29 New Habits To Try This New Year

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The new year is a great time to make some changes and I recommend starting with implementing some new habits.

Have you heard the saying: “It takes 21 days to implement a habit; it takes 90 days to make it part of your lifestyle”?

Think about that.

90 days is not that long, I mean it’s really only 3 months.

Meaning if you started a new habit at the beginning of the year, by the end of March it could be a part of your lifestyle.

What do I mean by a part of your lifestyle?

Think of it like this.

You snooze your alarm first thing in the morning. You don’t realize it but that muscle memory of hitting the snooze button every morning becomes a habit and before you know it, you’re doing that every single day!

It’s part of your lifestyle now.

So join me this year while we reprogram our brains to establish some new habits that can help propel us to our goals.

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Here are 29 New Habits to Try this New Year:

1. Daily Walk/Exercise

Try to get outside at least once a day and watch your mood improve.

2. Meditation

Meditation can help calm and focus your mind. You can practice by yourself or listen to a guided meditation.

3. Drink more water

Scientists say we should drink half our body weight in ounces of water every day. So if you weigh 140 lbs you should drink about 70 oz of water every day. Start the new year by getting in the habit of drinking more water.

4. Daily Gratitude

Write down 5 things you are grateful for every day.

5. Journal

Need help getting started journaling? Check out this blog post: How to Start a Journal

6. No Snooze Button!

Are you ready to finally break that snoozing habit? Grab your free “Snooze No-More” guide and follow my 5 steps to break that habit.

7. Make Your Bed

Start off your day with a small win, and it’ll make your room look 10 times cleaner.

8. Go to Bed Early and Wake Up Early

Try making a morning and evening routine to help engage these habits.

9. Fold Your Laundry Right Away

Don’t let your clothes sit around getting wrinkled, put everything away right away.

10. Lay out everything you need for the next day the night before

This helps make your mornings less stressful when you don’t have to make many decisions like what to wear.

Also, if you pack up your bag or purse the night before, you won’t be as stressed trying to remember what you need to grab.

Related: 10 Smart Things to Include in Your Bedtime Routine for an Easier Morning

11. Make a Weekly To-Do List

Every Sunday, take some time to go through what needs to be done this week.

The act of writing down what you have to do makes you more likely to do that thing. Plus you won’t forget it if it’s written down.

Related: 6 Sunday Habits to Have a Productive Week

12. Do a 10-Minute Clean Up Before Bed

Starting the day with a clean house reduces stress, and also reduces mental clutter when you’re trying to focus on an important task.

13. Clean Up as You Go

Don’t save all the cleaning for right before bed. You can’t do it all in 10 minutes. Clean as you go to reduce the time spent cleaning later.

14. Stretch or Do Yoga Before Bed

Stretching or doing yoga before bed can help relax your muscles before going to sleep making you fall asleep faster.

15. Wash Your Face Every Morning and Night

Gotta make sure to take care of your skin.

16. Keep a Notebook Nearby for Random Thoughts and Ideas

Brain dumping has become very popular lately. By keeping a notebook nearby you can quickly jot down (or brain dump) what’s on your mind. And then you can go back to what you were focusing on before.

Related: How to Brain Dump for Mental Clarity

17. Recite Affirmations Every Day

Reciting positive daily affirmations can help shift your mindset for the better.

Read more about affirmations on this blog post: What are Affirmations and How to Write Them

18. Start Your Week Off Right with a Sunday Routine

Check out this blog post for ideas: Things-To-Do on Sunday to Have a Productive Week

19. Get Outside Every Day

Your body needs that vitamin D, so get outside for at least 30-60 minutes a day or even just for a quick walk around the block with your dog. (That counts as your daily exercise too ?)

20. Do the Dishes Right After Dinner

Avoid the mess in the morning. Remember a clean space gives for a stress-free morning.

21. Listen to uplifting podcasts or books on audible on your way to work or while cleaning

I almost always listen to a personal development book or podcast on my way to school or work. It can be motivating to help start your day.

22. Look for the Positive Sides of Everything

Work on shifting to a more positive mindset this year. You won’t regret it!

23. Meal Prep Healthy Snacks

You’ll be more likely to reach for a healthy snack if it’s already prepared. For example, have some celery already cut up and divided out into portions for an easy grab.

24. Floss Your Teeth More Often

Your dentists always ask if you flossed regularly so why not actually set out to make a habit of it instead of sadly telling them no you don’t every time.

You’ll feel awesome when you can finally tell your dentist that yes you have been flossing regularly.

25. Schedule Some Self-Care Time Every Day

You don’t have to schedule a whole hour every day for a self-care bath. Just simply set aside 30 minutes to read your favorite book, or play a board game. Something to relax you after a long day.

Related: Self-Care Activities that won’t Break the Bank and Self-Care Books

26. Find a Creative Hobby

Going along with self-care, make sure you find some time to do the things you love every day. Whether it’d be knitting, painting, writing, etc. find something you enjoy doing every day.

27. Tidy up your workspace at the end of every day

Leave your workspace clean at the end of every day so when you come back to it in the morning you can get straight to work, rather than immediately having a cluttered mind.

28. Read a chapter of a personal development book every day

Check out this list of Personal Development Books. These are some of my favorite self development books so far.

29. Review Your Goals Every Week

Do a weekly review every week to make sure you’re always on track to achieve your goals.

Quick Tip for Starting New Habits this Year

My first tip in starting new habits is to focus on implementing only 1-3 habits at once or you’ll get overwhelmed.

So looking at this list and pick just a few things to start implementing tomorrow!

My next tip is to try attaching a new habit to an already established habit.

For example, if you already have a habit of brushing your teeth every day, add flossing right after. Essentially these two habits will become one and you’ll never forget to do one if you have done the other.

Other habits to link together:

• No snooze button – get a glass of water – make your bed
• Brush teeth – Take vitamins – Floss
• 10 minute tidy – Set out clothes for tomorrow
• Stretch before climbing into bed

My last tip is to use a habit tracker. It can help keep you accountable to work on your new habit every day. Grab this one for free.

Try putting your habit tracker on the wall next to your bed, or on the fridge, or in your bullet journal. Somewhere you will see it every day.

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