Why you need to develop Keystone Habits today

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As I get farther into this mothering thing, I am realizing that getting things done is a lot harder than I realized! But there are still a lot of things that I want to do in a day, such as – write for this blog, cuddle/play with Kinsley, hang out with my hubs, work, and watch The Bachelor. So in order to get all of that done, I am working on creating better habits and routines to help me knock off my to-do list and goals!

After doing a bit of research, I decided that my best tactic would be to start by forming solid keystone habits. A keystone (or cornerstone) habit is a habit that will lead you to develop several other good habits once it is formed. It is like the gateway drug for habit creating. These keystone habits set the foundation for pretty much any goal that you want to accomplish.

For example, in Charles Duhigg’s book “The Power of Habit” (my selected book for February), he explains that the simple habit of making your bed daily, can lead to all sorts of life benefits. People who make their bed daily are said to be more productive, more positive, more satisfied with their jobs and even be better budgeters. Um, sounds too good to be true? But it is!

The reasoning behind the bed making success is that you start your day off accomplishing a task. So you are already feeling good about yourself before you even brush your teeth. Which is pretty hard for most anyone to feel good about themselves while you still have morning breath. But when you make your bed, you do get a self-esteem boost!

Once you have accomplished your first task of the day, it is easier to keep the momentum going. Maybe you then make yourself a healthy breakfast. Then you have a couple of hours of really productive work time. By the end of the day, you are much more likely to be on track to hit your daily goals! And to think it started off with something so simple as making your bed.

So why should you work on your keystone habits?

I am SO glad you asked!

1. To achieve your goals – Obviously, setting goals is important. And if you have already set some goals for yourself, then I imagine you want to hit them. Picking a single keystone habit that would correlate to each goal you have set, will act as the first baby step to achieving that goal.
2. Eliminate bad habits – There have been studies conducted that show that when you focus on developing beneficial keystone habits, your brain can actually overwrite your bad habits with good ones. So your keystone habit of cutting out sweets after dinner, can actually help curb your desire to eat sweets entirely.
3. Increase productivity – Most keystone habits help you build momentum to tackle other tasks. You may be trying to be more organized, save more money, or get in shape. Your keystone habits will lead to better focus and more productivity in those areas.
4. Boost confidence – Keystone habits help you move forward, and when you take even the tiniest step forward, that can be a huge confidence boost. And when we feel confident, we are much more likely to push ourselves to do things that we might not have taken on otherwise. Plus feeling like you can do it all is pretty much as good as actually doing it all, right?

Examples of keystone habits that you can start TODAY:

• Making your bed
• Wiping down your kitchen counters
• Setting a budget
• Daily exercise
• Family dinners
• Planning out your day
• Prayer
• Daily gratitude journaling
• Getting 7-9 hours of sleep (whatever you need to be rested)

If you need help getting started, be sure to take my FREE email course that focuses on decluttering and setting routines!

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