After many weeks of attempting to tackle my bad habits, I can confidently say there has been a noticeable change! The primary bad habits I focused on were not drinking enough water and putting things off for later. I started being more conscious of my water intake and whenever something came to mind, I’d write it down to remember and make an attempt to finish it that day. I’ve gotten a lot done and have stayed hydrated while doing it, so it’s been a healthy personal goal to focus on.
I’ll be continuing this personal challenge in the coming weeks as the weather continues to get hotter and my classes begin again. It’s good to stay hydrated and I notice a difference in the quality of my work and my work ethic when I am dehydrated. For now, I’ve got a few weeks of experience to share & a refreshing new drink that I enjoy in the summer.
Goal #1: Getting Enough to Drink Every Day
My first goal was to start drinking more water as it’s easy for me to forget about and it is especially important to stay hydrated in the summertime.
I work my best when hydrated, so I always keep a bottle on my desk, and a mug nearby for tea. It’s helpful to keep a larger jug beside my desk to refill my smaller bottle and save a few trips to the fridge.
I’ve also been keeping water with me in bed by keeping it on my nightstand. It’s refreshing if I wake up in the middle of the night and is perfect for waking me up in the morning. I enjoy having it first thing in the morning and usually if I get some early on, I remember to drink plenty throughout the rest of my day.
I have never had any issue with how water tastes, but I know some people don’t like drinking it as much as vitamin water, soda, coffee, or tea. If you find it hard to stay hydrated for this reason, try one of my summer refreshers! My personal favorite is the Black Raspberry & Lemon Mocktail, but this is a series in the making, so check out the RECIPES page for more drink inspiration!
Goal #2: Stop Putting Things Off for Later
Putting things off for later is pretty easy as a student who works from home. I don’t have to worry about getting everything done before leaving class or leaving the office because my own room is my office. It’s got its benefits, but it also enables me to push things off until the last minute. Thus, the second focus of this challenge was decided.
So as a challenge, I started doing things immediately after thinking of them. If I remembered I have clothes I wanted to wash today, boom, they’re now in the wash and I won’t forget to take care of that now. Does my email need cleaning out? Good thing I remembered it while I wasn’t doing anything of importance, so I can take a moment to finish that up.
It’s that easy! Take care of things when they first come to mind rather than hoping you’ll remember the ever-growing list of to-dos.
This challenge has helped me a lot. I don’t feel like I have all these things I wanted to accomplish that didn’t get done. I can get carried away while making a to-do list, so using my time more intentionally has helped a lot to lessen the load. I have been giving myself more credit for all the little things I do throughout the day and I tend to get more done now.
Sharing my to-do lists on my Instagram story has been a great way to share daily goals. Many of the smaller tasks like folding laundry or replying to emails can be done in short bursts. I have bigger goals like projects and longer tasks that I share as reminders of what I anticipated that day to be like. There’s nothing wrong with not achieving all of my goals, but it feels good to cross things off my list.
Some things you can probably do right now that will declutter your life:
- Empty the receipts from your wallet
- Delete spam emails
- Check your inbox & reply as needed
- Clear notifications
- Delete photos without meaning
- Organize your desk/workspace
- Empty the trash or recycle
- Make your bed
- Update your calendar/planner
- Listen & delete old voicemails
- Fold some laundry and put away
- Clear off your nightstand
- Wipe down the bathroom counter
- Wipe down mirrors and screens
Read my blog post on How I Stay Organized as a Full-Time Blogger & College Student
Even if it seems like a meaningless task, it’s making a change. I have been setting aside 30 minutes in the morning to get daily tasks done that might otherwise slip my mind. Making my bed is a must, followed by tossing clothes in the wash if necessary. I like folding laundry in the morning as it’s a calming task that allows me to listen to a podcast or watch my favorite YouTubers while I work. I also tend to check my email and social media notifications in the morning while I eat breakfast.
I felt motivated to set Pinterest goals for myself in June and have been taking time *almost* every day to take photos for that platform. I have grown several thousand monthly viewers because I told myself to just go for it! I’ve had such success with it that I’m even writing an in-depth article about my goals and how I achieved them! I’ve been taking many progress pics on my analytics page which encouraged me to keep going, and it all started with this five-minute method of getting things done.
I highly recommend picking small tasks and working your way up throughout the day. Starting small often gives me the motivation to keep going until I find myself in a nice workflow. It’s refreshing to see my priorities shifting and getting more done every day without it feeling like extra work. What will you tackle today?
This challenge has made a noticeable change in my routine and has left me feeling more mindful. I have felt more motivated even by doing the simplest of tasks and I feel refreshed by the lifestyle change.
Not only has it improved my hydration and allowed me to get more chores done, but it has also made it feel like less work. Motivation is such a huge part of how I get things done and if I don’t have a good workflow, I find it easy to get off task and relax instead. This challenge was what I needed to shift my mindset about things and just start getting things done for myself.
It reminded me that my actions now are all working toward my future self and that she’ll appreciate it when it starts to pay off. I am happy with the changes that have been made over the past six or so weeks and I look forward to sharing more of these little moments on TUO Instagram with you!
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