Recently, I’ve been implementing small habits in my day to day to help contribute to my big picture and exercise discipline. I’m a productivity junkie and I’m all about becoming consistent in the overall betterment of life and business. However, like many other people, I have committed to super big changes too immediately only to fall out of practice and break the habit only after a few weeks. That’s why I love the book Atomic Habits so much. It helped me break that cycle and shift my mindset.
PHOTOGRAPHY // Erica J. Simmons
Now, I’m the queen of small habits and applying them daily to become the person I want to be. I definitely plan on building on this, but right now, these are the 6 everyday habits I’m dedicated to for the year.
PRAY
Starting my day with silence and prayer is always such a game changer for me. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I read devotions daily but this year I want to really step my prayer game up. Setting time aside to do that versus doing it routinely in the am and at night is a priority for me. I’m no longer interested in praying safely but instead, deliberately. The goal here is to build my relationship with God versus checking off a box of saying I prayed. This has been fulfilling and challenging. I’ve had to unlearn praying for the sake of ritual and instead relationship. Instead of only asking God to do something for me, I’ve been asking Him to do something in me. Excited to see how my relationship with Him blossoms.
SKINCARE ROUTINE
Skin care is self care and those 10 minutes it takes me to do my morning and evening skincare routine is so important. Some days can be really hectic and I don’t get much time to spend with myself, so these routines force me to do that. I won’t lie to you – I’m great at knocking out my morning skincare routine, but that evening skincare routine gets the best of me. Some nights I’m so tired, I just use oil cleanse and use makeup wipes to get my face clean. I know that is a skincare travesty in the beauty world, but I try to give myself grace on those nights I’m exhausted. But on those days I am able to get to both of my routines – I feel unstoppable.
MAKE BED
Mom was right. Making up your bed is important. It automatically makes your room look like it’s in order. Anytime you put your space in order, your mind follows suit. I have been so consistent at this that on the days I get to it late, Hubs happily makes it. That’s the kind of making the bed energy we got going over here. Because I have 3 kids who are 5 and under, my bedroom is really my only kid free zone. For peace of mind, I make the bed to keep my room in order.
READ
I absolutely love reading. Interestingly, I get a lot of questions about how I find the time to read. SPOILER: I spend less time on my phone and watch very little TV. Those two things take up so much of my free time and I’d rather be reading. I’ve also noticed that anytime I read at least 1 book a month, I make my income goals. ALWAYS. So guess who’s prioritizing her reading? You guessed it. It keeps my mind sharp and gives me something to talk at dinner with my family or when I’m out with friends. My type of books are self-help or personal/professional development. Currently reading The Productivity Project.
JOURNAL
Since I was a little girl, I’ve always had a journal but never really followed through on the act of it. Like praying, I think I always looked at it as a ritual versus a practice for growth and betterment. Last year, I was pretty consistent at gratefulness journaling where I wrote down 3 things I was grateful for everyday. It didn’t have to be a big deal or even anything formal, I just had to write it down. Since my therapist has recommended it to me, I’ve done it more than not (some seasons were more consistent than others) but going back to read it has shown me how much I’ve grown. Trying my hardest to make it an every single day occurrence, as gratefulness always keeps things in perspective for me.
CREATE
Last but not least, I try to create at least 5 minutes a day. Some days are 5 hours and others are 5 minutes. Sometimes it’s filming and editing, other days it’s plating my family dinner beautifully. But I feel most like myself when I make time to create. It challenges me. It motivates me. It ignites me. I notice my mood is in the pits whenever I don’t create, so I always prioritize it to be a part of my day.
What small daily habits you apply to your life or work to make you feel most like yourself?
