(This post was last updated on: 10/19/2024.) Can you believe that 2021 is only about a week away? I am trying to prepare so I start the year off with a bang. I want to hit the ground running! I am looking at my priorities, organizational systems, how I want to spend my time and how to be more productive. Along those lines I have reviewed the goals that I set for myself in 2020, most I achieved and a few that fell by the wayside. I have zeroed in on some goals to set for 2021 and that includes forming some new habits. Here are 21 Habits to Start in 2021!
If you feel stuck in a rut or are having a hard time narrowing down what you want to accomplish in 2021, here is a list of ideas for you. These are all habits that you could start in the new year. I would suggest picking 1 that you feel would have the biggest impact on your life and develop a plan on how to turn your idea into a habit.
If you plan to make too many changes in your life all at one time, you will probably end up accomplishing nothing. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Start with one new habit and when you feel that you have fully incorporated the first one into your daily routine, add another.
So you have your primary new habit you want to start picked out. Think about how you will actually be able to accomplish this; will it be all at once or do you need to break it up into small steps? There is no shame in starting small. Write it down if you need to and celebrate small accomplishments along the way.
Experts seem to disagree on how long it takes to establish a new habit, but 30 days seems pretty realistic. If you can implement your plan for 30 days, afterwards your new habit should be ingrained in your daily routine. And hopefully to the point that you won’t really have to think about it anymore, it will just come naturally. This would be the point in time to begin on habit number two that you were interested in establishing for yourself in the new year.
21 New Habits to Start in 2021:
- Read daily. Doesn’t matter what or how, just read more. Check out our post on how to make reading a daily habit. Spoiler Alert: Use Amazon Audible– yes it counts as reading!
- Detox from social media every now and then. For tips, click here.
- Make yourself a priority with routine self care practices.
- Brain dump daily as part of your bedtime routine.
- Build up your long term storage pantry weekly during your routine grocery shopping.
- Spend more time outdoors. If you live in the Charlotte area, we have a list of 10 free outdoor activities in the area.
- Take the time each week to meal plan and to make a grocery list. Let us help get you started with our list of 100 dinner ideas.
- Schedule routine date nights with your partner. Get it on the calendar- so no excuses not to follow through.
- Set up a routine cleaning schedule. You can get the whole family involved. It can be small daily tasks, a weekly thorough cleaning or a monthly deep cleaning; whatever works for your household. Here are our simple cleaning tips.
- Get together with your gal pals more often for fun girls nights out.
- Look for opportunities to be more kind and giving to others.
- Declutter and organize your home to increase your overall productivity.
- Set goals for yourself and create an action plan to achieve your goals- no matter how small.
- Find organizations in your local community where you could volunteer some time on a regular basis. My best tip is to find an organization that really speaks to your heart and that you have a personal connection with.
- Listen to podcasts while you are driving instead of the same music station over and over again. I downloaded the free Google Podcasts app onto my android phone and I have found a bunch of awesome podcasts.
- There are lots of ways to make your morning routine better and more productive. This could incorporate a few new daily habits for you in the new year.
- Take care of your skin by establishing a good daily skin care regimen that includes sunscreen.
- Eat breakfast every morning. If you have to eat on the run, you can prep fruit smoothie freezer packs. These will make your mornings easier and prevent you from going through that fast food drive thru.
- Make your bed every morning. This is so simple yet so effective.
- Use a planner daily to keep all of your appointments and obligations on track. It doesn’t matter if it is electronic or paper; whatever works best for you.
- Take time to reflect on your day, the good, the bad and the ugly. What lessons did you learn? What takeaways from the day’s activities can you use to have a better tomorrow? This could be via meditation, bullet journal, talking to your partner over dinner; however you can fit it into your daily schedule.
What new habits are you planning on working on in the new year? Will you try any of the ones mentioned in our 21 new habits to start in 2021 list? What are your best tips for forming new healthy habits and stopping old unhealthy habits? Leave a comment below with your suggestions and tips & tricks. I love to read your feedback and recommendations!
Don’t Miss These Great Blog Posts:
- 20 Habits to Start in 2020
- How to Make Reading a Habit
- Why Detoxing from Social Media is Good
- How to Finish the Year Strong
- Why You Should Brain Dump Every Night
- Personal Development Challenges
- 5 Ways to Simplify Your Life
- 10 Simple Productivity Tips
- Easy Spring Cleaning Tips
- Goal Setting Tips for 2020
