5 Habit Upgrades to Boost your Year

The following example dates me, but I’m hoping you’ll relate anyway. A drive-through chain once used an advertising campaign featuring an exhausted baker. Commercials showed him rising early and working late in an unchanging routine. One activity defined his life. No matter the hour, he muttered, “Time to make the doughnuts.”
Maybe you remember the moustached fellow, even if you’re not willing to expose your age by admitting it aloud. Audiences sympathized with the character. We felt sorry for his weariness and slave-like diligence, but that’s not what we related to most. Routine-filled lifestyle resonated with many.
Even those with schedule shifts from one day to the next have some remaining constants. Probably not on the calendar, but they’re within the unconscious structure of our lives. A default behavior removes the need for a conscious decision, supporting our mind’s space for determining more significant matters. Brushing teeth. What to drink with breakfast. Hand washing. Good or bad, habits frame our lives.
Changing a bad habit improves the quality of life. Quit smoking or cut back on simple sugars to enhance health and stamina. To quote another commercial, “Everybody knows that.” But, what if you could upgrade your good habits?
Maximizing your existing routines can optimize life’s quality. Most people can think of improvements, but struggle to carve a place for them in the schedule and keep it up. The best way to include new behavior is tying it to a habit you already practice. If you maintain the upgrades, your new lifestyle will boost your year.
Here are five suggestions to upgrade simple habits and boost your year.
Brushing Teeth
While staring into the mirror, give yourself a pep talk for the day’s activities. Keep an inspirational flip calendar in the bathroom and read an uplifting daily quote. Pray for help with your day. Then remind yourself you’ve been equipped to succeed. Add a perk to the end of your day and encourage yourself to keep the carrot in view.
Getting Dressed
Begin your day with thankfulness. As you clothe your body, list five positive things about your life. If you’re experiencing a difficult period, take a closer look. Note anything you’d miss if it vanished. Breathing, walking, clean water–there’s always a blessing, even if it’s often taken for granted.
Eating
Learn something new while eating. Read. Interview an interesting person. Listen to an online lecture or podcast. Expand your linguistic skills. The mind grows when stretched. As your brain function strengthens, so will you.
Driving
Nurture your heart. Fill your car with soul-nourishing music or audiobooks. Call friends, lonely acquaintances, and family and embrace them with your words. When traffic threatens to poison your attitude, pray for other drivers who seem stressed.
Showering
Wash away inner pollution. As you lather up, consider toxic thoughts or interactions tainting your attitude. Scrub to the root of each negative moment. Discover why it  affects you. Prayerfully surrender each one and rinse it from your soul. For extra benefit, add aromatherapy after your shower as a sensory symbol of replacing detriment with divine revitalization.
What habits can you upgrade this year? Please share your intentions with us!
Be Encouraged,
Tina