Cultivate Habits: Reflecting on 2019

As the new year begins, I set aside time to reflect on habits that I implemented in 2019. Each habit was formed with the idea that I was lacking either consistency in an area of my life or needed to start a new habit.

Habits I cultivated in 2019:

Reading 2 books/month

I consider myself a reader but at the beginning of 2019 I didn’t make reading a habit. Reading was something I did if a book was recommended to me and I had time to spare. To become a consistent reader I needed to make a plan. This plan included:

• researching books that I wanted to read
• keep ongoing “must read” book lists
• add reading to my morning routine

Each morning I spend time reading the Bible, a nonfiction book, and a fiction book. I do still struggle to find the next fiction book I am going to read. Overall adding reading into my daily routine has been a positive addition and one I want to continue in 2020.

Exercising 4 days/week

Each year I try to become more consistent with exercising. As a member of a health club, I started the year with trying to go to barre workout classes 3 days a week. This proved difficult, as after school activities seemed to constantly overlap these classes.

I then decided that to make this a doable part of my routine that I needed more flexibility in what time I could exercise. Now it is a habit to go to the gym 2 mornings a week as well as go to 2 barre classes a week.

I do give myself freedom in which days/classes I go to as my schedule is fluid these days. This more relaxed approach to exercise has helped me to successfully create healthy exercising habits.

Starting my day at 5:30 am

No one creates this habit in the beginning of January. The dark, cold mornings make it so difficult to get up. This habit started in spring of 2019 and thankfully was formed to the point that most days I wake before my alarm goes off.

Waking up at 5:30 started out of the desire to exercise more consistently and have a quiet start to my day. Our girls used to be early morning risers and to have a full hour to myself I had to be up by 5:30.

These early morning hours consist of:

• Reading
• Exercising
• Reconciling our finances
• Paying bills
• Making to-do lists
• Starting laundry
• Grocery Shopping (I love 24 hour stores)
• Drinking coffee

This may be the most rewarding habit since I am more productive and recharge in the quiet. I feel like I am ahead of the day right from the start.

Wrapping Up

A habit is ongoing, consistent, and routine. It becomes something that takes little mental energy to accomplish. The more healthy habits that I cultivate the more energy I have for other endeavors. Here’s to continuing these habits and adding in a few more.

I am always adding to my must read fiction book list. What is one must read book for 2020?