30-Day Mini-Resolutions - 6 Months and Going Strong

Six months in and I’m still working away on my 30-Day Mini-Resolutions. Anyone else still going, too? It’s been such a rewarding experience for me. You can read about it here. I’ve been really good about sticking to each an every one for the full 30 days. All but one, I should say. One of my months was an disaster (more on that later). I feel like this approach has made me much more successful at improving my life and self-care than any other New Year’s resolution I’ve ever made. The process of committing to 12 different mini-resolutions for 30 days each means I’m improving and making room for better productivity, better health and, consequently, more joy for the entire year.

I haven’t adapted ever single resolution permanently, but each single resolution has stayed in my life a little bit more than before, and some a lot more. I wrote about my first two 30-day mini-resolutions here. Now, I’ll catch you up on the last four and their impact.

March – Shower/Dress/Makeup 5 Days A Week.

Working from home, I could spend every day in my PJs if I wanted to. March’s mini-resolution was fairly easy to execute, though I did experience more resistance to it than I thought. The results were good though. My daughter told me regularly, ”You look so pretty, mama.” And, it’s true that it did make me feel more pulled together and have a better sense of comportment. I think it did make me take my work more seriously, not to mention, I felt better and more confident when and if I did head out for an errand or pick up on any given day. I’ve kept this up on most days, and I think it has a subtle positive overall effect.

APRIL – Top 3 Priority List.

Writing your top 3 to-dos every night for the next day is an extremely helpful productivity tool. Thinking each night about the most effective and important to dos the next day made me consider carefully what was essential and best for my business and work. Then, instead of getting lost in my email inbox for a couple of hours each morning, I focused on that list from the start. Not only did I get more done in each day, I got more essential things done each day. I have tried to keep this one around. I highly recommend trying it!

MAY – Phone Use Only Between 2-4pm.

I failed miserably at sticking to this strict time window, but I did have a bit of success with setting aside my phone more. For the whole month, I removed it from my work space when I was in the studio. I plugged it in in the kitchen and tried to forget about it. I spent a lot less time spinning through social media or looking at every like I got. My work days definitely upped in productivity. I have continued to try to do this as much as I can but still need some help to stop looking at it during family time and other down time windows.

JUNE – 15-minute Meditation Each Morning

I have loved doing these 30-day mini-resolutions, but this one is my favorite so far. Taking time each day to spend 15 minutes in quiet and meditation has not only helped me be calmer each day, but the practice has given me more peace throughout the day. When I feel more anxious, I can slip into the breathing that I have learned to calm myself. This can happen when I’m working, or with the kids, or even standing in line at the grocery store. If you have ever thought about it, I highly recommend it. I’ve been using Headspace, which is a great gentle entry into meditation.

July is making a done list at the end of every day, plus a few sentences about what I’m grateful for. Will this make me feel more positive about what I’ve accomplished about each day? Will I feel happier and more content at the end of each day? I’ll let you know. If you’ve been doing 30-day mini-resolutions, let me know how it’s been going. And, it’s not too late to start either – just take it 30 days at a time! Happy summer everyone!