Emily K's Place

In another post, I shared why I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Instead of focusing on big, sweeping changes, I’ve found that small, consistent rhythms are what truly shape my life. Resolutions can feel rigid and overwhelming, but rhythms? They’re fluid, adaptable, and rooted in daily life.

This year, I’m leaning into rhythms that help me live more intentionally, and I wanted to share some of the ones I’ve established, the new ones I’m adding in 2025, and a few tips to help you create your own.

Rhythms I’ve Adopted Over the Years

Here are a few healthy routines I’ve incorporated over time that have made a big difference in my life:

• Making Coffee at Home: Starting my mornings with the simple act of brewing coffee has become a grounding ritual. It’s not just about the caffeine; it’s about creating a quiet moment to start the day.
• Morning Quiet Time: Spending time in prayer, scripture, and reflection helps me align my heart with what matters most before the day begins.
• A Regular Workout Schedule: Movement keeps me feeling my best, physically and mentally. It’s not about perfection—just showing up and building consistency.
• Drinking Water in the Morning: This small daily habit is surprisingly impactful. Starting the day with water sets the tone for healthier choices throughout the day.
• Breakfast Every Day: Skipping breakfast used to be my go-to, but now it’s a rhythm that fuels my mornings and gives me energy for what’s ahead.
• Green Tea at Work: A cup of green tea in the afternoon gives me a chance to pause and reset. It’s a simple, calming habit.
• Yearly Bible Reading Plan: Each year in January, I listen to the entire Bible in a month. It’s intense but so rewarding. This rhythm gives me a renewed perspective and keeps me rooted in God’s word.

Rhythms I’m Adding in 2025

As much as I love my current rhythms, I’m always looking for ways to grow and adapt. Here are my new habits for the new year:

• Short Daily Fitness Challenges: Simple challenges like pushups or planks each day. They’re quick, easy to fit in, and help me stay consistent with movement and see incremental growth in specific areas.
• Photo and Video of the Day: At the end of each day, I’m cleaning out my phone photos and choosing one photo and video to represent that day. It’s a way to stay organized and reflect on moments of gratitude.
• Weekly Check-In Journaling: I want to create space each week to reflect on what’s going well, what’s not, and what I’m grateful for.
• Capturing Ideas and Thoughts: I’m being more intentional about jotting down ideas as they come and storing them somewhere I can revisit later. It’s a rhythm to capture creativity instead of letting it slip away.

Tips for Creating and Maintaining Rhythms

If you’re ready to ditch the pressure of resolutions and embrace rhythms, here are a few habit-building tips I’ve learned along the way:

• Start Small: Don’t try to overhaul your entire routine at once. Pick one or two rhythms to focus on and build from there. As they become second nature, you can add more. This is how you maintain consistency.
• Rest When You Need To: Rhythms should support your life, not stress you out. If you need a break, take one. If I’m not feeling great, I’ll skip a workout or swap it for something restorative, like a walk or a bath. Just make sure rest doesn’t become the rhythm!
• Set Yourself Up for Success: Make your rhythms as simple as possible to stick to. For example, I set water by my bedside at night to drink in the morning, lay out workout clothes if I plan to exercise early, and fill my hot water kettle before bed to save time in the morning.
• Be Resourceful: One of the things I’ve done this year to simplify my morning routine is to create a “Morning” focus on my phone. I have it set to automatically turn on before I wake up and stay on until I get to work. I built an automation using the Shortcuts app that helps me through my morning routine by opening any apps I need and prompting me along to the next task. The only app icon I see on my phone during that time is the Shortcuts app – it opens up any other apps I need so I don’t get distracted. I’ve found this to be so helpful to keep me on track in the mornings, and I want to share some of this with you. Within the next week or so, I’ll be releasing some phone wallpapers to use in conjunction with Morning and Evening focuses on your phone, along with a guide for setting them up and setting up shortcuts to simplify your routines.

Final Thoughts

If resolutions have felt overwhelming or short-lived for you, consider trying rhythms instead. They’re not about perfection; they’re about small, intentional actions that shape your days and ultimately your life. Start with one or two rhythms that resonate with you, and let them grow naturally.

Share your favorite daily rhythms or new year habits in the comments!