3 good habits to get into (and one you must ditch)

As a habitual candy eater (many times, before 10:00 AM), some might say I am not the pinnacle of good habits. I have a hard time passing up a Tuesday night glass of champagne, even if my rule is no cocktails on weeknights, but at least I don’t bite my nails!

I’m definitely not going to be found on any self-help bestseller lists anytime soon, but this post consists of three good habits you should be doing if you’re not already, and one thing that we probably all do and shouldn’t! As a bonus, I added an extra habit at the bottom of this post for a laugh.

1. Keep a journal, even if it’s just a single sentence a day.
   Every single July 18th I’m shocked to see it’s been another year in the books- literally- of this page a day journal. I have my fair share of bad habits, and a decent amount of good ones too, but this has got to be one of my best. This journal has traveled with me to 8 countries and 25 states, and I’ve gotten to write down so many incredible highs, as well as some lows, all within these 365 pages.No matter what my day has been like, it doesn’t feel complete until after I’ve gotten the chance to write it down on these pages. I think sometimes we rely too much on what social media and technology will memorialize for us, that we overlook the value of tangible memories.
2. Plan ahead for lunches and dinners

   Nothing is more frustrating that coming home after a long day of work and the gym to standing in front of our fridge and not knowing what to make. 9 times out of 10, the ends up in pizza or carry out that we didn’t actually want or need. My husband and I share a Google Doc (I know, very romantic) where we plan out a week’s worth of dinners, make a list of what we need, and add recipe links for suggestions.

   We end up eating (mostly) healthier than if we were rummaging around for a box of mac and cheese at the last minute, and we’ve gone grocery shopping a lot less often than we used to. It’s been a lot of fun getting to choose and cook the meals together, as well as figuring out hidden talents.

3. Get something out of spending money, no matter what. This seems silly, but bear with me. I love a good deal, a yummy dinner, or a cute dress as much as the next girl, but I also love knowing that my money spent is also money saved. I downloaded the app Acorns last year and opted to round up to the nearest dollar on every purchase that I make. Acorns puts the pennies into a savings account, and invests your rounded up purchases. To me, this is a no-brainer. If I’m going to buy a coffee for $3.72, then I for sure have the extra $0.28 to spare to go into savings. A swipe here and an automatic payment there have the potential to add up, without being front of mind at all.In about a year, my acorns (ha-haaaaaa) are well on their way to growing into a big oak tree. I’ve saved an extra $1,000 without even thinking about it. By no means am I a financial advisor, and of course you should be saving much more than $1,000 a year, but Acorns is a great way to turn pennies into something with potential.

And last but not least, the habit to ditch- in my opinion- is bringing your phone or iPad into bed with you. I’ve slept with my phone off for the last ten years, and have to say that plugging it in and putting it to bed for the night is a really freeing feeling. Many times my phone *goes to bed* an hour earlier than me, eliminating one major distraction that’s standing between me and good night’s sleep. It’s easy for me to switch off for the day when I transition from looking at a page in a book to lights out, as opposed to going from a brightly lit screen to darkness with no time to acclimate. My husband and I both like to read ebooks on our tablets, but even switching the wifi off helps bridge the gap of overstimulation and bed time.

What’s your best habit that you currently are doing? Let me know in the comments below if there’s a routine I need to get into, or some habits I need to break! If you made it this far, here’s another great habit that was deemed not cool enough for this post: Continuing to wear your retainer so that your mom and dad did not waste thousands of dollars on orthodontia, even when your husband makes fun of you because it glows in the dark and you lisp.