The quality of your life is built from the things you do regularly, which means your habits have the power to change your life! 

Over the past three years, I’ve become the sole income earner for our family and my husband’s caregiver when his chronic illness is bad. We’ve sold a house, moved across the country, and bought a different house. 

With all of this going on, there are five habits that changed my life—more specifically, five habits that greatly improved my quality of life. If you give these habits a proper try (meaning, you do them consistently for a solid chunk of time) I truly believe they have the power to change your life. 

Sidenote: If you are serious about building a new habit, there’s nothing quite as powerful as working with an accountability partner. You’d be more likely to go to the gym if you knew someone was going to ask you about it, right? Learn about accountability coaching HERE. 

5 Habits That Changed My Life

#1: Morning Journaling

I’ve journaled on and off since middle school, but morning journaling is one of the habits that changed my life. 

When I journal at the end of the day, I find myself summarizing what happened. This is good if you want to make sure to remember daily events, but to be honest: I have a terrible memory about what has happened in my life and I don’t care. I’m fine with it. 

But when I journal in the morning, it’s very future-focused. I’m thinking through what I have planned for the day, prioritizing tasks, and choosing an intentional mindset that will serve me. This journaling practice often helps me make a great day out of one that I was dreading. It helps me show up as the person I want to be! 

Morning journaling gives me the space to step back and come at day (and therefore my life) with more intention. 

#2: Weekend Intentions

Speaking of intentions… (that was such a good segue and I didn’t even plan it!) Setting my weekend intentions has drastically improved the quality of my downtime. I have spent many-a-weekend poorly and started Monday morning feeling completely un-refreshed. Womp-womp.

The habit of setting my intentions for the weekend has helped me have more glorious, life-giving weekends that allow me to start the next week recharged. 

To “set my weekend intentions,” on Friday afternoon, I ask myself four questions:

• How much do I want to be staring at a screen and for what?
• What do I need most this weekend for me?
• What would feel good to get done? 
• How can I connect with my favorite people this weekend?

When I’ve decided ahead of time what I want/need most when it comes to screen time, me time, chores, and connection, I have the best weekend! 

I wrote a more in-depth post about how to set weekend intentions HERE. 

#3: Sunday Night Week Planning

Many people can plan their week on Monday morning. I am not one of those people. If I wake up Monday morning without a plan for the week, I instantly feel panicky and behind. 

One of the habits that changed my life was spending a few minutes on Sunday evening planning out my week. I like to do this on paper and in my Google Calendar (#OverachievingMillennial). 

First, I use my Week at a Glance printable (get it for free HERE) to write down:

• Appointments and meetings
• Work to-dos
• Personal to-dos
• Daily habits I’m tracking
• What I’m excited about 
• My #1 priority

Plus, I use the dot grid section to track the hours I work for other companies. It’s a version of my Check-Boxes Planning System. 

Next, I plan how I’ll spend my time in my Google Calendar. It generally looks a bit like this:

I know a lot of people find this kind of planning too restrictive. For me, it eases a lot of my anxiety to know what I’m “supposed” to be doing throughout the day so I can get done everything I want to. 

Also, it’s my schedule. I’m allowed to adjust it as needed. 

#4: Naps

I regret every nap I didn’t take as a child. I hated napping. It felt like I was going to miss something exciting every time I fell asleep. 

These days, I’m happy to miss all the exciting things. I just want to sleep! 😂

Napping is another one of the habits that changed my life. I don’t nap every day, but I truly try to! I’m often done working at around 4 pm. Then I make and eat dinner like an old person. After that, if possible, I take a nap for precisely one hour. I don’t set an alarm or anything. For some reason, my body just naturally wakes up after exactly 60 minutes, every time. 

Napping after work gives me the energy I need to function for the rest of the day. When my husband’s chronic illness is bad, I do all of the cooking, cleaning, yard work, etc. When I’m exhausted, it’s easier for me to be ultra cranky which is not a pleasant experience for me. Hence, the life-changing properties of napping. 

#5: Weekend Groceries

Lastly, I get groceries every weekend—enough groceries for the whole week. Usually, I do this on Sunday morning when the stores aren’t super busy. I make a quick meal plan and grocery list and then set off to procure provisions. 

Thinking about what I could make for dinner and if I have all the ingredients to make veggie noodle soup wastes brain energy during the week. And I certainly don’t have the energy to run to the store on a Tuesday evening when my stomach is rumbling.

(If you can’t tell by now, “energy preservation” is one of my highest priorities.)

Starting the week with a list of meals that I have all of the ingredients to make causes my weeks to run so much more smoothly. I cannot function without this weekly habit. 

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There are plenty of other habits that influence my life. But I wanted to share the few habits that make the most difference for me. If I don’t consistently do any one of these, I feel it in a negative way. They keep my sanity intact and help me have more energy. 

What are the habits that have changed your life? I’m such a “habits” nerd. I’m SO curious! Leave a comment and let me know.