I know I talk about photography a lot over here, but I want to ease into some personal life things too. I miss the old school blogs where we shared some things about ourselves. Yes, I’m a photographer, but I’m also a mom of grown kids, and I’m over 40, and I always forget to set up a camera to do vlogs, so this is the next best thing. Since I’m over 40 and I don’t feel like doing all the things, I want to tell you how I do some of the things and how I create mediocre habits for myself and other women over 40.
Let’s start with walking
I need to do 10k steps per day, but I can’t do that. I have no time. With me working a full-time job and owning two businesses, it’s a hard task. So a habit that I commit to instead is walking on my treadmill (yes, I have one in the garage) for 10 minutes and I must do that while I listen to a podcast daily. 10 minutes. It’s not 10k, but it’s a small habit that I can do. We can increase it if we have time, but I will commit to that daily. (side note: I do get 5k steps 3 times a week that I also commit to, to help me lose weight)
The partial journal dump
I don’t journal anymore, but every day I have a space on my calendar that says notes of the day. I write down one thing I’m grateful for and one thing I can improve on. It’s a quick jot down, and sometimes it’s the same things daily, but I write it down regardless, and it’s a habit I stick to all the time.
Drinking my coffee without doing anything
I don’t drink caffeine anymore. It bothers me in my old age so I have to do decaf. When I make my decaf coffee at home, I always sit on the couch with 0 phones and just sit and sip my coffee. I call it my sit down and breathe for a moment. It’s a daily habit that I have adopted to just sit with my thoughts for a second before answering emails, kids, or scrolling social media.
Try something new to cook
I have so many cookbooks. One habit that I started this summer is to cook one item a week from one cookbook. It can be a drink also, just do something new. It’s a habit that I love because I’m finding new dishes to make all the time from the cookbooks I already own. Also, speaking of food, go to a local farmers’ market or fresh market once a week and browse and buy a treat for yourself.
The non-crank once-a-week habit
For those who have been around since the old blogging days, y’ll know I adopted a non-crank day once a week. Usually it falls on Sundays, but now that my kids drive to school, it falls on any day of the week. One day a week, I choose not to crank my car and sit down and do nothing. I don’t cook, clean, or think to much. I may work, but that’s about it. Nothing extra and I don’t go anywhere. It’s been the one habit that I love the most.
The one household maintenance habit
Once a week do something around the house. Clean your fridge, rearrange your pictures, buy a plant and try to keep it alive, add something new or take something away. Weekly always do something in the home you pay for and appreciate it no matter what. We all want bigger homes and more things but we need to stop and say thank you for what we have and treat it like it’s a million-dollar mansion.
Those are just some of the habits that I do as a girl over 40. What are some small, mediocre habits that you do that might not mean much to others but mean a lot to you?
