Building daily habits

Back in September, I started a daily journaling exercise called the 6-Minute Diary. The basic outline is that for three minutes in the morning you answer three items:

• Three things to be grateful for
• A couple of sentences on how to make the day great
• A positive affirmation

At the end of the day you complete three more exercises:

• Your good deed for the day
• How you’ll improve
• Three great things you experienced that day

I just passed the critical juncture (66 days according to research cited by the author of this book) for establishing a solid habit. This is 66 days of positive thinking first thing in the morning and last thing before going to bed. I have to say it works for me and makes my days a little more meaningful. I have to put thought into my daily good deed. I have to think about how I can do better tomorrow. Even on a bad day, there have to be three good things.

I’ve also used it to make other better habits for myself like writing, decluttering, and exercise. Each month I’m focusing on an area to improve and my daily affirmations and how I’ll improve revolve around that area. September was daily blogging and I’ve kept up the daily writing through handwriting morning pages as required in the 12 week program, The Artist’s Way, of which I’m currently on week 8. October was devoted to decluttering every day and it is amazing to have Less stuff in our home! I’m continuing to build on that habit by limiting the purchase of new items. November is devoted to exercising every day. Building these habits is doable when I focus on doing it just one day at a time.

At the end of each week, there are further writing exercises to delve a little deeper. They are sometimes whimsical but often they go deep as they did last week by posing the question “If you were a beggar, what would you write on your begging sign and why?“ The thought really stayed with me and I decided to carry some things like water and energy bars in my car so that I could hand them out when I see someone in need. There is also a place to write a weekly synopsis or anything relevant to what’s happening in my life. I have some other habits on the horizon to incorporate into my life each day. Maybe they won’t all stick but I won’t know unless I try.

MC