3 Habits I Live By

I feel like one of those speakers at an AA meeting, like “Hi, my names Lauren and I thrive off routine and get really cranky when something is off the plan”. Anyone else feel this way?!

I have had to learn to be more ‘go with the flow’ type person, but there are certain non-negotiables when it comes to my every day. I think one of the reasons why I get cranky when something is off is because I know how much better I feel (mentally and physically) when I stick to these 3 things.

1: Don’t press snooze. If you need to, set 2 alarms and have one earlier than you’re planning on getting up. But seriously, I started doing this a couple years ago and I will never go back. If you tell yourself every single morning that you’re going to be up at 5am to workout but every time that alarm goes off, you press snooze 10 times, how is your morning going to set you up for the day?

I mean, you already broke 1 promise to yourself, why should you stick to the other things you were supposed to do today?

When you finally get up an hour later, you’re probably going to be disappointed that you let yourself down again, you’ll feel rushed moving through your morning, your chances of saying ‘tomorrow I’ll do it’ will be high but in reality, you have no intention of actually getting up then.

I know it can seem like a ludicrous thing, but by getting up right away in the morning, you truly are setting yourself up for a successful day. I try and do the same time every day Monday through Friday (no matter if I’m working or not) and then I usually let myself sleep in a few extra hours on the weekend. I’ve found its harder to wake up early once I skip a day, so I just keep it consistent and now my body physically can’t sleep in lol!

2: Write everything down: I don’t know about you, but I cannot remember things I did last week and I will go to Target 6 times a week because I’ll never leave the store with what I went in there for.

I have a bajillion sticky notes, journals, notes on my phone or computer, and random things written down on pieces of paper. If I need to remember something, get it at the store, have an event coming up, vacations, etc. I need it all written down or theres a 99% chance that I’ll forget about it. 

Since I was little, I thought it was incredibly special how my grandma had saved letters from my grandpa and wrote down recipes on cards to send us, or saved journals she had (both of my grandmas actually did this). I’ve always been infatuated by words and stories, therefore, even though I write down the things I need to remember, I also have journals and pages filled with moments I want to remember. 

How cool is it that I can look back on the first moments I knew Cody was my person, or how I felt stressed out during college, and all the little highs and lows throughout my life. I laugh at what I thought were big problems in middle school but can appreciate how far I’ve truly come. In a digital age, try to take more time with pen to paper – I think you’ll be surprised at how therapeutic it can be.

3. Make time for fun: Honestly, I’m still working on this one. Because I’m such a routine person, I literally structure this into my day/week because I know if I don’t, I will sit at my computer all night long until I pass out.

This is something I especially struggle with when juggling multiple jobs and having a job that never truly ‘turns off’.

I could sit and work on my classroom things for 20 hours a day and still find more to do. It’s also hard with social media and coaching, because it’s never ‘off’ and it follows me on vacation, or on the weekends.

It was a hard balance to make especially when I’m living with someone who gets to leave work at work and doesn’t live on social media or understand the work that goes into it. Don’t get me wrong, Cody has been the most supportive and loving boyfriend and understands why I need to do the things that I do, but I won’t lie…there have been a lot of conversations we’ve had to have because I don’t know when to put work away.

I finally found a rhythm that works for me and I stick my computers in my office and just shut them off. The parents can wait, the grades will eventually get done, my clients will understand.

You have to take care of you and fill your own cup – you need to have time to put towards other people in your life.

I know that got lengthy but go back and read the bolded words to get a refresher on them. These habits have changed my life, and while I’m still refining them – they are ones I will continue to do for a long time.

I’d love for you to comment some habits that you stick to daily or if you use any of these! Keep your eyes peeled on my blog or Instagram for a fun FREE New Years challenge to kickstart your goals and set yourself up with some simple daily habits!