31 ways to improve your daily life

Fun fact: there are officially 100 more days left for the year. What will you do with the remaining days of the year so you can say you ended the year strong?

I’m the type who doesn’t mind challenging myself in an attempt to make better morning habits to start each day off right. I’ve come to learn that a good morning routine sets me up so that I feel accomplished even before I begin to tackle the serious side of my daily task list. Some time ago, I used The Morning Sidekick Journal to track my daily morning habits and after 66 days, I felt accomplished and ready to continue with my newly formed morning routine, even without the book as my daily guide.

While I was filling out the journal during the 66-day challenge, one of the daily questions was to list one way I could improve life by 1%.

Just one idea per day.

I decided to add my list of ideas to my bullet journal, where it could be in one place so I could refer to it whenever I needed to. And because fall is a good time for change, reflection and self-discovery, especially these last 100 days of the year, I thought I’d also share it here. I’ve tamed the list down to just 31 items, something for every day of the month. At the beginning of the next month, just rinse and repeat!

Here’s my list of one way per day I believe I can improve life by 1%:

1. Stick to a morning routine that works for you
2. Be mindful and present in the moment
3. Meditate, even if just for five minutes
4. Use morning mantras and repeat throughout the day
5. Reach out to family and friends
6. Craft/color/draw for the fun of it
7. Drink more water
8. Exercise regularly…move your body in some way daily
9. Walk in nature often…use your senses
10. Find a way to laugh every day
11. Use positive affirmations…be nice to yourself
12. Listen more, speak less
13. Schedule in self care…you can’t care for others if your cup is empty
14. Do something out of your comfort zone
15. Stick to a nighttime routine that works for you
16. Enjoy more sunrises, or sunsets…whatever gives you time to pause
17. Be open to change, in yourself and in others
18. Forgive yourself…forgive others
19. Listen to music…dance to it when you’re in a bad mood
20. Eat veggies every day…try smoothies if it makes the habit easier
21. Spend less, save more
22. Reduce screen time
23. Stay positive and have faith
24. Stay focused…one task at a time equals better productivity
25. Journal and reflect on the day
26. Don’t overstress…focus on what you have control over
27. Think before speaking
28. Be open to possibilities…don’t immediately say no
29. Take advantage of every day
30. Have a grateful heart and show others when you’re grateful
31. Continue to build on good habits

Sticking to just half that list will improve life by a huge percentage.

I had a difficult time paring it down to just 31 items because so many of the ideas I came up with during the 66-day challenge felt important! But you get the idea and I’m sure you have a number of things you might add that would resonate more personally for you.

If you’re using this season to reflect and make changes, working on a list of your own might not be a bad idea. When I was building my list, I didn’t think much of it until I went back through and combined all of the items together. What seemed like simple, daily tips morphed into a motivating road map that I can easily follow and build upon.

I focus on many of the items on this list on a daily basis, but I’ll admit there are a few that take more effort to put into practice. One such item is #14. How many of us really enjoy pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone? Not me. But I know it’s a necessity in order to grow as a person and a professional.

So what will you do with the remaining 100 days of this year?

I know what I’ll be doing…I’ll continue to refer to the items on the above list daily while I focus on writing, editing, publishing at least one more novel, completing year-end projects, blogging, sharing updates with readers via my newsletters, and preparing for the holidays. At the end of the next 100 days, I expect to be able to say I kept my days full, focused, positive and productive.

Let the 100-day countdown begin!