The Power of Habits.

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Have you ever been asked ‘Are you a ‘creature of habit?' and wondered what that even meant?

Now, habits are interesting – they form the fabric of who you are. Good or bad. Without even realizing it, you have so many habits instilled in your daily routine and probably don't even know it.

Think about it. Think about your daily routine.

What do you do every morning, afternoon or evening? Do you do your laundry the same every time? Fold the shirts the same way? How about the socks? Do you make a sandwich the same every time? How about your coffee – do you have a system (routine) on how you make it? I bet that you do…and all without a conscious thought. You just DO. Am I right? Kinda like driving a car…no thought. A routine that is built into the process.

You may or may not know, but I try to encourage everyone to CHOOSE joy…everyday. When you choose joy you are choosing you and NOT your circumstances. And habits play a huge part in your ability to choose that joyful life. How?

Well, let's take a look at what your morning daily routine might look like:

You have to be at work at 8. The kids need to be on the bus at 6.45. In order to walk out the door you need: lunches, back packs, homework, permission slips, extra stuff, briefcase. Everyone needs to eat breakfast. Dinner needs to be prepared and put in the crock pot. A load of laundry needs to be started. Beds made. Dishes in the dishwasher. Not counting getting dressed, combing hair, and brushing teeth. It makes me tired just thinking about it all!

Looking at the above daily routine example, are you scrambling every morning? Looking for the homework, skipping breakfast, overwhelmed and telling everyone to hurry up hurry up. And, by the time you get everyone out the door and you get to work, you feel like you have put in a full 8 hours already!

What do you think would happen if the majority of the gathering and preparing was done the night before? 90% of lunches packed. Homework gathered and put in backpacks. Backpacks lined up by the door, ready to grab and go. Laundry started. Dinner items cut up and just ready to dump in the crock pot. How do you think you would feel? How do you think your kids would feel? Because if you are scattered and frazzled…they are too!

Sounds great, but how?

Make a list of everything that needs to get done in your morning daily routine. Determine how long it takes to complete each one. Add them up…that is how long it will take from waking up to getting out the door – on a perfect day. So, add in some extra time. Which you can use for 1 more cup of coffee, fold the laundry, or go early to the office or, your place of work, and get a jump on the day. Example:

• Personal Shower – 10 minutes.
• Get dressed including hair and makeup – 30 minutes.
• Quiet time and coffee – 20 minutes.
• Finish packing lunches – 10 minutes.
• Everyone eats breakfast – 15 minutes.
• Make beds and brush teeth – 10 minutes.
• Kids get dressed – 15 minutes.
• Prepare dinner – 5 minutes (if using the crock pot freezer method).
• Grab it all and get out the door – 5 minutes.

Add it all up. (In this example, if your kids are old enough and dress themselves, you can get dressed at the same time they are getting dressed so those extra minutes do not need to be added). So…a total of: 90 minutes. AND that is with everything gathered the night before. If you need to help your kids…add 25 minutes more.

So, what is the big deal about habits? What is the big deal about a daily routine?

Because the right daily habits can improve you health, ease your mind and give your family a shared sense of belonging. You are ALL working towards the same goal. A smooth morning with less stress, confusion, yelling and frustration.

Stop and think for a minute – how would you feel if you could kiss your kids or spouse good bye…without all of the tension. And, when you say ‘Have a good day' you know that their morning has been good…and maybe their day will be too.

The Daily Routine PDF below is available in the Joyful Living Planner. There is one for each month. You can grab the Planner right HERE.

Sometimes, when you overwhelmed, stress sets in, right?

And when stress sets in it is sometimes difficult to be happy or joyful. So, don’t let stress have the last word! 

Go on and take a look at the ‘Top 5 Stress Reducers’ (Action Plan included). So that you can eliminate what causes you stress and get on the path of living a joyful life.

What is Joyful Living all about?

Joyful Living is ALL about not letting let the circumstances of YOUR life determine who you really are. You learn to choose YOU instead! Not sure how to do that? Let me help! 

To begin, go ahead and read:

• What is Joyful Living?
• 5 Simple Steps to Choosing Joy
• Finding Joy in All Things
• What Does God Say About Joy?
• Difference Between Happiness and Joy

PIN FOR LATER: THE POWER OF HABITS | YOUR DAILY ROUTINE