Gretchen Rubin says that “September is the other January” and I tend to agree – especially when September 1st falls on a Monday! My husband and I cleaned out the garage and donated a bookshelf yesterday…it felt so good!
In addition to her books, podcast, and app, Gretchen Rubin shares these 21 Strategies for Habit Formation. These are my Top 5 favorites with examples of how I put them to use!
1. Pairing: I usually don’t take a sip of coffee until I’m out the door on my daily walk. Another example is that I fold clothes and clean house while I listen to an audiobook.
2. Clean Slate: I’ve moved a lot, so each time I find myself in a new city, I find ways to incorporate a new habit or drop an old one simply because of the new environment and fresh start.
3. Inconvenience: When I need to take a social media break, I delete the app from my phone.
4. Scheduling: I’m at the age where I schedule blocks of time for myself – exercise, book club, watching the latest episode, movie, or TV series. I know it’s not going to happen unless I’ve carved out the time for it!
5. Lightning Bolt: The moment I learned about the health benefits of early morning sunlight before staring at a screen all day, I started going outside as soon as the sun comes up. You don’t have to tell me twice!
I hope you are able to review a few of the habit strategies and recognize ways you already incorporate them into your daily life or try something new to kick off this month!
Gretchen Rubin is a bestselling author known for her easy-to-understand take on happiness and human nature. If you are looking for a fresh start to September, check out her bestselling books!
Happier at Home (the e-book is only $6.99 right now!)
Better than Before (the e-book is only $4.99 right now!)
Outer Order, Inner Calm (e-book is only $6.99 right now!)
Secrets of Adulthood (makes a great gift for 18th birthdays and graduations!)
Questions for you:
- What’s your favorite habit formation strategy? How do you use it?
- Have you read any of the books above? What was your favorite?
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