Do you want to make some changes in your life? Make some career decisions, find an inspiring hobby, take a yoga class, lose some weight, meet new people? Maybe you need to pay off some debt. Or maybe you’re looking to make friends and have more fun. Whatever your goal is, I have become convinced that we have much more control over our lives than it feels like. You can really define your life and live it more on your terms. It all starts with mindset.

I’ve also become convinced of the value of a morning routine and consistency in good habits. So I created a daily planner to keep me on track. I’m happy to share it with you and want to give you a little guidance in using it…or you can use these ideas to come up with your own daily plan 🙂

How to Use the Define Your Life Daily Planner

The planner is a printable you can use each day. I designed it to include the main habits I think are important to make part of your life. The “Self-Care” portion is designed as a checklist because I love the satisfaction of checking off tasks each day! You can print out a page each day or print out a week’s worth at a time and keep them in a pretty binder.

Here are the sections…

What am I grateful for today?

• In this box, you’ll write down a few things you are grateful for each day. Aim to write 5-6 sentences. Begin each sentence with “I am grateful” and list what you are grateful for individually, not in a list. So, “I am grateful for a warm house. I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for energy. I am grateful for joy. I am grateful for healthy food. I am grateful for new opportunities.” Rather than, “I am grateful for a warm house, my family, energy, joy, healthy food, and new opportunities.” Beginning each sentence with the words, “I am grateful,” makes them more powerful.

Self-Care List

This list is ideally completed in the morning, but if that’s not going to happen I get it! You can check off these items throughout the day.

• Drink Your Water. It’s so important to drink enough water and starting your day by drinking a big glass of water gets you off on the right foot. In general, you should aim to drink half your body weight in ounces each day. If you weigh 180 pounds, drink 90 ounces of water. A great habit is to drink water with lemon in the morning, too. It’s a great way to detox and can help balance your pH. Check out this article about drinking lemon water on draxe.com. 
• Exercise. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise each day. It can be all at once, but it doesn’t have to be. You can do 10 minutes 3 times a day. Start where you’re at. If you’re not an exercise person (yet) start with walking for 10 minutes. Tony Horton has a great 10-Minute-Trainer series that you can do. (Do that once a day and walk for 20 minutes and you’re off to an amazing start! And will probably see results pretty quickly.) Exercise can drastically change your life, but you have to find your way. Have faith that you can find your exercise click and in the meantime just get moving 30 minutes each day. Even if you’re not going to exercise in the morning, do a few stretches when you get out of bed. It will get you in a good mindset!
• Read PD. Personal Development. If you’re skeptical, get over it and give it a try. Reading something positive each day can not only improve your mood on a daily basis, but it can also lay the groundwork for major change. So choose a book and aim for 10-15 minutes of reading (or listening to an audiobook) each day. Check out my post on my favorites and why I think it’s so important. 
• Affirmations. Believe me, I know this is a tough one. It just sounds so cheesy (can I still say that word?) and hokey and silly. But, my friend, affirmations work. They not only make for more positivity in a stressful world, but they also can help you tackle problems. Struggle with confidence? Say, “I am confident,” each day. Affirmations work best when you repeat them. I would create a short list of affirmations each day and pick one that you’ll come back to throughout the day. Keep them positive of course. If you’re looking to lose weight you might say, “I am strong, healthy, and lean.” Not, “I am fat and I need to lose weight.” See this great article on mindbodygreen.com for more about affirmations.
• Meditation. I have a lot of work to do on this one, but I can tell you it’s important. Google the benefits of meditation. It can physically change your brain! How is that for evidence? It’s not just woo-woo, out-there stuff. Aim to meditate each day, even if it’s only for 2 minutes. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Focus on your breath; breathe slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth. Repeat. It’s that simple! There are great meditation apps, too. I have the Breathe app on my phone and it’s great.   
• Your choice. The last two items on the checklist are blank. Here, you can choose two things you want to do each day and check them off as you do them. Or, leave them blank for now. Some ideas for those last two: journaling, getting to bed early, skin care, drinking green tea, making your bed. What is a healthy habit you would like to make part of your life? Write it down.

This can sound like a lot to do each day! If it feels overwhelming to you (or you’re just not ready for one of these items) start with one or two. Each week add something to your daily routine.

Thought for Today

• This space is up to you. It can be your primary affirmation for the day or a quote that resonates with you. Try to make yourself feel better about something with this quote. Or pick something motivational to inspire you throughout the day.

Fuel Your Body

• This section is about nourishment for your body. Keeping a food journal is a great way to eat better. Jot down what you eat each day, whether you eat 3 square meals a day, 3 meals and 2 snacks, or graze all day. You probably know which eating habits are healthy and which are not (check out my Clean Eating Basics post here for some ideas). Eat with the intention of fueling your body. Think about what the food you’re eating will do for your body, how it will make you feel. What will it provide? Eat good to feel good. But write down everything- good or bad- you eat during the day.
• Morning. I’ve always been a believer in eating breakfast within an hour of waking up. Then learning about Intermittent Fasting made me second guess that, so you have to decide what is right for you. No matter what time you have your first meal, a good rule of thumb is to include vegetables. Starting your day off with veggies is never a bad thing. For example, my favorite breakfast is scrambled eggs, sauteed spinach, and steel cut oats with a teaspoon of sunbutter.
• Afternoon. Keep in mind throughout the day that you are eating for health. Focus on foods that are as close to nature as possible. Eat slowly. Enjoy your food. Eating healthy doesn’t have to suck! And remember, just because the planner lists morning, afternoon, and evening doesn’t mean you have to eat just three times a day.
• Evening. Write down your dinner, and hopefully, that will be the end of your eating for the day. However, I know eating at night- dessert or snacks in front of the TV- is a hard habit to break. I wrote a post about it you can check out here. Do your best to finish eating at dinnertime. Your body needs time to digest and a break from food. In the meantime, don’t cheat on your planner- write it all down!

Try to end your day in a positive way, too. Put the phone away, turn off the TV, and read a book. Get a break from technology. Your bedtime routine is important, too! You’ll sleep better if you have a good one, and that will make for a better day in so many ways.

Would you like to start using my planner? Sign up for my newsletter and I’ll send it to you for free!