How to Change Your Daily Habits in the New Year

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Looking to change your daily habits in the new year? It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re training yourself to learn new habits, but not when you have a way to keep track. Stay motivated by tracking your progress with today’s freebie….a free printable habit tracker.

I don’t like to wait until the new year to start working on my new goals. While others are wrapping Christmas presents and planning holiday parties, I’m setting new goals and digging into my new yearly planner. What this means for you is that I’ve already done the research for you when it comes to starting new habits in the new year. Yes, that’s what I was busy doing this December, starting new habits so I can start the new year off with a bang.

I decided I needed to change my morning routine this past month. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t a piece of cake to start a new morning routine during the busiest time of year. Especially since three family members had surgery in the month of December. Add a mini-vacation to the mix and you’d think I’d gone crazy to try to learn new habits, but guess what?

Somehow in the midst of it all I was able to make it happen. It took some hard work and sacrifice and there were days I was dog tired, but it was worth it. I’ve been accomplishing more thanks to my new morning routine. I’ve also been sleeping better, have more energy and haven’t worked in my PJ’s in over two weeks. If you don’t understand what a great accomplishment getting dressed is, you don’t work at home like me! 🙂

How’s that for a little motivation? In fact, I can’t wait for the new year because I plan to build on the habits I’ve already developed. What do you want to start doing? It’s that time of year to start thinking about how you want to improve your life. Here are a few tips to help you out as you work on creating new habits this year.

Don’t set a time frame.

While some may say it takes 28 days to create a new habit and others say 90 days, I beg to differ. I think the time it takes to create a habit depends on the habit you’re trying to develop and your level of self-discipline. For example, it may take longer to develop a daily exercise habit than to read 30 minutes each day because the effort level to complete these tasks is different. So while it’s great to set timely goals when developing new habits, don’t discouraged if it takes you longer. Don’t give up but keep working towards your goal. It will eventually pay off!

Start small.

As Leo Babauta once said, “Make it so easy you can’t say no.” Start with a small habit that is completely doable to exercise your willpower. As your willpower increases you will have freedom to slowly increase your goals. Before you know it you’ll be developing habits you thought you’d never be able to conquer!

Make a list.

If you’re working on starting a new morning or nightly routine, make a list of everything you want to do in the order you want to do it. Create a step by step action plan and follow it exactly each day until it becomes second nature to you. It may seem silly to write a list that includes brushing your teeth and going to the bathroom, but trust me…it really does help!

Keep track of your progress.

There’s something motivating about seeing your progress when you’re starting a new habit. When you keep track not only will you see your progress but you will also be able to see the days when you messed up. Use the information to determine why you dropped the ball to help you stay on track next time.

Today’s free printable habit tracker is easy to use to keep track of your progress. Just list the habits you want to develop in your daily life and cross them off each day that you do them. You can print this out and keep on your desk or in your planner. Just be sure it’s somewhere visible so you will remember to use it. Click on the link below to download your free copy today and you’ll be one step closer to developing the healthy habits you want for your life.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRINTABLE HABIT TRACKER

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