk in with the pile of mail and dump it on the kitchen counter? What if you stood at the trash can and processed it immediately?

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I hope that one of these questions sparked something inside you. That you see a place where you need to make a change or move forward into growth.

Don’t be the houseplant in the dark corner with withered leaves.

Take care of yourself in how you go about your day. Spend time on the routines and rhythms that are life-giving to you.

💙You got this! - April

Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash

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