In January of 2018, before I found out we were (surprise) pregnant with our fourth son, I decided I would work out every day for a month. At the time, I didn’t know too much about building good habits, but I believed that if you did something every day for 21 days, you’ll build a habit. (Although now, newer studies, like this one, shows it takes more like 66 days.)

But I did it – and guess what? I discovered it worked! It was hard and a challenge, but for thirty days, I worked out. Now, let’s be totally honest here. In keeping up with three very active little boys at the time – there was no shortage of opportunities to exercise. So whether we hiked in the Texas Hill Country, or went for a swim at the pool, I even got my exercise on the weekends.

Yes, I’m that person and I count hiking as exercise. Cardio, glutes, and leg day all in one! Try it sometime. Plus you can’t beat the fresh air and nature views!

I discovered in conducting that personal experiment, that after the 30 days was over, I didn’t formally work out every single day; but instead because of loving how I felt from all the benefits of daily exercise, I kept a regular regiment that helped me to get into the best shape since I became a mom nearly a decade earlier.

This was in summer of 2018, on a hike we took in South Dakota. Check out those killer arms – I was proud of myself! And yes, as you can clearly see, the toddler gave me a run for my money on this trip.

Admittedly, now four years after having had the fourth child, or “The Great Reset” as we lovingly call him, I’ve fallen out of that good habit and I’m now working to get back to my best shape.

The lesson here is, habits are what help keep you balanced – every day! And what we do every day adds up – over time, for better, or worse.

So what are my top five daily habits now?

1. Quiet time & gratitude
2. Exercise
3. Writing
4. Social media
5. Self care

Let’s look at each of these – and what they really look like on a day to day basis – plus the ONE thing you can do to build your own good habits.

1. Quiet time & gratitude: If I never do any of my other daily habits, I make sure to do this one. My faith grounds me in everything I do. And gratitude re-centers my attitude and gives me the fresh perspective on what is most important to me. This looks like taking 30-45 minutes in the morning (after my kids are in school and daycare) to sit down, read, write in my journal, pray, listen quietly, reflect, sing along to worship music – or whatever else the Holy Spirit leads me to.
2. Exercise: By now, you know a little more about what I consider exercise – so even on days I don’t make it out to the gym, I enjoy taking a break in the middle of my day to get some fresh air. I’ll go for a walk with my dog, Gracie, and/or with Jason if he takes a break in his work day at the same time I do, or I’ll go for a jog at the park nearby.
3. Writing: Did you know – I’m working on my very first book! And that definitely requires dedication. But it’s not so overwhelming when I know all I need to do is write 250 words a day. And typically, if I sit down, even for 30 minutes to write, I find that many more words flow out of my fingers onto the screen. One tip that is definitely helping to keep me motivated and accountable is that I am part of a small writer’s group and we check in via Voxer to let one another know that we’ve done our writing for the day. It’s so encouraging and definitely inspires me if I haven’t yet written for the day and everyone else in the group is chiming in, saying they’ve gotten it done.
4. Social media: I am working on my social media game this year, and I am making an effort to post consistently! Right now, this looks like carving out time on Fridays to plan my posts for the next week. I’ll be hiring a VA soon and looking to automate this process a bit more, but I’m finding joy in discovering what topics are resonating with you most. (Feel free to DM me in IG if you have feedback – I welcome it!)
5. Self care: I’ve posted about this topic on my IG many times – because as wives, moms and entrepreneurs, it’s a lot to simply keep children alive, let alone take care of our own needs. But I firmly believe you can’t pour from an empty cup! So every day, I ask how I want to take care of myself. This can look like having an extra-long quiet time in the morning with (another) cup of coffee, taking a super hot shower, doing my nails, reading after dinner – while the boys unload the dishwasher, of course! – or a cold charcoal mask right before bed. It’s typically not something big, or fancy, but that’s not the point. The point is that I’m making a point to care for myself. And I want to encourage you to do the same!

So now that you’re utterly inspired to build your own good habit – you might be thinking – “How do I do that? What’s the first step?”

It’s simple, friend! Check out this Insta post to get the one simple step and then send me a DM to tell me what habit you’re building. I love to cheer you on!

If you haven’t hit that link yet, I’ll give you a hint here:

James Clear writes in his bestselling book, Atomic Habits, “It is easy to get bogged down trying to find the optimal plan for change: the fastest way to lose weight, the best program to build muscle, the perfect idea for a side hustle. We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action.”

The point? Simply take action. Today. Not tomorrow. Not eventually. Not SOMEDAY.

Make today your someday.

Guess what? You can start a good habit today!

Sign up for my free Re-Boot Your Goals Camp – where over the next 90 days you’ll receive motivation and encouragement from me, plus one simple action you can take each week to re-focus on what matters to you, re-balance your life and re-ignite your goals in this season. I can’t wait to see you there!

Comment below with a habit you are working to build in your current season!