10 Habits I Do (Almost) Daily

I mentioned in an earlier list that I have a hard time maintaining a true daily streak with most habits. I have a Daily Habits list nonetheless and work to get through as much of it as I can every day.

And it just so happens that there's 10 of them!

1. 5-Minute Freewriting

This is the first thing I do in the morning. I use The Most Dangerous Writing App (https://www.squibler.io/dangerous-writing-prompt-app) to do a stream of consciousness freewrite to get my mind moving.

I wrote about this website in this list, too: https://notepd.com/idea/what-websitesapps-do-you-use-daily-mx85j

2. 15-Minute Reading

I actually set a timer on my phone for this. I can always read more, but I like to keep 15 mins as a bare minimum.

3. Update YNAB

We use the app YNAB (You Need A Budget) for our family budgeting. We manually enter transactions into it (some people link their bank accounts instead). I spend a few minutes each morning updating it from the day before.

4. 10 Ideas a Day

I try to at least start a list in the morning before starting the rest of the day. I keep one long "10 Ideas a Day Master List" in my notes with links to all my lists.

5. 15-Minute House Cleaning

Sometimes this is really just cleaning: bathrooms, floors, tidying kids' toys, etc.

But where this really helps is to spend 15 minutes making progress on some house project that needs more problem-solving or several sessions to clean: purging toys my kids aren't using, organizing the linen closet with baskets, reorganizing pantry items, moving furniture into a new orientation...

I can get a bigger project done over several days in 15-minute chunks.

6. Procrastination Progress

Similar to the one above, this is where I take 1 action towards something I've been putting off: scheduling a dentist appointment, ordering that one brand of socks that my kid will wear, packing up returns to take to UPS, etc...

7. Process 1 Item from my Physical Inbox

It's impossible to be 100% digital all the time. I keep a physical inbox tray on my desk and throw things there throughout the day. But they pile up fast...

So I made this habit to process (scan, shred, file, throw out, add to calendar, etc.) at least 1 item from there each day. I often get on a roll and can get through a big stack in one sitting...

8. 2-Minute Workout

I give myself permission to have a REALLY low bare minimum for working out: 2 minutes.

It's deceptively effective. 2 minutes of any exercise at mid-high intensity will get you winded and is better than doing nothing. And I often do more.

I wrote about this here, too: https://twitter.com/AidaMAlston/status/1519737530429710337?s=20&t=ClPusEHqiwJLH78USH_grg

9. 5-Minute Connection Hour

Reaching out does not come naturally for me and I need a lot of quiet alone time. Creating a habit has been helpful to stay better connected with people.

The "Connection Hour" is what I call time-blocking for reaching out to people. In 5 minutes I can send a text, an email, or even start a call with someone I haven't talked with recently.

10. Appreciate my Husband

This is a recent one. It may seem silly to put this on a Daily Habits list but if something works I'll use it! I make a habit to send a nice text during the day or tell my husband something I'm appreciative of. A little goes a long way.

Aida Alston