A final method you might use to keep your resolutions is to create a new routine. Since the new year began, I’ve started tweaking my morning and bedtime routines. I’m not quite there yet, but it’s a process.

In the morning, I usually feel rushed, so I just wash, dress, eat breakfast, do my breakfast dishes, walk the dog, and head to work. On the subway, I pray morning prayer and read the newspaper. I don’t check social media until I’ve at least prayed morning prayer. Sometimes, I don’t check until I’m on the escalator out of the subway. Avoiding the rabbit hole of social media has been a big time-saver.

I tend to have more time before bed. So I do any dishes in the sink and/or empty the dish rack. (I don’t have a dishwasher.) I prepare my bag for work the next day. If I am carrying lunch, I prepare it so all I have to do in the morning is toss it in my bag. I make sure that anything I need for the next day’s dinner is defrosting. I set my clothes out for the next day. (This isn’t so much about planning. My closet is REALLY cold, so if I have to put clothes on directly from the closet, I am chilled.)

And, of course, when I get home from work on Fridays, I have my Friday tidy and cleaning my work bag and purse before I take a shower and start dinner. then, I usually take the rest of the night off (except dishes, of course).

By building these routines, I don’t have to think about what comes next or what I need to do. I free up time and energy for more important things.