Aim Ideas
Aim ideas for #Write24in24
What are your aims for this year’s writing challenge? The key to building a writing habit that sticks is to tailor your routine to your reason for writing or what specifically you want to accomplish.
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If you’re working on a novel or other major project, you might:
Whether you feel inspired or not, plan to sit down at your desk at the same time every day—record your streaks with the Don’t Break the Chain tool
Divide your larger goal into smaller steps—track word or page count with the Numbers Tracker or Track your Total tools
Get accountability by taking a writing class, working with a partner over Zoom, or checking in with a text using the Accountability Partners tool
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If you want to keep a journal or do morning pages, you might:
Try the Strategy of Pairing: Always write your entry while your morning coffee is brewing
Try the Strategy of Convenience: Keep your journal next to your bed
Lower the bar: If you can’t manage a long entry every day, try using the One-Sentence Journal tool to record short daily entries that add up over time
Aim Examples
Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life, and a significant element of happiness. About forty percent of what we do each day is shaped by habits, and if we have habits that work for us, we’re much more likely to be happy, healthy, productive, and creative. The habits people most often want to cultivate fall into the nine areas below, the Vital Nine. Here’s a list of aim ideas to get you inspired.
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Energy: exercise and sleep
Go to bed at a particular time every evening
Go for a daily walk
Exercise at least 4 times each week
Read for 30 minutes before bed
No caffeine after a certain time
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Productivity: focus, work, progress
Write “morning pages” every day
Hold a particular day of the week as a meeting-free day
Sign up for a language-learning app and do the exercises suggested
Turn off the internet for two hours each afternoon
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Relationships: connect and deepen
Read to kids every evening
Start a group to discuss a different podcast each month
Schedule a weekly call with parents
Plan Friday date nights
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Recharging: relax and rest
Read 20 minutes a day
Schedule breaks throughout the day
Play guitar for 30 minutes each day
Attend a weekly yoga class
Take a daily nap
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Order: clear and organize
Make your bed every morning
Spend 10 minutes tidying up before bed
Follow the “one-minute rule.”
Each month, donate items you don’t need or use anymore
Participate in a “buy nothing” month
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Purpose: reflect, identify, engage
Keep a daily journal
Meditate every morning
Volunteer once a month
Start each morning with a spiritual reading
Compost or eliminate single-use plastics
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Mindful Consumption: eating, drinking, spending, scrolling
Take medication daily, before first cup of coffee
Limit social media to 30 minutes per day
Plan meals for the week
Track spending for a month
Swap afternoon coffee for green tea
Limit alcoholic beverages to the weekend
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Mindful Investment: save, support, experience
Donate each month to a cause you care about
Invest in equipment to make exercise more convenient
Save a certain amount each month toward travel
Spend at least 3 hours per week in nature
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Creativity: learn, practice, play
Take an art class
Explore a new neighborhood every Saturday
Knit whenever watching TV
Every Sunday, watch a classic movie
Attend two live performances a month
Share your aims with us!
Let us know what aims you’re working on, and we’ll add them to the list to help inspire others.
How to make effective aims
The key to any Happiness Project is to identify concrete, actionable steps you can take toward your aims to become happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative.
Your aims can be small (put your keys away in the same place) or big (repair your family relationships). It’s up to you.
Remember, resolutions work better when they’re concrete, not abstract. It’s harder to keep a resolution to “Be a more loving parent” than to “Get up fifteen minutes early so I’m dressed before the kids wake up.” So identify specific actions that will support your aims.
Also, keep your resolutions manageable, with actions that you can repeat consistently, starting now. What can you do that doesn’t require a lot of time, money, or energy? You’ll be surprised at how much progress you can make with even the smallest steps if you take them consistently every day.
Resolutions should also be measurable. How will you know if you’ve accomplished your resolution? How will you keep yourself accountable? If you can’t answer “yes” or “no” to whether you accomplished your resolution that day, make it more specific.
Here are some tools to help you get started:
Download your own Resolution Chart
Shop the Don’t Break the Chain Habit Tracker
Once you’ve made your resolutions, find the right tools and strategies that will help you stick to them.