3 Habits to Make Your New Year Richer and More Meaningful

I hear people of all ages and from all walks of life talking about how 2020 made them reevaluate their lives and priorities. If you found yourself thinking about things you’d like to do differently, take the extra step and write down some goals or habits you’d like to incorporate into your new year. I hesitate to use the word “resolution” because, of course, it seems like a resolution is usually out of mind before the Christmas cookies are even gone. Instead of goals that you feel like you have to do, I’m suggesting you find ways to make your life look more like you want it to…whatever that means for you. Pray about it first to make sure you’re lining up your vision for your life with what God wants for you. For example, instead of setting the goal to exercise 5 days a week, look at your all-around health and plan your days with that in mind. Think about your activity level, definitely, but also your spiritual health, your eating choices, your sleep schedule, the things you can do to decrease stress, etc.

I’ve found myself longing for a deeper connection with God, with my family, and a more settled thought life. The three habits I’m going to share with you are centered around those things.

1. Day of Rest

This one’s tricky, because if you’re like me, a day of rest can easily become anything but restful. Your day of rest doesn’t have to be the same day you go to a worship service. For a long time, my family’s day of rest was Saturday, because if you work or volunteer at a church, you know Sunday can be downright hectic. So Saturdays were the days we protected from plans, spent time together as a family, went outside to enjoy Creation, prayed together, etc. Be careful not to let your schedule encroach on your day of rest. It’s easy when you’re looking at a full calendar to think, It would make my schedule so much easier if I work a little on my day of rest…but it won’t stop there. Before you know it, you’ll be back to no rest again. Think about your day of rest as a way to say to God, “I know that You have promised to take care of me. I know that I don’t need to work 24/7 to take care of myself. I trust Your plan and Your example.” Rest is a form of worship.

2. Read Aloud

There are a lot of great reasons to read aloud to your kids of all ages (or anyone in your family who’s interested), but my favorite benefit is the bond you build with the person you’re reading with. It gives you instant conversation material, and as you experience the story, you learn about new places, things, and people together. You’re making memories and understanding more about the other person and learning how they think and feel about all sorts of different things. One of my favorite things is when my son unexpectedly references an event or a character from a book we’ve read together. If you’re interested in learning about the ways reading aloud helps children become better readers, writers, and more empathetic adults, get The Read-Aloud Revival by Sarah MacKenzie.

3. Journaling

Before you write this off as something you would never do, or something you don’t see a benefit in, hear me out. If you Google “benefits of journaling” you’ll find all sorts of things ranging from stress relief to boosted memory to recovery support from trauma and PTSD. What I’ve learned from my experience is when I journal regularly, I feel calmer and more grateful. The way I use my journal is called Bullet Journaling- meaning you put a bullet point before each item on your to-do list, and then manage your day from there. One of my favorite features of bullet journaling is you can do everything in one book. All in one place I have my meal plan, grocery list, budget, prayer list, creative space, monthly and daily to-do list, habit tracker, etc. I think it’s best to buy a blank journal and fill it in the way you want- you can be as artistic or as utilitarian as you please. Think of the goals you’ve made or the practices you want to add to your life, and add pages to help you in the right direction. I add quotes and Bible verses to help me focus on the things I want to base my days on. There are LOTS and LOTS of YouTube videos, Pinterest boards, and Instagram profiles to help you get started and keep you inspired along the way.

Have you found ways to make your life more meaningful and more intentional? Tell us below!

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