☀️ surviving non-routine days (without losing momentum)

When you're craving structure, but still knee-deep in late-summer chaos, try this mindset shift:

Don’t force a routine. Find the rhythm.

Instead of mourning the lack of a consistent schedule, look for small anchors each day that help life feel a little steadier.

Try These 7 Habit Anchors for Non-Routine Days

1. Pick a Consistent “First Thing”
Even if your wake-up time varies, choose one small action that starts your day:

Take your first sips of coffee outside (even if it's just from your welcome mat)
Drink a tall glass of water
Take 3 deep breaths with your hand over your heart
Put on "real clothes"—even if no one will see you

2. Work from a Flexible “Top 3”
Instead of a giant to-do list, pick three priorities each morning. Anything else is a bonus. This builds momentum and gives you a win—even on disrupted days.

3. Pair a Habit with What’s Already Happening
This is called habit stacking, and it still works—even in chaos:

While the kids brush their teeth, you stretch
While the coffee brews, write your Top 3 on a Post-it

4. Use Micro-Habits (30 Seconds Counts!)
Your brain craves completion more than duration. Try:

Making the bed
Wiping the counters
Walking to the mailbox and back

5. Create an “Anchor Meal”
Even if lunch is random, let breakfast ground you.
(For me, it’s the same green smoothie every morning—glucose-friendly, protein-packed, and zero decision fatigue. Hit reply if you want the recipe. It's the easiest.)

6. Schedule Touchpoints, Not Timelines
Can’t control the clock? Anchor your day with moments, not minutes:

One pause before screens
A midday reset (stretch, hydrate, breathe)
A short wind-down after dinner—even if it’s just 3 minutes

7. Look for What’s Good
Your brain finds what it looks for so we have to "train it" to find the good. Even in the mess, name one good thing:

“I’m working from a coffee shop while the kids play Uno. This is actually so cute—they're like tiny hipsters.”
“Today felt out of control, but I still drank water and ran the dishwasher… so I kinda killed it.”

Try this: Script for Non-Routine Days

When the day feels scattered, try one of these lil grounding "scripts":

"I can’t control the schedule, but I can create small moments that feel like mine."
or
"There’s still good here. Let me build around it."

Just a few weeks left. We got this.
xoxo,
-Katie Day

Up Now:

Tomorrow! Tuesday, July 29: 12 noon pm CST! Group Coaching with me on Zoom inside The Habit Lab (grab your free trial and just jump in with us!)

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