Cleaning up the kitchen every night.
Used to leave dishes in the sink during college, then do them when it got full. Got a side job as a bartender, where you had to clean up every surface after the last shift, ready for people the next day. Applied it to home. Has stuck ever since.
Fortunately, married a woman who had the same habits. We’ve never gone to bed with a dirty kitchen, even after a group gathering.
My wife is super clean – I joke that her “light cleaning” is sanitized enough for major surgery. And I’m an absent-minded slob. But she gets me to do my part, usually through heckling and pinching, and our kitchen is usually clean immediately after dinner. If we have guests, well joke and talk in the kitchen while the things are done. Kitchen parties are the best anyway.
Put everything I need to remember in calendar, reminders or just set a timer. Since I started doing that consistently I never forget anything.
Deal with things immediately if possible or schedule it. That also means cleaning the kitchen after I’m done eating or even while cooking.
Never close the door without me seeing the keys in my hands with my own two eyes. Even if I’m 100% sure they are in my pockets, I will pull them out again. I have locked myself out two times already, won’t let it happen again.
I got in the habit of having my hand on my key when I close my door as well. If I’m at an office with a prox badge, I’ll touch it once as a habit. It’s saved my bacon more than once as I realized I was about to go to the loo (which required a badge) while my badge was back at my desk behind this door I’m about to close (which needs a badge). Bonus for the times when my phone’s not with me.
Furthering that OCD, I also try to have my phone my in hand when I leave the desk. I sustained a back injury a year ago and I’m still getting it addressed; if I have a relapse I can’t go get my phone but must call out from the floor and wait for help. It’s less embarrassing if that’s with a phone.
Exercising. When I hit 30, my metabolism wasn’t what it used to be and my appetite didn’t slow down to match. To stay a good weight, I decided either I’d have to eat less or exercise more. I chose the latter.
I formed the habit through the pandemic, but in the time since I’ve strengthened it further. I run, swim, and ride.
I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been and exercising during the week is just part of my routine. I think I’ve baked it into my life enough now that it’s here to stay.
Not drinking. It’s a habit I started after nearly 2 decades of being a terrible alcoholic lol
Starting a daily productivity log. It started as a google form but has morphed into a larger spreadsheet. It contains:
- Something I completed today
- something I worked on today
- one thing I couldn’t do and why
- a new idea I had today
- something I did for physical activity
- something I learned today
Each row is a day. It also includes a section for bucket list and yearly goals and whether I achieved them.
I don’t fill it out every day and I don’t fill out every field each day either, but I do try to not get more than 10 days behind.
It gives me a sense of purpose. It helps me remember what I’ve done, so days don’t just slip through my fingers. It also, I think, shows how I’ve grown a bit as a person.
It became really special when I was able to bring it out during my wedding vows. I wrote down on paper many of the things my SO and I did on our adventures and got to share them with our friends and family.
I have a tab for each of the last 15 years.
