#Habit Building

[lovedovechels]

Digital Detox and Self-prioritization

You`re endlessly doom-scrolling on your phone. Your thumb glides from Facebook to Twitter to Tik Tok then to Instagram and back to Facebook again, all within an hour. You scroll until you're consumed with feelings of anxiety, envy, and fleeting bursts of joy. You scroll until you`re overpowered by the desire to be someone else, doing something else and YOU CAN BE! This desire is easily achievable when you put your phone down, take a break from social media, and start living in the real world! I should know, I was just like you once.

I was the girl with a daily screen-time of over ten hours. My life was sedentary, and I was always plagued by envy and bitterness towards the people on social media who seemed to have their life together and were out being exciting people who did exciting things. 

I remember one evening I was carrying out my normal routine of doom-scrolling when I was bushwhacked by a migraine so crippling that it drew a family member`s attention. After relaying my ache to them, they humorously suggested it was probably because of my phone. 

This was my epiphany. Their joke was right- I was spending too much time on my phone and while trying to ignore my pounding head, I recalled all the hours I spent bent over my phone, bleary-eyed and envious of the life of content creators and micro-influencers. 

I recalled watching gym content and admiring these creators' progress while not having the faintest idea of the last time I worked out. 

I used to dedicate my time to passionately responding to comments in defense of celebs who did not know of my existence. I did not once dedicate this same level of commitment and dedication to my passions. 

I posted pictures of myself and religiously compared the likes, views, and comments I garnered to those of my mutuals. I tried to maintain a curated online image that was disingenuous to who I was- heck, I barely knew who I was without the influence of social media.  

This enlightenment (and my migraine lol) shook me to my core. I had to do something fast. I deleted my Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok. Since going offline, I`ve had a multitude of free time which I`ve dedicated to self-prioritization and improvement.  

I`ve since fallen into the habit of : 

Creating to-do lists so that my days are productive. 

Picking up new hobbies (blogging via Tumblr, painting, and writing) 

Reconnecting with old hobbies (Reading; so far, I`ve read two books from @kelseytheballerina ‘Digital Minimalism’ reading list). 

Dedicating time and energy towards being more organized and efficient (completing tasks without the temptation to check my phone or the distraction of incoming notifications that require me to update, share, or respond).  

Trying new recipes and cooking more

Gardening (I am currently growing Spinach)

Consistently exercising (working out between 30 minutes to 1 hour) 

Learning a foreign language (Eu falo portugues!) 

Deciding to engage in Bible Study and Quiet Time  

Since deleting social media, I`ve experienced so much personal growth. I feel more self-directed. My life was waiting to be lived and enjoyed just beyond the glare of a screen and I`ve since embraced it and reclaimed my time and made myself a priority. I am finally figuring out who I am, AND YOU SHOULD TOO! 

[draindiary]

The DRAIN Diaries

Over these past 8 months, I feel like I have made little to no progress. It's not the fault of anyone but my own, and I want to change that. Over and over, I thought, "Damn. I wish I had stuck with it earlier. I wish I had started last week. I would have been in a much better place right now if I had." Until I read this quote:

"The best time to plant that tree was 10 years ago. The second best time is now."

It made me realize that if I just quit beating myself up about not starting earlier, I would have started earlier. But I was also lacking one very important thing, and that is…

Accountability.

I've been using trackers, but that hasn't helped me stay on track. It started to feel like I was a lost cause, and I still feel that way, but I don't want to give it all up without ever really trying. So, that's why I'm going to start publicly documenting my journey so I can stay accountable. I was thinking of doing YouTube, but with the process of editing and all that, it felt like a hassle, so I'm going to do it here (even though I'm not sure about documenting it here either). Maybe someday I'll do YouTube, but I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

When starting to think of a title for this, I thought of the word "drain," which was my Instagram name. It has a bit of meaning behind it for me: 1) my real name starts with a D, and 2) I love the rain. That was simply it until I decided to make this diary. And it has a nice ring to it.

D - stay Disciplined R - Reflect A - take Action and be consistent I - Improve 1% more every day N - Nurture yourself

These are what I'm striving to live by each day. I know I'm not going to be perfect, and I'm learning to be okay with that.

That concludes this entry.

Time to take action.

August 21, 2024 | 1:53 am

[bigenderrevert]

I'm going to start making a habit of performing the acts of Wudu that way I can get more accustomed to it as it gradually becomes a more regular thing I do as part of my day to day life

And of course it is Ramadan which is a time for building good habits

[dnschmidt]

How to Achieve a Daily Writing Habit

Before you can master the art of writing, you first have to master the habit. Whether you want to write professionally or as a hobby, the best way to build your skills is to write every day. Read on to learn how to start a daily writing habit.

[rainyfestivalsweets]

8/24/24

Mmk. Progress is a 5k Friday and making it to a Sat morning Cardio & Coffee run at a local park.

Did I need to leave before I like to be awake on a weekday? Yes.

Did I make it? Yes.

Here are a couple recent meals and a workout shot.....

The brownie in the middle of the night was probably unnecessary. But it happened so I had to document it.

The trail run today was actually 2.4 miles, I started the tracker a little late.

I am now at my nephew's football game where I have a home made sf smores coffee, a waterloo water, a beef stick & a turkey stick.

[solveprogrammingproblems]

3 Habits That Can Change Your Life

[we-are-the-memers-mr]

neurodivergent-friendly advice on forming habits for creatives (& anyone, really) - with photos

Habits marked with ⭐ are the most important ones, imo.

A good way to build habits that you don't read in books is to make the habit desirable. You can look up the other methods (Atomic Habits and other similar books are great).

But for this one, if you're anything like my neurodivergent mentally ill butt you need things to be desirable in some way to get you to do them.

So what does desirability mean?

It means that it makes you want to do it, with energy and enthusiasm! Or at least not hate the task and yourself and everyone and everything! Something desirable for a habit may include:

Organized

Goblin tools link - https://goblin.tools

The best way to ensure you can perform a habit is to make it EASY. The best way to make it easy is to be organized. Yes this is difficult but you'll get better over time and it'll pay off with dividends of you being very likely to Do The Thing (tm) if you combine this with a few other things on this list (plus the normal habit formation stuff, but honestly loving what you do will make you way more likely to do it than tying it to another habit!).

⭐Put it somewhere easy to access that you can get to EASILY every day, preferably something you already have a habit of going to, e.g. your desk or your lounge room.

⭐Organize your digital files! Here's an example:

^ art (main folder)

^^ (subfolder, 1 folder deep) anatomy

^^^ (subfolder, 2 folders deep) female anatomy

^^^^ (subfolder, 3 folders deep) female torso...

^^^ (subfolder, 2 folders deep) male anatomy

^^^^ (subfolder, 3 folders deep) male torso...

Etc, etc.

Tl;dr (non technical speak): make a folder within a folder for each aspect of your project/task.

📂Every once in a while (can be weekly, monthly, 6 monthly, etc.) sort out your digital files. If you're no longer using that folder, put it in either a "not currently in use" folder to use again later, or if you're done with it, put it in an archive, on either your computer or (preferably) on a hard drive for safe keeping.

📂I have a "quick access" folder with all the folders I'm currently using in it. This is so all I need to do is find the quick access folder and this way I don't have to sort through a sea of dozens of random folders to find the useful ones. This is also good because there are some windows folders you can't relocate and they sit there taking up space and making it visually more cluttered. Note: Be sure to back up your important folders once every week to 3 months.

📂If you want to go super advanced, there are desktop folder kits on Etsy (and perhaps some free ones? though be careful with downloading random things, you may get a virus). They make the folders look aesthetic.

📂Personally, I use either Obsidian or Notion, depending on what I'm doing (usually Obsidian). I recently installed Askify, which can connect to both. Cool thing about it is that you can add notes from any site on the net including YouTube, it takes screenshots for you, and grabs a timestamp as well as being able to summarise the past 15 seconds of the video for you (though it usually just types what the person said, but this can be helpful). It's $3.50 AUD a month, but Obsidian and Notion are free so you can just use those if you can't afford it.

📂⭐Keep the space you're working in as tidy as you can manage. Try to make a habit of every night taking all dishes and empty drinks into the kitchen before you go to sleep.

📂⭐If you have your own space, don't be afraid to rearrange it! I recently rearranged my entire apartment and using my own cleaning advice - if you haven't used it in the past 6 months, consider chucking it out (if it's not expensive), if it doesn't make you happy, earn you money, and isn't useful regularly in some way, chuck it out - and now I'm 100x more physically comfortable, especially because I have an air conditioner next to me now near where I both work and sleep. If you have trouble visualising, try using a website to do so or draw it on paper until it feels right. Pro tip: you don't have to throw away everything, you can also donate it to an op shop/charity/homeless shelter that accepts donations if it's still usable, or you can sell it if it's high-ish quality and worth something.

📂⭐*If you can't do it today, then put it on your to-do list for tomorrow. Keep transferring unfinished tasks to tomorrow until your list is free from tasks.

📂⭐Generally good advice, especially for neurodivergents (but everyone needs to know!): take a dang break every once in a while! If you find yourself getting frustrated with something, take a break, possibly until tomorrow.

... If you have to do it today, do something to break it up, e.g. a nap or a shower. After this, give it a little while to keep cooling off if you still feel bad, then go back to the task.

... If it's something you have more time to do, stop doing it when it stops being fun/enjoyable. If you don't get fun/enjoyment out of it to begin with, stop when it's no longer interesting. Stop BEFORE you get to the point where you're pushing yourself. That is how you make yourself hate whatever you're doing and get a massive block from doing the task. Trust me, I didn't write a story for over 3 years after writing every single day because I pushed myself to the point it was frustrating to do and forced myself to keep going. Not worth it, wish I hadn't.

Sight

⭐Especially good for creative and visual types, like people who like art, design, front-end web devs, game devs, animators, writers etc.⭐

🎨Aesthetically pleasing - e.g. plugins that can change the aesthetic of programs. A good example is the extremely extensive library of plugins and themes available for Obsidian, all free to install. You can also get aesthetic Notion templates, too, but they often cost money (though you can find free ones on the official Notion template website!).

🎨Some aesthetic program add-ons include: the extensive free plugin/theme library for Obsidian (you can even connect it to back up to GitHub for free, though it's very technical) and aesthetic Notion templates - here's a link to where you can find free ones (there are other categories, too, not just for productivity) - https://www.notion.so/templates/category/personal-productivity?paid=free -------- If you want a link to my Etsy store to buy a nice looking aesthetic Notion template for university students (or a different special one just for design students!) for cheap that has better features than the free ones, go here: https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/PointyBirdDesigns?ref=seller-platform-mcnav§ion_id=47390214

🎨Nice colours that you like.

🎨Nice shapes - e.g. your office has a circular painting that you love the shape of (and it makes you happy to look at it).

🎨Nice visual texture - e.g. you're writing a book - consider doing it in a program that has unlimited pages and has a paper texture in the background with no ads or distractions (and can go full screen).

Smell

👃If you're not sensitive to perfumes, spraying a nice scent whenever you do the habit could make you feel happier. You may even start to associate the task with that nice smell.

👃Make sure the area you're working in smells nice. Bad smells can be major subconscious distractions.

Sound

🙉The object associated with your habit makes a satisfying sound, e.g. for writing you might want a certain type of keyboard, like a mechanical keyboard that makes a satisfying "thunk" with each key press and makes you feel like a professional writer. Some browsers like Opera GX (not sponsored) also allow you to add typing sounds directly to the browser, so if you can't afford a nice keyboard but still want a satisfying sound you might want to try that if you're doing a lot in your browser. Otherwise, iirc, there are also writing programs that might do something similar (you'll have to look for them yourself, I can't remember sorry).

🙉⭐You can use things for background noise while you're doing the task if you either have it down really low or you don't need to hear your recordings for it. E.g. for editing a video you can play very soft instrumental music (I don't recommend anything with words, it'll confuse you when they mix with your audio), or if you're doing something like sorting through paperwork you can put on whatever type of music you like or even a twitch or youtube vod/stream on while you're doing it. It sacrifices a tiny bit of optimal brainpower, but you'll likely be less bored and be able to do the task for longer so it'll likely even out, and if you're concerned, you can often do polishing touches at the end to make sure your work is good.

🙉Headphones can go a long way for focus in busy places. Noise cancelling ones can help a lot if you have the cash.

Tactile

🤗*Generally you want to be physically comfortable when performing your habit. If you can afford it/can save up and it's causing you discomfort, try to replace it. A good place to find quality furniture for cheap is your local tender centre. Sometimes op shops are good options, but they're usually more expensive. I found an amazing ergonomic chair for $100 that was worth about $500 - $600. Good things come along sometimes, just keep looking.

🤗If it's something that requires you to go outside and you can afford it, try investing in a few nice outfits to make yourself feel more confident for days when you're feeling less motivated.

🤗⭐If you're neurodivergent or sensitive to textures, make sure before you buy something that you can run your hand along it many times and not feel awful. Honestly, everyone should do this. We all have preferences.

🤗⭐Don't ignore things that make you feel uncomfortable! Why? Because in my experience it's a bit like in video games - these things stack up like debuffs. What I'm saying is, it may not be a big thing to have bright lights hurting your eyes, but if you have bright lights, an uncomfortable chair, and your environment isn't clean, this can be sensory hell, especially for neurodivergents. Write down the things that make you uncomfortable and fix as many as possible, one by one. Don't end up like your neglected sims who are very talented but are completely and utterly miserable because you don't fix the things that are bothering them and don't fulfil their basic needs!

🤗⭐If it bothers you, fix it as soon as you can. It's easy to let little annoyances pass, but just like when a sim does something they dislike, your tolerance for it will be grated until you feel absolutely awful and/or snap. This goes for things as little as your room being too cold (get a blanket or if you can afford it and have one, put the heater on!) or too hot. Do NOT screw around with things you can fix in under 2-30 minutes. If you can fix it in under 2 minutes, do it right now. If you can fix it in under 10 minutes, write it down and do it today. For the rest, add it to either a weekly, monthly, or some day to-do list. Scheduling it for a certain period of time makes it more likely to get done, though. If you're like me and can't do something when you force yourself to or are told you have to, just schedule it to be done within a certain week or month. No pressure.

Feeling

💜⭐A good rule of thumb is that you've achieved desirability when you feel excited to do the habit. If this excitement ever wears off, try mixing and matching other ways of building desirability or changing something about the habit, e.g. the prompt (see habit building books or summaries for more info). Keep it fresh! Whenever you get bored, change things around.

💜⭐Listen to your emotions. Emotions are the body's way of communicating things with you, whether it be about your environment or about your body or mental state. Sure, some are irrational, but every emotion has a story to tell. Try listening. Don't push your emotions down, learn to process them. If you don't know how, a therapist can help.

Bonus note:

Don't spend beyond your means! If you can't afford it, don't buy it! I am not telling you to go out and spend as much as you can on these things. Mid-range is usually the best bang for your buck, and can often be found for cheap in op shops and tender centres, as I said.

Good luck! If you have any bonus tips feel free to reblog this post or comment and add them!

[reuasble-cottonpad]

𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝓎𝑒𝒶𝓇, 𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝓂𝑒 ‧̍̊˙· 𓆝.° ｡˚𓆛˚｡ °.𓆞 ·˙‧̍̊

starting new year i embarked on a 90 day long journey to improve myself.

it's spiritual in nature but i see how this could easily become a way of life for someone (me), who wasn't used to structure growing up and is more familiar with chaos, which i got used to, but living like that can be extremely tiring.

"how we spend our day is how we spend our life." - annie dillard

after first week what inspired me the most, was how easy it was to wake up. the so called "heroic minute" demands you wake up within the minute your alarm goes off. as someone who used to be a big snoozer and set up multple alarms in the morning "just in case", this made a big difference. to have one alarm and have a guarantee you will wake up, you also need a proper amount of sleep. 7 sounds like a good number, which i find rests me well enough.

after i wake up i find meditating 20 - 30 minutes refreshes me and gives me a sense of calm throughout the day. it grounds me and gives me a sense of presence. for that reason i decided to not use my phone during the lectures and give my full attention to my professor, which is basic respect as everyone likes to be heard. i find the material mostly interesting and the fact that our class never surpasses more than 25 people, makes it easier for me.

this first week after new year was quite successful, i hope i can keep it up for another so many days, but even hold these new habits after the time quota will be surpassed.

[izzyspussy]

PLAN WITH ME November 2022 Bullet Journal Set Up | Bats Theme + Weekly Habit Building Tracker

I can't believe it's November already! Did everyone have a good Halloween/Samhain?

In this set up I've got a calendar page with my monthly checklist, featuring my Patreon rewards. Then a two-month future log, sleep tracker, and habits and mood tracker. Then the project management spread I started using last month. And finally the dailies, and some bat doodles!

Pledge to my Patreon to get postcards, stickers, and more!

Get an Archer & Olive notebook with my affiliate link here.

[stupidhike]

I don't know if this is anything. But it feels like something.

Left is the before Duolingo released a phone widget to help give you an immediate visual reminder of whether or not you had done it that day. Pictured right is after. You can see the exact moment I installed that widget.

I don't know if they wanna just give me my ADHD diagnosis now or....

[draindiary]

I'm tired of wanting more.

I want to know more. That's what went through my mind when I was starting to get into self-improvement. I wanted to know the best routines, the best study methods. I wanted to know the best workout routines. I wanted, I wanted, I wanted. I wanted to buy this book and that book, to buy a new journal, clothes, skincare products, decor, workout clothes, equipment, courses. I wanted her makeup, hair, aesthetic. I wanted to be living here and there. I wanted to be happy. But most of all, I wanted more time. I wished I had more time. More time to learn, to read, to lay around in silence while watching my thoughts and feelings as if they were passing clouds in the sky, and more time to waste.

I was listening to a playlist and a song came up—A Burning Hill by Mitski. The line "I'm tired of wanting more. I think I'm finally worn" was a wake-up call for me.

When I first heard it, it made me realize how tired I was of constantly wanting more than I already had. I never fully realized how exhausting it was. I already had all that I needed. All those things are great and all, but I don't need them right now. I have books that are collecting dust, waiting to be read. I still have perfectly good journals that still have empty pages to be filled in. I can work out in my PJs without any equipment. I don't need to know the best routines or courses. I have all that I need at this present moment.

As for time, I still want more of it. I regret the days that were wasted. They were wasted dwelling on "what ifs" and meaningless tasks. I quoted this in my previous entry, but it's a quote that I take everywhere with me: "The best time to plant that tree was 10 years ago. The second best time is now." Instead of wasting away, wanting to go back and start again, wishing I had done things sooner, I turn to this quote. I started to learn a new language after years of wishing I had started earlier. I'm starting to write. I'm starting to learn to cook better. Instead of wishing for more time, I just start. Even if it's hard at first, I try to do a little every day.

I'm now more content with how my life is. All that time wasted on wanting made me blind to all the blessings I have. My life is not perfect, and there's still a lot to be done in other parts of my life, but I'm still grateful.

For the first time ever, I'm content with just being me.

August 24, 2024 | 1:05 am

[journey-of-success]

10-Week Summer Habit Challenge Update #7

This Week: Hygiene Routine

Honestly, this week did not go as well as I'd hoped. Lots of socialization Thursday and Friday kept me busy for those two days, and I was completely wiped Saturday. Like, "do a couple hours of work at my desk, start dozing at 4pm, then pass out and sleep until 11am the next morning" kind of wiped.

So yeah, that was going great.

Here's hoping I can rebound and come back from this easily enough.

Next Week: Meal Planning

I kind of dabbled in this already, having a handful of specific things in mind when I got groceries on Thursday.

Unfortunately, with two weeks between grocery trips, I picked the wrong week to really try and do anything with this. Oh well, I can still plot things out that I want to make, and try to work with the same kinds of ingredients. It'll just be better off next week when I'm actually putting a grocery list together.

[animakis]

How to Overcome Procrastination and Take Control of Your Life in 5 sec!

Do you often find yourself procrastinating on tasks you know you need to do? Do you struggle to take action on your goals? This simple yet powerful rule has helped millions of people worldwide, today we will explore the benefits of the 5 Second Rule and how you can apply it to your own life. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. … Lets Go! The 5 Second Rule is a simple, yet powerful tool that can be used to overcome…

[lucilyre]

Four apps to help you build habits!

[c2e1-book]

Transform Your Life with "Atomic Habits" – Free Audiobook!

Struggling to build positive habits or break bad ones? "Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" by James Clear is a must-listen for anyone looking to make lasting changes in their life. This audiobook offers practical, science-backed strategies that show you how small, consistent habits can lead to extraordinary results over time.

Whether you're aiming to boost productivity, improve health, or find more balance in your daily life, Atomic Habits provides clear steps to help you reach your goals. The easy-to-follow advice makes building good habits achievable and breaking bad ones possible.

And here’s the best part—you can get it for free on Audible! Start your journey toward success today by clicking the link below:

🎧 Listen to Atomic Habits for $0.00 here.

Don’t wait—unlock the power of tiny habits to create big change!

[dnschmidt]

How to Stop the Excuses and Read Every Day

When I’m getting to know someone, I ask what they like to read. Unfortunately, this sometimes gets an embarrassed reaction, with people mumbling some excuse about why they haven’t picked up a book since high school. Generally, most people seem to wish they read more, but just can’t seem to make it happen.

A lot of people say they want to read every day, but life seems to get in the way. Let’s take a look at some of the most common excuses and how to eliminate them. With a little work and focus, anyone can build a daily reading habit.