A New Daily Habit- Kindness Day 27 of Our 30 Day Challenge

A new daily habit.  They say it takes 21 days to form any daily habit.  What do you think? We are on day 27 of our 30 day kindness challenge.  So if you haven’t already, you could take 21 of the 27 days so far and put the ones you pick into action and see if you could make this a habit.

For the most part being kind is free.  Opening a door for someone, a smile or helping a friend without expectation of something in return.  Today’s post explains how to take small steps into making it a daily habit.

Starting something new takes time and practice. You won’t become a kinder person immediately. You have to build generosity into your life day by day. You can do it. I have faith in you. Today, I’d like to focus on ways to make kindness a new daily habit. Once you do that, you’ll find that being kind comes naturally. 

Practice a New Daily Habit

Forming a new habit that sticks requires working on it daily and keeping up this streak for at least a month. Otherwise, you’re likely to skip a day here or there. Before you know it, you’ve abandoned your goal completely. That doesn’t have to happen if you take steps each and every day to show kindness. Feel free to go back and browse earlier posts in this course for ideas. 

Take Small Steps

Those steps can be teeny tiny. They don’t have to be grand. Throughout this course, I’ve shared ways you can give back without spending money nor investing a ton of time. Taking small steps will let you get used to doing something new without the stress of making it a big production. 

Build it into Your Routine

When adding something new to your life, it’s a good idea to try to tack it onto your existing routine somehow. What I mean by this is that you should look for ways to add the new thing onto some of the acts you’re already doing on a daily basis.

For instance, start by sharing small acts of kindness with the people you know well and with whom you’re already comfortable. You may not feel as awkward, and it could be easier than giving to a stranger. On the other hand, perhaps anonymous giving is more your thing. Do what fits your personality and your routine. This will help you create a new habit daily.

Take Accountability

Sometimes it helps to enlist the help of someone else to keep you on track. Maybe you’d benefit from finding an accountability partner. You and this person would work to encourage each other on your new kindness quest. You could check in daily to share what types of action you took that day and to brainstorm ways to overcome obstacles. It can be fun to do new things with someone else, and it helps to keep you moving forward. 

Once you make these steps a part of your life, you’ll see that sharing kindness is natural. It will soon become a part of who you are, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t start this practice earlier. Be sure to be kind to yourself if you find you should falter. New habits take time, so cut yourself some slack. 

Here are 5 simple ways to get you started on your new daily habit, if you haven’t already:

• Day 1: Leave a glowing review for a Local Business or restaurant you frequently visit.
• Day 2: Leave unexpired coupons next to their corresponding products at the grocery store.
• Day 3: Send a message of appreciation to a former teacher or mentor.
• Day 4: Put a positive or encouraging post-it note in a visible spot for a coworker.
• Day 5: Return a stray shopping cart to the store for someone else.