5 NEW HABITS I’M PRACTICING IN 2021

Earlier this week I published 5 Daily Habits I’m Keeping in 2021, so I thought it would be fitting to start the year off highlighting new habits I’m practicing this year as well.

I’m living for the memes going around saying that no one can claim 2021 as their year – that we need to walk in quietly and no touch anything. After the year we all just had, it’s safe to say that we can’t expect for everything to be better overnight, but we can still use the feeling of a fresh start to our advantage.

To mentally prepare, I put together a list of 5 new habits I’m practicing in 2021. I want to share them to inspire you to make a list of habits to practice as well because we love productivity, self-reflection and growth over here.

Big changes start with small steps everyday; if you put your thoughts down on paper or somewhere to reference, they’ll be your guiding light in times of weakness and distraction.

+ MORNING PAGES

I’ve always been one to journal/keep a diary; seriously, since Freshman year of high school I have *detailed* journals about my life. They are my most prized / secretive possessions. But I found that as I got older / more content with my life, I stopped journalling daily. I guess I didn’t have as much to vent about? It just wasn’t a priority anymore.

I want to flip this practice back into a daily routine and journal about the good things: my goals and aspirations, my wildest dreams, my gratitude. Putting thoughts to paper so that I can keep them forever.

+ CLEAN(ER) EATING

I enjoy eating healthy, but also believe in balance. If there’s donuts or wine, I will indulge. But I also want to push myself to make the healthier choices more often. When I’m out to eat, or having a sweets craving, I find myself giving in to the more decadent options and then mentally punishing myself later. This cycle of negative self-talk is what I’m trying to break with this renewed habit goal. I won’t be cutting anything out of my life completely, but instead making the better decision more often. I want to see what my body can really do when I’m slightly more disciplined with my workout routine and my eating habits at the same time. Plus, when my body feels good, my mind feels great. Which can only lead to good things.

+ MINDFULL HABITS

I’ve grown to appreciate positive self-talk and being in-tune with things I never paid much attention to in the past (like how I feel when I’m outside in nature, when I’m doing slow workouts like yoga, and utilizing breath work). I’m still not huge in meditating and I’m not sure if I ever will be, but taking small steps to make these things a part of my daily routine – even if it’s just for 5 minutes. You can’t change your life if you do the same things everyday, so I think this is a great way to implement small changes to see what shifts occur internally and externally in my life.

+ RESEARCHING

I am the queen of speeding through articles to “get to the point,” but I want to practice setting aside time to dive into things that interest me. Actually doing the work, reading the articles, completing the courses – push myself to always be learning. If there’s something I wonder about, I want to make it a point to actually research it and find the answer.

+ FORCED PRODUCTIVITY

I have learned that I am most productive when I hold my breath and force myself into it. If I sit around and hope my brain will work itself up into being productive, it’ll never happen. I’ll get stuck scrolling, and the day will pass me by with just a few random things checked off of my to-do list. But if I just push myself, go into my to-do list blindly and relentlessly, I typically get a high off of it and keep the momentum going simply because it feels amazing. Blinders on, head down, motivation up.

+ BONUS: LOSE THE PHONE

When my phone is in my work space, I get distracted and go on it for no reason. When it’s not in my sight, then I am able to put my blinders on to jump into whatever project is at hand. No access = no distraction. This also means I’ll limit my “comparison” throughout the day – when I pick up my phone to scroll, I just end up analyzing the posts I’m absorbing. If I limit my absorption throughout the day, I’ll be able to detach from the vicious cycle of a negative mindset.

+ BONUS: INVESTING IN MYSELF & MY BUSINESS

Before 2020 ended, I went on a huge investment spree that would directly benefit me immediately: I paid off the remaining balance on my student loans, I set my Roth IRA to deduct a monthly amount that will lead to me maxing it out every year, and I made sure my credit cards were at $0. Hitting those personal benchmarks felt incredible. I’ve made it a habit to pay attention to the stocks I’m invested in and do my research on future investments, and we’re making moves to get into real estate this year (manifesting all the good things). Another pivot I made at the end of the year was to put money into my business; by hiring a graphic designer for the first time, to spending money on systems that will help me automate my content. Small steps in the right direction that will only set me up for success in the long run.

It’s difficult at times to see spending money in these ways as better than buying that bag (I allot budget for saving up for those things, too!), but I know my future self is going to be SO thrilled that I made small steps whenever I could. I encourage you to jot down a few investments you could make this year as well – your future self will be set up for success and you will be so proud you made the moves when you did!

What habits are you going to practice in 2021?

LOVE YOU ALL and so thankful for you – cheers to another year together!