What are a few things that you do day in and day out without fail? I’m not talking about the basics like waking up on the same side of the bed and brushing your teeth. I’m talking habits that are attached to your life like an anchor.
And not the kind of anchor that drags you down. More like the kind that keeps you grounded close to your home shore, so you don’t drift away into the land of bad habits.
Anchored. Just like a ship.
Whether you realize it or not, you perform certain daily habits that give your day a certain rhythm and cadence.
You may spend a quiet moment in bed before you rise, just meditating or thinking of your day ahead.
You may perform certain rituals such as reading, checking your email and social media feeds.
You may exercise. Make your favorite hot beverage or a smoothie.
Whatever it is, I guarantee you there are things that “anchor” your day that you don’t even think about.
Now imagine a world in which you have quite a few effective anchor activities that have made it into your daily schedule. Imagine how improved your life would be if it were to become a force of habit for you to:
- Rise Early Each Morning
- Work Out for 15 Minutes Immediately After
- Prepare a Healthy Breakfast
- Prep a Delicious Lunch and Healthy Beverage (smoothie, infused water, green tea etc)
- Clean Up and Leave the Kitchen in a Neat Fashion
- Get Dressed and Head to Work on Time (while leaving a load of laundry to run on delay)
- Get Back Home and Pop that Laundry in the Dryer
- Spend 15 minutes on a Cleaning/ Organizing Activity
- Prepare a Quick Pre-Planned Meal or Grab Something from a Crockpot you set up earlier
- Relax a Bit with an Activity of Your Choice
- Perform Your Personal Growth/ Productivity Activity of the Day (Read, Blog, Relationship Time)
- Prep for Bed and Get a Full Night’s Rest.
My goodness- I salivate at the thought of the improvements such a life would bring. I have pretty much laid out a day that would guarantee incremental progress towards getting organized, eating healthy and staying physically active.
Here are a few (just 4!) simple steps to making that kind of life a reality for you.
Your list can vary as much as you like from the one above, the key is to establish a list of “anchor” activities that provide progress towards your goals each day.
Tweet This1.Identify Your Core “Anchor” Values
You need to know what is important to you and why. This is the single most important step as your values will act as a compass to the kinds of habits you need to develop.
2.Sequence Your Day
Think from start to finish about how your days currently go. Where are the detours that take you away from the habits you really would want to develop? Do you spend too much time on the internet? Watch too much tv? Are you just too exhausted after work to cook?
3.Break Your Overwhelm into Small Parts
Start with simple changes. Break activities down to 2 or 5 minute increments so they don’t seem so monumental. Commit to changing just your morning routine in the beginning. That renewed sense of accomplishment will start you out with the feeling of winning and it will extend into your day in positive ways.
4.Keep At It
They say it takes at least 3 weeks to form a new habit. So keep at it. Do your one or two small things each day until they become a part of you.
Triumph over bad habits.
I am implementing these steps in my own life slowly but surely, as I try to build out my anchor activities that will have me living the kind of life I want to lead.
Will you commit to identifying and implementing your anchor activities? What are some of the roadblocks that get in the way and prevent your consistency?
The post How to Identify and Implement Your Daily Anchor Activities appeared first on Afford a Life.