I wrote a blog earlier this month about how I tried out mind mapping for the first time. And one of the first thing I mind mapped was habits I wanted to add to my days.

Most of these are good habits that I’ve had on and off for a few years, but all that I knew would have a positive effect on my day to day.

I wanted to dig into how I could add them into my day, specific times that might work best, what my specific goal was for that habit, and the benefits to each habit.

So, I had a rough idea of what these habits were that I wanted to add, and the six I came up with were:

+ exercise

+ journal

+ meditate

+ hydrate

+ gratitude

+ wake up early

Now, these might seem like pretty general habits most people wanted to add, but today I wanted to share how I broke each down into something tangible for me.

So, the first thing I asked myself about each habit was what is my daily goal for this habit?

exercise = 30 minutes each day

journal = write in one journal each day

meditate = either meditate or sit quietly for 10 minutes

hydrate = drink 80 - 120 oz of water each day

gratitude = write three gratitudes each evening

wake up early = 6 am

I have to set specific goals, as I guess most people do, to follow through with them.

The next thing I asked myself was, what specific time of day could I fit this goal into. Another important step to actually getting it done.

exercise = a morning walk or run, bike or walk places, take the stairs

journal = morning pages first thing, normal journal late afternoon

meditate = either in the morning before work, or when I need a break

hydrate = all day obviously but a glass before coffee and breaking it up between hours

gratitude = first thing when I get into bed

wake up early = morning, duh

And finally I thought through different benefits I saw in each.

exercise = important to move my body each day, good way to take a break during the day, get out in nature, clear my mind.

journal = document things, brain barf, more focused, think through things, clear mind, less anxiety, free therapy.

meditate = less anxiety, calmer mind, free therapy.

hydrate = better skin, digestion and energy.

gratitude = more grateful and positive, less anxiety

wake up early = more productive in the morning, get my day started, get to have coffee.

I thought through each habit one at a time, starting in the center with “habits” and branching further and further from there.

I then made a list in Wunderlist where I could store all the notes in an organized, tangible fashion. And it’s nice to have them in an easily accessible place where I can go check in on them and get inspired again if need be.

I’ve been really good at journaling, daily gratitude and waking up early and not so great at hydrating, meditating and exercising.

And I think that’s an important note to end on. You’re not going to seamlessly add this new habit into your life straight away. You’re going to mess up. Hell, you might even forget about it. But that’s ok. Failure doesn’t mean you can’t keep trying.

Keep tweaking when you do it, how you do it and you’ll find the sweet spot in your days to add it to.

What are some habits you’ve been working to add, or maybe remove from your day to day life?

I’ve got the perfect morning routine almost down pat, but my nighttime routine still has some work to do.

There are elements of my nights that I love, but there are also things that I know need to be added or nixed.

So, let’s start with what I’ve got going for me:

+ skincare — when I was younger and first started having to take care of my skin I was awful at it. In college, there were countless nights when I would go to bed without washing my face, even when I had a full face of makeup on. I cringe thinking about it now. But now I’ve gotten to the point of adulthood where I wash my face before going to be. And there’s nothing better than a freshly washed and moisturized face.

+ sleepy time tea — I took a break from caffeine and instead drank a lot of herbal tea. One of my favorites was sleepy time tea and while I don’t have it every night it is nice to have a mug of something hot to sip on when you get into bed.

+ about twice a week I read before bed — in my ideal world I would read every night before bed, but I’m not there yet. But I always love the times that I do.

+ gratitude — sounds cheesy but Michael and I share what we’re grateful for that day, and it sends you to bed feeling really warm and fuzzy inside.

Things that I like but probably aren’t the best for winding down:

+ Michael and I love watching an episode (or a few) on Netflix at the end of the day. Right now we’re on the last season on The Office as well as the new season of The Crown. I know it’s not good to stare at a laptop before going to bed, but it’s this fun little thing we both enjoy to wind down from the day

What I need to stop:

+ staying off social media — I’ve gotten a lot better over the years but I used to have to scroll through Instagram until I got through all the new posts. Ridiculous I know. But overall I’d like to cut down on technology before bed.

What I would like to add:

+ mediation — I go through phases of meditating regularly, but I would love to start consistently doing it at night. And not leave it to the last thing or I will definitely fall asleep during.

+ journaling — while I’m all about morning pages, I would love to add regular journaling at night as a way to reflect on and document my day. I love looking back on old journals, and I think night time would be a great spot to start doing it consistently.

+ pajamas — ok, last and probably weirdest, but in the past year or two I’ve really wanted to get a dedicated pair of pj’s that I only wear to bed instead of stuff I also work out in. Something about getting into the mindset of sleep is what keeps pulling me towards getting a pair of pajamas.

What are your favorite parts of your night time routine, and what would you change?

Mindmapping Habits I Want to Add

Trying to Mend My Night Routine