50 Good Habits To Start Today: The List of Small Changes that Can Transform Your Life

Do you ever feel discouraged because you’re struggling to reach the big goals you’ve set for yourself? You’re not alone! I have never really liked goals and New Years’ Resolutions. We all want to lose 20 pounds or make $100,000 or just live a more fulfilling life, but the devil is always in the details. Most people have the best of intentions, but when it comes to execution, you might start to struggle. 

I think that you can make progress toward your big goals by focusing, consistently, on small habits.

You only have so much willpower and energy to devote to your choices each day. That’s why pathways form in your brain to “automate” certain frequent activities. When that pathway is created, a habit is formed. 

Why is it important to have good personal habits?

Your success in life is based on your ability to add value. Are you the absolute best as cranking out code or designing a living room? That’s what you should spend your time doing because it’s rewarding for you – and your employer or business!

So often, though, you end up spending all of your energy on chores and have little left for the important work. Instead of wasting your valuable brain power, you need to automate absolutely everything that isn’t “thinking work.” Getting dressed in the morning, exercising and doing laundry are great examples of tasks that need to be done, but shouldn’t take too much of your energy to execute.

When you can create habits for mundane tasks, you free up so much more mental space for your big picture priorities.

What are examples of good habits?

Let me tell you a little story. After my second daughter was born, I was a totally overwhelmed working mom. I was going in to an office again after years of working from home. Suddenly I had to worry about finding professional clothes that fit and lugging my pump to and from the office.

At home, I was navigating the transition to a family of four, which comes with its own challenges. Oh, and my department had been restructured so there was some uncertainty about what, exactly, I was supposed to be working on.

It was a lot.

I quickly realized that I needed to streamline my daily habits to save my energy for work and family.

Make a Capsule Wardrobe

During this period, I established a work uniform that I still use almost 5 years later. I always wear a dress with bike shorts plus a cami underneath. During the summer, I wear flats and I’m done. In the winter, I add tights, boots and blazers to the same dresses.

Create a Simple Morning Routine

I always get dressed in the exact same order: shorts and cami before breakfast, dress and blazer after breakfast. That way my visible clothes stay clean. It’s not as much of a big deal anymore as it was when I had a nursing infant!  Years later, this is still exactly how I get dressed and I don’t even really think about it.

Automate Chores

Another good habit I’ve been working on recently is finding a specific day to wash sheets and towels. I just don’t want to have to think about that! So I’ve started washing the towels every Sunday. I wash the sheets every other Tuesday (after the cleaners come and change them). On the non-cleaning weeks, I wash my white bathrobe and bath mats with bleach. Done! No more thinking about the laundry schedule. I have more important things to do, and so do you. 🙂

Hard Habits vs Neutral Habits

Some habits are neutral, like making your bed every morning. It’s not really difficult to do or unpleasant, it’s just a matter of making the time to do it. In this case, I like the idea of pairing the new habit with an existing habit. For example, I’ve started making the bed while I brush my teeth and it works really well. I know I won’t forget to brush my teeth!

Other habits, like exercising and cleaning up, may be a little less fun. When I’m trying to establish hard habits, I like pairing the habit with some sort of reward. For example, watching TV only when exercising or folding laundry is a great way to make an otherwise hard habit feel like a reward instead of a drain!

For each new habit you want to establish, figure out how you feel about it before you decide how you’re going to approach building the habit. My husband doesn’t really mind weighing himself – it’s just a piece of data for him to work with. It feels a lot more emotionally fraught for me, and I find myself resisting it. That’s why I need to pair it with something I enjoy, like my first cup of coffee or a hot shower.

What should I do daily?

Feeling overwhelmed and want to establish some good personal habits of your own? This list of positive habits will get you going.  Pick a habit to start establishing today!

Routines

• Morning routine (you)
• Morning routine (family)
• Morning work routine
• Evening work routine
• Evening routine (family)
• Bedtime routine (kids)
• Bedtime routine (you)
• Laundry routine
• Cleaning routine
• Chore routine

Self Care

• Wash your hair on certain days of the week
• Schedule a regular babysitter on the same day every week
• Always do your pleasant grooming appointments (hair) after your unpleasant ones (waxing) so you don’t skip
• Get up early every morning for some personal time
• Always call your mom/sister/grandma when you are on your commute
• Put on sunscreen every morning
• Always grab a hat for outdoor activities

Exercise & wellness

• Take the stairs
• Weigh yourself every morning
• Fill your water bottle when you have your first cup of coffee
• Only allow yourself to watch TV while you’re exercising
• Park far away and walk to your office
• Always walk distances of less than a couple of blocks
• Walk to the bus stop, even if it’s pouring/cold
• Get up early every morning to exercise
• Always refill your water bottle and get a small, protein-filled snack for the drive home
• Always lay out your workout clothes for the next day

Chores

• Throw a load of laundry in each morning, switch to dryer when you get home, fold before bed
• Only allow yourself to watch TV if you’re folding laundry
• Listen to podcasts while cleaning
• Make your bed and open curtains while brushing your teeth
• Stop for gas when you get to ¼ tank
• Wash towels & sheets every Sunday
• Empty the dishes drying rack every time you empty the dishwasher
• Re-order household items when they get to ¼ full
• Add items you’re out of to a list immediately so you remember to re-purchase
• Plug your phone in immediately when you walk in the door after work
• Always take something that belongs upstairs when you go up or downstairs when you go down

Planning

• Always look at tomorrow’s calendar the night before
• On bill pay day, also review your expenses and budget
• Add your next appointment to your calendar before leaving the office from your appointment (doctor, hair cut etc)
• Plan out and schedule your workouts for the week on Sunday night/Monday morning

Kids

• Make up a good night or good bye ritual
• Kids read every day when they start being able to
• Kids have a handful of chores they do every day (You might like this list of kids chore ideas, with a free printable chart!
• Put dirty laundry in hamper
• Pick out clothes before breakfast
• Feed pets
• Trim nails every Sunday
• Wash hair on specific days

An Inspirational List of Good Habits

I hope that this list of good habits has inspired you to make some new habits – or come up with ideas of your own! The less effort you have to put in to day to day tasks, the more you can focus on the big picture work of life. That’s where the magic happens!