Current habits

A friend forwarded me an article from Relevant just prior to my twenty-fifth birthday on 15 Things to Start Doing by the Time You're 30 and I've recently returned to it because I think it's such a great list. I really do believe in the importance and value of all 15 habits listed and I plan to work on all of them.

Today I thought I would share a few of the habits I've specifically been working on lately:

• Waking up earlier than you have to. Whether it's to get a morning work out in, spend some time reading my bible, or just taking the time to enjoy my coffee out on the balcony, I've grown to appreciate that extra time in the morning as a necessary way for me to start my day with a clear head and refreshed spirit. Because if I'm being honest with myself, I am never at my best until at least two hours after I wake up. Life is waking up an hour early to live an hour more.

• Actually caring about what you eat. I remember more than one night back in university when I ordered a medium panago pizza and polished it off that same night, without feeling awful. {Of course, I also remember having little confidence in my body and piling on unnecessary layers to try to cover it up.} I definitely am not capable of doing that anymore without feeling ill the entire next day and certainly notice how my energy levels are positively impacted when I make good food choices. Mostly I've realized that I'm the only one who can truly care about what I put into my body, and so it's up to me to make my food choices healthy ones.

• Making margin in your life. This one is huge. I've always been the type of person who liked loved being busy, but since graduating from university I've come to learn the value of evenings or weekends without any commitments. I think 20-year-old Karla would think "what a waste of time" but having "time to waste" by reading, going for a walk, or just sitting out on the balcony and thinking can feel such a luxury these days. So I try to be intentional when planning out my week and allowing for that time in my schedule because I know how thankful I'll be to have it.

• Actively combatting spiritual complacency. Because I'm the only one who can do this for myself. Yes, I can surround myself with mentors and go to church on Sundays, but unless I invest in my own forward movement I will continue to stay where I am. Maintaining habits of reflection and reading each day - and genuinely looking forward to that time - helps me do this.

• Being content with the life you have {while still trying to accomplish your dreams}. I think more than anything, this one sparked a little bit of an epiphany for me simply in the way it was written. I think we so often get caught up in the "I'll be happy when..." that we forget to enjoy each day. I know that I will always have goals and dreams that will motivate me to continue moving forward, but it's just as important to be present in those in-between moments as your dreams are being built.