Favorite Daily Habits For a Successful Routine

I want to share two of my favorite routine practices that have had a huge impact on my life. Most of us don’t enjoy overcomplicated processes because they take out the fun in most things. So below are my suggestions and examples of what I use.

Gratitude Journal

I think of a Gratitude Journal as a simple 5 min or less activity that I can complete each day. Simple habits are easier to incorporate in our busy day to day as well. At the end of every day, write 3 things you are grateful for. They don't have to be big things, it could be someone you met, something you did, somewhere you went, anything at all! Remember that even on the worst days there will always be something to be grateful for.

On bad days, when I am struggling to find the good in life, I look through my Gratitude Journal and feel grateful for all the wonderful people, opportunities and things in my life.

Below is my simple Gratitude Journal with just one single prompt. Today I am grateful for…

There are many different ways you can leverage this.

1. You can use the template below and copy/paste it into a digital notebook (you can use either PDF format or the PNG file), or you can even print multiple copies of it to make a physical notebook.

2. Alternatively, just take the idea and create your own fun journal and design it in a way that makes sense to you.

3. You can even use a notebook you already have lying around and just add the date every time you make a new entry (that was how I started my first gratitude journal).

Color Coded Calendar

I love color coded calendars because for me they are my way of making a boring, mundane chore feel like a fun activity! It is another one of my favorite daily habits.

Use not just text in your calendars but also colors and designs to add more meaning and purpose to your day. This could help categorize things into sections that repeat often. Maybe you have school days, work days and both. Well instead of writing ‘school’ or ‘work’ we can add some colors here. Freeing up your calendar space frees up space in your mind and reduces clutter.

How about shapes? I love drawing hearts and stars and they just brighten up my calendar. I always assign the heart shape to my most stressful activity and it seems just a little less stressful with a cute heart to lighten the mood!

Indexing your calendar in a fun way goes a long way. I have my color coded calendar for you to see below. You can take the idea from this and incorporate it in your existing planner or use this style as is. Let me know if you would like a copy of this and I can share that as well!

My favorite part is that I only have 1 page to fit my month, so it limits me to only the essentials with some creativity. Otherwise my calendar can get out of hand very quickly with me trying to plan every second. I usually want to detail everything, list every item and then further break them into details. This gets overwhelming, trust me, I know. A simple calendar with only the essentials can be great to stay organized. Leave some room for unexpected things and give yourself flexibility.