5 Micro-Habits To Kick-Start 2021
My list of 5 daily habits for 2021 and their supporting apps
Published in
3 min readJan 6, 2021
As we enter into 2021, I would like to jot down 5 habits that I will target to work on and add to my daily routine as the year progresses. I also aim to keep adding to this list of habits as I encounter new ones.
As Stephen Covey rightly says, “Habit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do).”
So, let's start the year by making the choice to follow and grow on the habits that we choose today, to make our tomorrow better.
- Hydrate: The first and foremost habit is to drink water. We often hear the general recommendation of drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day. I would say, aim for a minimum of two liters of water per day and go from there. Adding a slice of lemon, or sipping on herbal teas can be some variations to get creative with water! Apps like WaterMinder or Hydro Coach can help track water intake for the day.
- Plan your day: In order to stay proactive and to achieve more out of the 24 hours, it is important to plan the day right. A daily planning ritual imbibes discipline and motivation to maximize the activities for the day. It is a ritual often advised to do early or first thing in the morning. To make it a habit, this can be combined with regular activities like drinking morning coffee. Some apps that can be helpful to organize and manage tasks are Microsoft To-do, Todoist, or even your good old diary or sticky notes.
- Workout: As we continue to work or take school lessons, the need to get moving is increasing. It is important to stay active to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Log in hours at the gym or take up new home workouts, the choice is yours. Outdoor activities like hiking can also be a form of cardio workout. I have been using the apps FitOn and Body by Blogilates to get access to a variety of home workouts for the past year.
- Eat whole foods: As health improves, productivity blossoms. It is important to choose mindfully what we eat. Adding whole foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, etc., offer a range of micronutrients that are often lost in processed foods. There are a variety of recipes available that help us incorporate more whole and minimally processed ingredients into our diets.
- Learn something new: We often tend to work towards only the 2–3 areas that we are good at. Like our other muscles, it is important to exercise and train the brain. Also learning something new makes us feel happy and stay motivated. We can allocate 15 mins every day to learn a new skill. Apps like Lumosity help challenge the brain and improve cognitive skills.
So let's kickstart 2021 on a positive note by inculcating these habits in our daily routine. What are some habits that you would like to add to this list? :)
