Fancy sharing your 'atomic habits'* for inspiration for a September reset?

[LadyMaria]

Hello everyone

I love a clean slate and making resolutions. I've been making (and breaking) resolutions since I was little. I always considered September to be a second January, and in that spirit, I want to take advantage of the fresh-start atmosphere that comes with the back-to-school season. My goal is to start implementing small changes that will help me reorganise my life and regain the sense of control that I absolutely crave.

I'm here to ask you lovely ladies to please share with me (and anyone interested in doing the reset) the tiny changes that helped you start transforming your lives for the better.

• Atomic Habits

I think I might try a few of these.

What a great thread! Following for inspiration.

Love the idea of September as a fresh start.

I've noted a few things from prior posts that I'll be adopting - in particular getting out outfits for the week ready in advance. Here's mine:

Folding laundry straight away. I refuse to iron, but careful drying and immediate folding means it's not necessary.

I keep a notebook in my bag at all times (and several pens).

Check who I'm feeding BEFORE I do the online grocery shopping. The kids are at their dad's a couple of evenings and EOW, and I kept having to throw or freeze loads of perishable stuff because I had ordered as if I was feeding them too.

Will watch for more.

I hate ironing and I do it only when I really have to. Do you use a dryer?

Do you do your Duolingo without speaking, or do you sit there on the train saying random sentences in a foreign language ?

Loving these suggestions.
Great thread @LadyMaria
I will have a think & come back!

I am appallingly disorganised and have to have a routine for everything otherwise it all goes to shit. I love a September start too. Kids back at school, I used to be a teacher too so haven't got out of the teacher year mindset. New diary.
When I'm in a routine, I have a basic cleaning routine in the morning from the organised mum and do a 5 minute kitchen wiped own and dishwasher unload while the kettle boils then sit outside with my first cup of coffee and my diary and write out a to do list of tasks home and work. I firstly look at the previous day and anything not done migrates over then write out new tasks. The Tomm patreon has a meal planning thing I do weekly too- 10 mi uses checking cupboards, 10 minutes meal planning from stock, 10 minutes doing the online shop. That last bit always takes longer but I do it every Thursday for Saturday delivery.

At the beginning of the year i cleared one bag to the bin and one bag to charity every week, it really helped me get a handle on our overflowing stuff everywhere. September will see me having alternate Mondays off work so I have been making a list of jobs for my 'magic Mondays' to get some things done round the house

My daily habits are things like- pint of water every morning and last thing at night, meal prep and planning my shopping and menu. I've bought some really nice 2 compartment meal trays to make 'ready meals' and I'm going to bake the children's snacks rather than buying individually wrapped snacks.

Other things i want to do;
Screen time detox and come off social media
Sort my wardrobe

I love a September refresh!

I use a really basic app called Goal Setter which allows you to create tick boxes for each day so you can track your habits. They say if you keep a habit for 40 days you keep it for life.

I use an app which used to be called 7 minutes but it now called workouts for women and has 7min+ exercise routines - i try and do a morning stretch and better back Basic pilates every morning.

I try and cycle to work three days a week.

I make a chicken and veg soup on a sat or sun and use it for work lunches.

I always make our bed in the morning and try and tidy up and put tue dishwasher on before bed. We clean the kitchen after dinner.

I'm currently -spring- summer cleaning and hoping i can stay on top of it all!

The 2 most life changing habits I have implemented in the last year are
Drink 3 litres of water a day
Do an hour of yin yoga before bed.

The difference that one has made to my pain levels and my flexibility is amazing.

Other habits I've had for years,
Clean sink and toilet after shower or bath
Clean as I cook
Put washing in the machine before bed so I just need to press play in the morning
Stand outside in bare feet for at least 5 minutes a day, preferably on grass.

Something I stole from MN- the night before bin day, before you drag it out, if there is any space in the bin, go round the house/ garage and chuck anything that needs chucking and can't be recycled - like today I chucked DH's old snowboarding helmet (not allowed to donate) and some carpet samples ad a broken hose attachment. Otherwise it just builds up in the garage and necessitates a tip run.

I have severe ADHD, but these habits are some of the ones that I've managed to stick with.

I plan meals a week at a time. They're printed out on as a pretty menu and stuck on the kitchen wall - no extra work but makes me 😊. Plenty of last minute changes each week, but it makes life so much easier!

My children and I have clothes put out ready every night before going to bed. And bags packed or semi-packed. It seems to take less time in the evening than in the morning.

I have a tiny appointments diary to keep with me when I go out, and a giant A4 planner. Every Saturday I plan the week to come. Everything gets written in the planner including the time I need to leave the house for things, and therefore the time I need to start getting us all ready. And including food prep for the next day. I am more punctual and less forgetful than than ever before in my life.

I habitually make extra food and freeze in containers bought to fit my freezer well, so I can stack 9 meals for our family of 5 in each drawer. I couldn't afford that many containers, so once meals are frozen I briefly take them out of the freezer to remove, wrap and label them.

I put on a load of laundry, hang up a load of laundry, take down a load of laundry, and sort and put away a load of laundry every day except Sunday. Quite often two loads (young children, and 1.5 in nappies), but always one. Then it's never an intimidating job.

I am trying to turn my house from a hoarder's hideout to a place of order, calm and beauty 🤣. Every night (except Sunday) I try to get each room as tidy as it was before, and then try to do one thing to improve the house/organization/etc. So I still have chaotic drawers and even some chaotic rooms, but I'm making progress every day which is so psychologically helpful!

I try to ask myself for a number of meals and other activities each day "could I do this outside instead?". Healthier for us all.

Whenever I leave a room I try to take an item in the right direction towards it's home, even if that isn't all the way.

When I'm on the phone, I never sit. I gently potter and tidy.

When I walk into a room where my husband is, I usually touch him. And when I need to chat to him, I'll cuddle him. I know that would drive some people mad, but it makes him feel more loved and happier and is easy for me to do.

I stand on one leg to brush my teeth. And I do pelvic floor exercises when first in the car. Meant to make a habit of both for years and never managed it until I habit stacked it.

I love the idea of ensuring desk is clear and tidy every Friday - I’m going to try that one. Just cleared it out and buying some new desk tidy things to try and help - pen pot and in/ out tray for paper work rather than endless piles!!

I need to find a way to build in 3 lots of exercise a week. Monday and Thursday Joe Wicks does a live session which I find helpful it’s just making sure I do another one too.

@LadyMaria I do have a dryer, it's worth its weight in gold, but if the weather is suitable I do put washing on the line. Same rules apply though, it's only in the basket for the time it takes to bring it into the house, then it gets folded. (Put away is a different matter, I'm still working on that one.)

Oh I agree sunday planning is a game changer!

Before going to bed I always leave the living room tidy & fresh so it's welcoming to walk into the next morning.

I don't iron because I quickly remove clothes from the tumble dryer whilst still warm, smooth them out and put straight onto hangers. I reckon I have saved a few thousands hours of my time by doing this.

I tidy out my handbag every few days. Can't bear lugging a load of detrius around with me.

I always make sure kitchen is cleaned and tidied after the evening meal. Before I go to bed, I straighten cushions on the sofa and make sure everything is away so I don't come down to chaos in the morning. There are loads of great ideas here, I'm going to add them to my routine!

I use the Apple fitness app and keep a yoga mat under the bed. I roll out of bed onto the mat and do a range of 10 minute low impact workouts during the week (yoga / Pilates / core).

I actually find myself missing it at the weekend but can manage it as part of a working week routine. Also, 10 minutes goes really fast. I turn down the volume to 0 and just watch the videos (can't bear perky presenters) and just carry on listening to Radio 4 while I do it.

Placemarking for when I get my own home without a monster messer (stbx) but one thing I have been trying to do every evening is to drink water instead of snacking. Some evenings I drink nearly 2 pints, others it's just a small glass. On stress days it's lots of snacks 😬

Also doing tippy toes stretch when brushing my teeth as it helps keep plantar fasciitis at bay.

My mother always used to say make sure your house is tidy every night before bed, and make sure your bed is made before leaving the house. And it's what I try to do when X is away. Makes a huge difference. As does having that pile at top/bottom of stairs so you never go up/down without something in your hands.

For all those trying to develop their atomic habits, I have found this app to be excellent - and it's free.

You can install it on your desktop computer and your phone and it synchs, you can add recurring tasks, specific event / date tasks, synch with your calendar I believe, and so on and tick them off daily or weekly or however often you need to.

For example, I add in my annoying things as a daily task but just for one minute. It is so satisfying to tick them off and really keeps me on the straight and narrow for all the bad habits or sustaining the boring ones.

You can also make notes, lists, and tasks within tasks to break them down. Perfect for those who easily forget the next to do. It is so helpful for my brain when managing multiple projects.

https://ticktick.com/?language=en_US

I'd love to know what Yin classes you do! Is it something you follow online or your own practice?

I'm a work in progress too but here's what I'm trying to do -

Wake up 45 mins earlier and do a 15 min workout, read a work related article or book, check my diary and have a coffee.

Meal plan

Spend some 1 to 1 time with dc, even if it's 10 minutes just checking in with them.

Drink a glass of water every time I pee.

I have been trying to figure out a way to remember to take my medicine every morning. I've set alarms, put a post it note by my bed to remind me etc.

Then I realised I could stack it on to my one consistent habit - cleaning my teeth. So I always always always clean my teeth first thing so now I have the tablets next to my toothbrush. I'm three days in and it's working. Just need to remember to bring up a new filled pill box tomorrow!!

I'm amazed and impressed at all the water drinkers - but does the evening water not have you peeing all night???