What is the difference between a habit and a routine? In a nutshell, a habit is something we do automatically without having to consciously plan and think through. Whereas a routine is a process or series of steps that we have to think about and *try* to do with our conscious awareness. I have many habits already in place – some good and some less-so.
My best personal example: It is a very solid habit that I take my thyroid meds within minutes of waking up each morning, and then eat brekkie approximately 30 minutes after that. These are habits. I don’t have to write down and track whether I’m doing this.
For a new behavior that I ultimately want to make a habit, a good way to start is to develop a routine and track this for a period of time, making any adjustments along the way, until it becomes a habit. How long do I have to track? Some say 32 days? Other research says at least 60 days until it is automatic. I plan to go week by week, 7 days at a time here and we shall see! How long until these become habits?
How many new habits at a time? There is a school of thought that says “no more than ONE new habit at a time, usually one per week”. I’m not entirely sure I buy this, because I think it is possible to string a series of actions together and practice that new routine each day. For example, when life circumstances change such as “back to school” or “back to work” after a break, we are learning and integrating multiple new habits at once. (We don’t pack lunches one week, then get dressed in new clothes the next week, then be on time the following week, and do our homework the week after that – that would be absurd!)
At any rate, I am about to share my process. This is for FOUR habits and an “add-on”. None of these are brand new as routines. I have done them each before, but with some gaps in consistency. I want for each of these to become a full-on habit, where I just do them, rain or shine, without a lot of (any?) conscious effort. They are each part of bigger picture, longer-term goals that I will share more about soon!
- Record all spending and income in Quicken
- Record all food in food journal, including times and estimated portion sizes.
- Listen to today’s BIY podcast and jot down any notes. (BIY = Bible in a Year)
- Record daily entry in 5-Year Journal (2026-2030) and Family Dinner Journal.
- Walk W (the dog) at least once around the block each day. *this one was the add-on. It is only for the week at this point. Once we’re back to work and school, others get her the walks she needs, so I’m not the one to do this daily.
“When you lose your why, you lose your way.” This idea was shared by Fr. Mike Schmitz in a bonus episode of the BIY podcast, bonuses they’re doing as we prepare for Day 1 on 1/1. I thought it would be nice and valuable to include for each of these new goals. I also have a line for each entitled “When?” This could also be “Where?” Just some notes on logistics to start on formulating a more tangible plan. This is a funny week, it is nice that there are four days before the actual New Year. In a way, these lead up are “practice” and the opportunity to gain insight / feedback on what works and what I could do differently.
Having said that, I do need to make a note about doing it “perfectly”. In the past, I have had a tendency to go “all or nothing”. In my older years here, I am starting to realize that it is OK to do my best and gather feedback and then use that feedback to modify course. That is perfectly fine. The idea is, the value comes, with showing up and doing my best with what I have at the time. These are all areas I would like to improve, and any steps forward is better than no steps forward.
Finally, I usually do my weekly planning Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for the following week *Sunday – Saturday*. So I’ve been thinking about these and planning them now to start tomorrow, Sunday. My intention is to track my sheet of paper all week, then come back and share an update about this week and plans for the next week, all next Saturday. Here’s to New Year and new habits!