When I started this 52-week experiment, I made a list of habits I wanted to add, remove, or completely transform. Some were about stopping the self-sabotage patterns I’d been dancing with for years. Some were about finally doing the things I had been promising myself I will “start on Monday.” And others were about bringing back the things I truly loved but had somehow pushed to the back of the line because… I was “too busy.”
Time, we all have the same 24 hours, but somehow, the things that truly fill us up often get pushed aside for “more important” stuff, so we tell ourselves. When you actually track where your time goes, you start to notice the sneaky “time vampires” that steal it away without you even realising, scrolling on social media, falling down the Netflix rabbit hole, just “checking something” online and resurfacing an hour later.
Time and energy are connected. Every decision we make either invests in our energy or drains it. The old “I don’t have time” excuse even though somehow I had time to watch episode after episode of Ted Lasso, and OMG I couldn’t stop laughing with the new series “Leanne”. Once a series hooks you, it’s hard to switch off , which makes my “no time” excuse a complete lie. I do have time. I just choose to use it differently. As you know the energy of the blue light messes with our sleep. The noise keeps our minds switched on. And we miss out on the kind of deep restoration that fuels us for the next day.
That’s where this week’s habit comes in: Reading.
When I first put together my 52 habits, reading was right at the top of my “want to add” list. Not just for weekends when I “might” get a spare moment, but as a daily ritual. I rediscovered my love of reading during the 75 Hard challenge, where it’s one of the non negotiable tasks. Back then, I looked forward to it every day. It felt like such a luxury to curl up with a book and my favourite tea.
But when that challenge ended, so did the habit, and almost two years later, having barely picked up a book. For me, reading isn’t just a pastime, it’s self-care. There’s something nostalgic about holding a book, something calming and grounding. The way it can transport you into another world, it’s pure magic. So I will be swapping my nightly screen time for story time and seeing how it shifts my sleep, my energy, and my mood. My Oura Ring will track it, I have become a bit of a geek when it comes to measuring my health.
This habit journey started as a way to improve my health, stop procrastinating, and finally follow through on my promises to myself. But it’s become so much more. I am taking better care of myself, speaking more kindly to myself, and noticing how I speak about others. I have become aware of how much I used to complain and judge, and how those habits are shaping my entire energy.
James Clear’s Atomic Habits has been pivitol, not just in understanding how habits work, but in learning how to incorporate them into my life.This is one of those habits I know will be worth keeping.
So I am starting with a book I have had on my shelf for years, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It has come highly recommended and I’m told it’s one everyone should read. I’ll let you know my thoughts once I finish it.
If you have any great book recommendations, I’d love to hear them. I’ll be needing a few good reads
Do you have something you once loved but “don’t have time for” anymore? Maybe it’s time to take it off the shelf, dust it off, and make it yours again.
