Looking to improve your life in the new year? This could mean setting better boundaries with people, motivating yourself to reach a new fitness goal or starting that creative endeavor you’ve been thinking about. One of the best ways to make sure you do any of it is by creating healthy routines for yourself.
“Being intentional about your daily routine is your opportunity to proactively decide how to leverage your habits to help you become healthier and happier while achieving your goals,” Matt East, a productivity coach based in Indianapolis, told HuffPost.
Most resolutions fail ― especially wellness-related ones ― but establishing a solid daily routine can help you avoid that pitfall. That could look like going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, putting a self-care activity on your calendar each week, or meal prepping, among many other things. The point is to figure out what fits into your life while still prompting you to make a change.
“Most people build their routines around their work,” East said. “However, beyond work, being intentional with your routine can help you excel in any area of your life, including reaching your peak level of health and fitness, getting out of debt and creating financial abundance in your life, dedicating more time to your meditative and spiritual practice, and nurturing key relationships and friendships.”
So how exactly do you figure out a good routine for you? These book recommendations from experts can help you get started.
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“I have always been fascinated by artists and poets and some of my favorites are mentioned in the book,” he told HuffPost. “What I learned was that the most successful creatives are almost fanatics when it comes to having a routine; they tended to be early risers, work long hours and go for walks regularly. While I had many of these qualities already, the book helped reinforce my inherent belief in routines.” (Available here.)
The book promises to help readers with habit formation, including practical strategies on how to make good habits and break bad ones. As the book’s Goodreads description says, “no matter your goals, ‘Atomic Habits’ offers a proven framework for improving — every day.” (Available here.)
“It’s not necessarily about establishing routines, but it explores the power of saying yes,” Christie told HuffPost. “When we discover the things and people that are worthy of our time, it’s easy to decide on those that are not. This was a helpful tactic in helping me define my boundaries and routines. It also pulls you into the freedom of authenticity. We are more likely to follow through on our routines if they are organic to who we are and the things we want to accomplish.” (Available here.)
She also noted that these recommendations will nudge you to shake things up and adjust to change, which will ultimately help you with your routines, since “being able to be a flexible thinker can assist in developing lasting routines.” (Available here.)
“I’ve applied the strategies from ‘The 80/20 Principle’ by learning how to drill down my focus into the things that are most essential for success,” Patel told HuffPost. “In life, think about the people, goals, and things that matter most to you, cut away the extraneous distractions, and focus that remaining 80% of your time into those things that matter.” (Available here.)
As the title suggests, the book focuses on the power of habits and how paying attention to the patterns that shape our lives can help us achieve lasting success. Duhigg explains why habits exist and how they can be permanently changed to bring about true transformation. He also cites Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as real-life examples of how habits can directly influence your success. (Available here.)
According to the Tiny Habits website, a typical session involves carefully digesting the material provided to you, then setting three new habits you’d like to implement into your routine. After doing this, you’ll receive daily emails from your habits coach, which will help you to put your desired habits into practice. At the end of the five days, you’ll have a better understanding of how habits work and three new habits to help you achieve your dreams. (Available here.)
Ready to increase your joy? Join our “Happy New Year” challenge. HuffPost editors will put these tips to the test throughout January 2020 to see if they really make a difference. We’ll also publish new stories all month about the pursuit of happiness. Keep checking back on HuffPost Life for updates and share what happiness habits are working for you at wellness@huffpost.com.