10 Simple Habits for A Better Day

10 Simple Habits for a Better Day

“The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.” ~Mike Murdock

I love this quote because it is so simple and true.

You may be wondering how, exactly, your future is hidden in your daily routine.

The truth is, the results of your future are the result of what you’re doing right now-today.

That’s why what you do every single day matters.

Activities and decisions such as the time you wake up, the amount of physical activity you get, how you treat people, what you eat for dinner, how you spend your free time and more are all contributing to your future in one way or another.

If you find your days all blending together and not taking you closer to the life you want, I invite you to check out these 10 simple habits for a better day.

Not only will you start to see every day as a gift, you’ll grow and develop into the person you want to be in your future.

10 Simple Habits for a Better Day

Wake Up Early

In my article How to Wake Up Early I explain the benefits of waking up early and give you some practical tips on how you can train your body and mind to do it.

However, there’s more reason to wake up early than just being on time for work. When you give yourself ample time to soak in the new day ahead, it shapes your whole day. It becomes much easier to wake up early when you realize the true benefits of it that go deeper than simply being on time for work.

Starting your day by hitting snooze 10 times and rushing around the house to get out the door in order to make it on time to work is just not a good way to start your day. There’s no time to fully “wake up” and enjoy the morning.

I know this because I used to be this person. And the result was always the same-I’d arrive at work on time, but feeling rushed and in an irritable mood. That’s no way to start the day!

Waking up with enough time to actually enjoy the quiet of the morning will help you associate joy with waking up early, instead of dread.

It also gives you time to engage in a morning routine, which I’ll get into next…

Related:

Create an Intentional Morning Routine

I used to hate waking up for work or waking up early, period (as I explained above). Lacking awareness of morning routines, I saw nothing positive about waking up early.

When I learned about morning routines, it changed everything. Basically, you have a morning routine now, whether you intentionally created it or not.

That said, you may as well create a morning routine that is intentional and sets you up for a great day!

Every morning for around 15-20 minutes, I review my goals, journal gratitude, pray, read from a devotional, etc. All while enjoying a delicious cup of hot, black coffee.

When you get your mind in the right place first thing in the morning, you’ll set the tone for your day. I promise this works!

Related:

Dress for Success

This is another one I have personally experienced the benefits of.

At the time I’m writing this, workplace culture has experienced a shift where more and more employees are working from home.

It’s easy to roll out of bed and sit down at your desk in your home office wearing the sweatpants you slept in. If you’re not actually seeing other employees, you may not see a point in bothering with getting ready for the day.

But when you take the time to intentionally pick out something to wear, put on makeup, and style your hair, it positively influences your attitude and even your productivity.

I’m a big believer in being intentional with what you wear and how you present yourself to the world. It may seem superficial, but it truly is not. You will experience a positive shift in your entire day.

Related:

Be on Time

Habitual lateness signals to others that you don’t respect their time. Showing up late to work signals you don’t care enough about your job and can potentially get you in trouble, anyways.

It also takes you that much longer to catch up with any emails or tasks that came through the night before.

Be on time (maybe even a little early!)

No different than deciding on a time to wake up or go to bed, pick a time when you will be walking out the door every morning and with every commitment, and stick to it.

Whatever you commit to, be on time. And be committed to being someone who values others’ time by being on time.

If you’re someone who is known for being late, you weren’t born that way and you can change this bad habit if you intentionally commit to being a timely person.

Related:

Plan Your Life, Don’t Let it Plan You

Another way you can intentionally improve your everyday life is by using a planner to schedule out how you spend your time.

Using a planner isn’t just for noting doctor’s appointments and to-do’s. By scheduling out your activities in blocks of time and then sticking to it, you get more accomplished.

You can also use your planner to discover what activities or tasks you are spending time on that aren’t producing fruit in your life.

For example, maybe you’ve been volunteering somewhere for awhile now and your heart just isn’t into it anymore. You may find yourself starting to resent the time you are losing by volunteering. Maybe other aspects of your life need more of your time.

Using a planner can show you how much time you’d free up for other things that are producing fruit in your life.

It’s always ok to say “no” or quit doing anything that doesn’t serve your agenda. Having a planner truly helps you maximize your time and discover where it is best well spent on things that will produce fruit in your life.

Related:

7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Grow You (by my favorite life coach!)
Planner (I have one similar to this one and absolutely love it!)

Intentionally Choose What You Eat

You know that old saying, “you are what you eat?” Well, there is some truth to that.

Pay attention to how foods make you feel (and I don’t mean how you feel when you pig out on your favorite guilty pleasure food after a stressful day).

For example, what do you normally eat for lunch? Is it takeout or fast food? Try eating a healthy lunch for just one day, and pay attention to how it makes your body and brain feel.

Do you feel more alert and energized? Really pay attention to how food makes you feel for specific meals. This is your body and mind’s way of telling you what is working for it and what is not.

This is why I’ve been committed to eating light and healthy lunches for the last decade of my life. I know how specific foods make me feel. I usually eat a salad chock-full of veggies with a plant-based protein (I’m vegetarian) and a vinaigrette dressing. When I don’t eat that, I usually have a light soup.

When you make intentional food choices on a daily basis, it will greatly improve not just your health, but the day at hand.

Related:

How I Made Fitness and Nutrition A Lifestyle

Exercise

Moving your body every day in some way is pivotal to improving your mood and your entire day.

Similarly to eating intentionally, I’ve been pretty consistent with my exercise routine for nearly a decade, and I’ll explain why.

It is a common struggle of many people to be truly committed and dedicated to getting exercise because it requires us leaving our comfort zones, and that can be challenging to overcome. Exercising isn’t always easy or comfortable, and it’s not supposed to be, or it wouldn’t be effective.

The trick I’ve learned is, similarly to eating foods intentionally, you need to take stock of how exercise makes your body and mind feel as opposed to focusing on the uphill battle of getting started and then being uncomfortable for the duration of your workout.

There tends to be minor resistance for me exercising in the morning because I’m so focused on how I’ll feel afterwards and how exercise impacts my body and brain. I know if I skip a workout, I feel like I haven’t had my coffee and experience brain fatigue.

When you understand how exercise positively impacts your body and mind, it’s easy to fight the resistance to skip your workout.

Related:

How to Make Exercise A Habit in 6 Steps

Recharge with Breaks

We live in a culture that wears burnout like a badge of honor, but there is nothing honorable about being burned out!

Breaks are important. Lunch hour is important. Even if you are “behind” on work, take one anyways.

Both my husband and I work from home, and we are very intentional about how we spend our lunch hour. We sit at the table and have lunch together and take our dogs on a walk around the neighborhood. This use of time recharges us for the second half of the day.

Similar to a morning routine, you need a lunch hour routine. Maximize this precious hour of your workday, and take breaks when needed. It doesn’t mean you are lazy or unproductive. It simply means you are recharging.

Your level of productivity and your attitude during working hours will thank you.

Related:

12 Ways to Experience Peace Right Now

Engage in “Me” Time, Every Day

I know it can be difficult some days to fit in a little down time at the end of the day-but it’s crucial to your well-being. This is definitely a block of time you should be scheduling in your planner.

Whether you choose to read a chapter from a book, journal, or do another activity you love, even scheduling as little as 30 minutes a day is so beneficial.

I believe another way to avoid burnout is to ensure you schedule time to do the things you love to do every day, even if 30 minutes is all you’ve got.

Just make sure during this time you aren’t wasting it scrolling social media or numbing out with TV (unless it’s a specific program you intentionally choose to watch-that’s different-just don’t numb out with the news or turn on the TV just to have background noise!)

Related:

How to Enjoy Your Own Company

Go to Bed at a Consistent Time

Going to bed at the same time every night enables you to wake up at the same time each morning.

It can be tempting to stay up late if you’re watching a series on Netflix, reading a good book, or having a late-night heart-to-heart with a friend.

But your body and mind are counting on you to get the rest you need and stick to your schedule.

Sleep is important. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep so you’re well-rested for the coming day.

Before You Go

I hope this list of 10 habits for a better day inspired you to be more intentional about the little decisions you make on a daily basis that can truly impact not just your day, but your future.

What are your best practices to improve your day?

I read and respond to every comment, so don’t be afraid to leave me one. 😉

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