Did you know that practicing good habits, both personal and for your homeschool, is critical to your success?!
No homeschooler is going to tell you that it is easy. IT IS NOT. However, practicing these 6 straightforward habits will make homeschool life easy.
I PROMISE.
Remember to build a habit you must practice the same behavior for at least two months consistently.
After you take steps to incorporate these habits, you will start to notice the positive impact.
Most of these habits are probably things you try to practice and haven’t been able to keep up with successfully. We are going to change that TODAY!
Habit 1: Start a Morning Ritual
How do your mornings usually start? You don’t roll right out of bed instead you hit the snooze button hoping for another 5 minutes before someone is crying or calling for you.
Are you a coffee/tea drinker and can’t get the day going before you have a cup? Maybe you like to read all your emails before you feel you can start the day.
Whatever that habit is, you can turn it into a seamless morning ritual.
Mine is waking up on my first alarm. If I don’t, I spend the rest of the day sluggish wondering why I tried to get those extra 10 minutes of sleep.
My routine includes brushing my teeth and then making a cup of non-caffeinated tea as I sit down with my planner.
My planner has financial information for family, general goals, to-do lists, and so much more inside.
After reviewing it and creating a visual picture of what to do for the day. Then after reading some inspiring quotes or articles, I go forward about the day.
Think about your usual habits and how you can create a routine from it.
Why this matters for you:
It sets the tone for the day. Having a simple ritual will create a positive mindset for the entire day and energize you for everything to come your way.
Plus, it’s excellent YOU time.
Habit 2: Get a Good Night’s Rest
Easier said than done, right?! But it really matters.
Now of course you cannot guarantee that every night. Little ones get sick, have bad dreams, or wake up much earlier than they ever used to one day or four days in a row.
But with a consistent bedtime, let’s say every night at 8 P.M. you should not stay up until 2 A.M.
Even if you are the ultimate night owl (raises a hand in shame).
Why this matters?
We all know that a good night’s rest can set you up for success. You will become more alert and assists with your memory.
Plus, it helps your body recharge.
Habit 3: Prepare for the Next Day the Night Before
Now I am not saying pull out your entire lesson plan and start going through everything you have planned for the day.
Simply, make a quick list of your plans and goals that you want to accomplish for the next day.
A sample list would be:
- Arctic
Unit Study (craft time, math, and reading) - Reflection/Individual
Study - Laundry,
Organize Pantry, Wash Dishes - Submit
homeschool forms before 5pm
This reflection gives you a clear idea of how to tackle the following day and a reminder of what topics to focus on.
It helps you organize tasks like submitting the forms while they work on their unit studies.
Why this matters?
This behavior creates a proactive mindset keeping the freshest most essential things on your mind as well as leaving you empowered going into the next day with a plan.
Habit 4: Avoid Putting Things Off
I bet there is something you need to do right now, but keep thinking ‘I will do it later?’
It’s ok. Honestly, we all do it!
Change this behavior by practicing a simple strategy-THE RULE OF FIVE.
If it takes 5 minutes or less, then do it right at the moment that you realize it needs to be done.
With this mindset, you will accomplish many small tasks that you previously would’ve put off. Plus, small victories are proven to encourage you and mentally enrich you.
Make up your bed, throw those old activities/crafts away, or pick up those pairs of shoes you have been stepping over the last three days.
Whatever it is that you usually think of doing and skip over… do it. See how much more efficient you are.
Why this matters:
The process of getting started to do something is all it takes to get you motivated.
If you wanted to start your lesson plans, but have been putting it off sit down and do it for five minutes. I bet you spend more than five minutes and actually make great strides to getting it done.
Just get started.
Habit 5: Keep an Organized Homeschool Binder
Staying organized is an incredible way to help keep you stress-free.
Homeschooling can have lots of ‘moving parts’ and having those parts in order will save you time and energy.
One of the easiest ways to get organized is by maintaining a homeschool binder.
Starting a binder helps you with your curriculum, to-do list, activities, grades, field trips, and so much more.
Don’t have a binder then here’s what you should do when you realize you are tired of always trying to play catch up—
Get yourself a copy of the Combo Master Bundle that will give you your curriculum planned for you for the first 3 years and the ability to keep your homeschool organized and legally compliant with the bonuses included!
From a comprehensive guide to homeschooling, to editable planners, and a homeschool binder, these extras make it easy to track your year, stay on top of requirements, and maximize your time and resources plus 700+ lessons. field trip ideas, activities, and songs are done for you.
The Done For You option the The Master Bundles-Combo Edition.
Get It Now & Simplify Your Homeschool!
Why this matters:
Staying organized makes life less stressful and allows you to know where your important documents are at all times.
Plus, if you take advantage of the curriculum options available with the Master Bundle you get 90% of the work done for you.
And all the resources in the bundle get you moving in the right direction to organization and peace of mind.
Habit 6: Do a weekly recap of your successes
Another great habit to practice is by writing down your successes at the end of the week.
This is a straightforward technique. Just write 3 to 5 things that you were happy to accomplish this week.
A great notebook is this ‘good days start with gratitude’ journal. It has an area to list what you are thankful for and date it.
For instance, this week I am happy I completed the Christmas unit study packet (can be found at the end of the post), updated some financial goals for the year, and got through the week without buying any fast food (sucker for a frosty here).
Doing this will give you a second chance to look back at the good things that happened to you rather than focusing on the negative.
Think about how you can be having a great day and then one bad thing happens and you will focus on that for the rest of the day.
It’s in our nature to focus on the negative even if we don’t intend to.
By doing a recap of successes both big and small can change that negative mindset.
Why this matters:
Taking time to personally reflect on good things you’ve experienced or did throughout the week will leave you feeling empowered. Feeling empowered will allow you the ability to accomplish more and do so happily.
The only way to get through homeschool is with a great attitude. It is definitely the most important.
Putting it Simply:
Building new habits can be hard. And as cliché as it may sound, once you put the time in they can help make your life so much easier.
From your personal sanity to your homeschool sanity, these six straightforward habits are the perfect first step to quick and easy changes.
Don’t forget it takes about two months for any new habit to make a difference. It’s time for you to wake up every morning ready to tackle the day– no matter what it throws at you.
It doesn’t mean it will be easy. It just means you will be PREPARED.
More Resources to Make Your Life Easy:
Learn How to Set Goals & Accomplish Them– Remember it takes about 2 months to build a new habit, but do you struggle with setting the goals in the first place? Learn 5 goal-setting strategies and get a free goal-setting printable to help you build great new habits.
Does Your Homeschool Need a Reset–Try These Tips– Come learn 10 techniques to renew your homeschool and help you recharge when you are starting to feel drained with ideas given for both you and for your family.
Last Updated on November 2, 2024 by Kierra