I spent all of 2022 doing "thought dumps" or "thought downloads" at the beginning of my day to help get myself into a better headspace. It was a new routine I had worked into to my mornings and loved the shift I saw in my approaches to the hard days and weeks. Getting my thoughts out on paper helped me sort through my emotions and mindset. It was a game changer when it came to starting my day.
Cue a few weeks ago when I woke up on a Monday morning and overwhelm hit. I knew the weekly to-do list in my head was a mile long. However, the thought of "all the things" left me feeling frozen and stumped on where to even begin. I have always been a pen and paper gal so I quicky started making one long list for the week. I love being able to cross tasks off as I tackle them. However, this time I was still feeling the overwhelm. It dawned on me to categorize my to-dos. One list for things to be done around the house, one for my new speech therapy business, one for my essential oil business, one for the boys. I quickly prioritized all the tasks. I pulled what needed to be done right away from each list and put it down for Monday. Then I wrote down what my list needed to be for Tuesday, and so on. When I saw that long list turn into short, doable lists organized into days, I felt a weight lift. In a matter of minutes, my brain dump turned into an organized week of tasks that would be crossed off by Friday!
For the past two weeks, I have been quickly creating a hand drawn grid with pen and paper to create my Monday Brain Dump. Today I decided this habit was going to stick and created a printable that would make the "To-Do List Break Down" look more organized and clean!
You are invited to start this habit with me. Enjoy the free "Weekly Brain Dump" printable below!
A new year has arrived!
Along with a new year often comes chatter of big goals, the desire for significant change, and resolutions. We start our year with high levels of motivation and confidence. As soon as things don’t happen as fast as we want or life happens and throw our plans and goals for a loop, it is easy to fall off track and throw in the towel.
What if we started small?
What if we didn’t aim for big change all at once?
What if we made several small changes over time?
What if this included introducing taking NEW habits rather than jumping right to eliminating the old?
Something I learned over 2022 was the impact that consistent, small changes can have over time! Small changes, small goals, or small habits over the course of the year can lead to big change over time. Save yourself the burnout, shame, and pressure to meet big goals so quickly. Appreciate the small milestones and introduction of new, healthy habits that will compound over time and lead to sustainable and consistent transformation!
The first step in starting your journey for the year, is to decide on the focus. From there you can break down small habits that you can address monthly. I say, pick one habit a month. The more you practice it, the more it will become like second nature to you. Adding another habit to the mix after 30 days won’t seem so daunting because you won’t be thinking twice about the habit you introduced the month prior.
If you are struggling to brainstorm 12 habits for the year, start with 6. You can always address the final six habits as you experience change with the first six.
Here is a list of 12 habits to assist you in creating your personal list of 12.
- Drink ___ water every day.
- Put my cell phone down 30 minutes before bed. Do not pick my cell phone up for 30 minutes after I wake up.
- 20 minutes of movement every day.
- Take a multi-vitamin & probiotic daily.
- Go to bed a certain time every night.
- Journal before bed or when you wake up.
- Declutter a space in your home every week.
- Eat dinner at home _ nights a week.
- Take lunch to work every day.
- Do 10-15 minutes of stretching/yoga before bed.
- Make a healthy product swap.
Ideas for kids:
- Eat a fruit/vegetable every day.
- Practice daily gratitude.
- Make bed.
- Help with a task around the house daily.
- Read 20-30 minutes daily.
- Say something kind to sibling or parent daily.
- Go to bed by a certain time.
- Play with or walk the dog daily.
- Limit screen time to _____ each day.
- Family walks.
- Ask others about their day daily.
- Journal at the end of the day.
Remember, these are just ideas to get your wheels turning! You know yourself and the outcomes you desire. Again, all 12 may not come to you now. Be sure to check in with yourself from time to time! Grab yourself a habit tracker to help yourself stay accountable.
You’ve got this! Happy New Year!
