Does This Habit Still Add Value?
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Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
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PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Does this Habit Still Add Value?
As I am sure you know by now, I am a huge James Clear fan. Every week, James (I feel he wouldn’t mind if I call him James) sends out his 3-2-1 Newsletter. In this newsletter, he includes thoughts, ideas and questions that often lead me to valuable insights.
One question that I found valuable and often use in my day-to-day is:
"Does this habit still serve me or am I blindly following an old routine?"
- James Clear
Getting Started
There have been a lot of changes in my life in the past six months.
I moved from NYC to Niskayuna, NY.
I bought a house.
I went form being single to being responsible for a sweet, energetic 9 year-old girl.
Needless to say, I had a lot of habits, routines and responsibilities that I needed to reflect on.
Let's look at this in two ways:
Is this a habit that adds value, but no longer fits into my current routine?
OR
Is this a habit that is no longer adding value, but is simply a part of my routine?
Go ahead - read that again.
Is there a habit in your life that has added substantial value, but is no longer part of your daily/weekly routine?
In a prior Project of the Week Newsletter, we spoke about the value of One Sentence Journals. I find it both motivating and centering to take a few minutes in the morning to write out my personal and professional mission and my dreams. This helps me remember my why and think big.
After becoming a parent, my morning routine needed to shift. For the first few weeks, letting go of journaling was an easy way to save time in the morning. However, I could feel the difference. The mornings were go-go-go without a moment to think.
After spending a few minutes reflecting on my schedule, I realized that I could take those few moments, after dropping my daughter off at school, to drink my coffee and journal.
Now, this is one of my favorite parts of my day.
By being thoughtful about how to add this back into my schedule, I didn't have to reduce my sleep and I still have quality time in the morning with my daughter, while having breakfast and getting ready for school.
Is there a habit that you do routinely, without even thinking about it, but that is no longer adding value?
This question is equally as important.
The best part about forming new habits is that you don't have to think about them.
The potential downside is that because you don't have to think about them, you may continue with a habit long after it's usefulness wears off.
One of the amazing benefits of buying a house was that I now have a washer, dryer and dishwasher in the house. For anyone not from NYC, these are luxuries most NYC apartments don't have. Crazy, I know!
In NYC, there were washers and dryers in my building's basement. However, they were industrial grade and it was not uncommon for items to get damaged. I created the new habit of washing all my good clothes on delicate, in individual laundry bags, and then hang drying them in my shower. I know, it sounds crazy, but I never lost another item!
When I moved into my house, I found myself still putting those clothes in laundry bags and then hanging them in the basement to dry. Thankfully, I had a light bulb moment. I realized that now I could go back to only putting delicate clothing in individual laundry bags and only hang drying items that are not supposed to go in the dryer. You wouldn't believe how much time this saved!
Breaking the habit of hand washing all my dishes has been more comical. I love having a dishwasher. I intend to use it for all my dishes. Yet, I will catch myself hand-washing a dish, despite the dishwasher being right there. It's ironic how much I don't like doing dishes and yet how many times I still catch myself hand washing a dish.
Is there a habit in your life that you want to reimplement or is there a habit in your life that has outlived is usefulness?
We would love to hear about it!
Additional Resources
Interested in learning more about James Clear’s newsletter? Click here!
Ready to Get Started?
If you feel excited about implementing this strategy and want some additional accountability and support to get started, the It’s All in the Planning Starter Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.