Has anyone been immune to the impacts of COVID on both personal and professional lives? The Global Education sector and many others have been significantly affected by countless aspects of the pandemic and its far-reaching influence. However, for many people, these shifts have led to “happy habits.”

What new positive routine or happy habit have you formed over these past pandemic years? Maybe you’re better now at maintaining a positive work-life balance, staying engaged with friends and colleagues, listening to podcasts to hone your management skills, or committing to a daily walk. Whatever your new happy habit is, congratulations! The question now is, how can you maintain these positive changes moving forward into 2023? Developing a consistent routine can take time, commitment, and intention. 

Here are four tips we wanted to share in the spirit of moving into the new year as the best global educators we can be: 

1. Find an accountability buddy. Is there a colleague at work who can help keep you on track for leaving at a reasonable hour, so you’re home in time for dinner with the family every night? Or a friend who will meet you every week for Zoom Yoga or for a lap around the lake? Having someone else help hold you accountable can make all the difference in making your routine into a lasting habit. 
2. Set yourself up for success. Whatever positive new habit you want to carry forward, make it as easy as possible for yourself to accomplish that task. Layout or pre-pack your gym bag the night before, set out your journal in an easily visible spot for you to access it, or factor in extra time for yourself so you do not feel the need to skip your new routine in an endeavor to save time. 
3. Write it, draw it, or record it. Creating visual or audio support for your new happy habit can help keep you focused and motivated. Whether this looks like writing your goals down, tracking how many days you’ve kept it going, or leaving supportive messages to future you taped to your bathroom mirror – this tactical approach can help.
4. Don’t beat yourself up over a slip-up. Sometimes, life gets the best of us, and our days don’t go as planned. That’s okay! Don’t let a little slip-up get you down or derail you from sticking it out and moving forward. As we said earlier, new routines and habits take time, commitment, and intention.

Whatever new happy habit you have formed, keep going! Keep your focus on why you made this shift in the first place and what benefits it brings to your life. Think, why are you better off now with this new habit than you were before without it? And, if you can’t think of a new happy habit you’ve formed over the past few years, it’s never too late to start one. Cheers to being our best selves in the coming year!

The mission of the Global Leadership League is to ignite change across the global education field by empowering, connecting, and training leaders. We invite you to reach out to us here or learn more about becoming a member.