Book Review: Cold Pursuit by Nancy Mehl (Ryland + St. Clair #1)

About the Book-

Ex-FBI profiler River Ryland still suffers from PTSD after a case that went horribly wrong. Needing a fresh start, she moves to St. Louis to be near her ailing mother and opens a private investigation firm with her friend and former FBI partner, Tony St. Clair. They’re soon approached by a grieving mother who wants them to find out what happened to her teenaged son who disappeared four years ago. River knows there’s almost no hope the boy is still alive, but his mother needs closure, and River and Tony need a case, no matter how cold it might be.

But as they follow the boy’s trail, which gets more complicated at every turn, they find themselves in the path of a murderer determined to punish anyone who gets in his way. With a killer on the loose set on finishing the job he started, will River be pulled back into her tormented past or finally face the demons that haunt her?

With her trademark blend of page-turning thrills and intricate plots, Nancy Mehl delivers a spine-tingling thriller that will keep readers up all night.

My Review-

There is nothing that quite hits like a Christian suspense book – I have tried many times to stop reading these, because they just aren’t very enlightening, but there is something about the frequency that they’re published and the topics they cover that makes me keep coming back. Sometimes I want a fast paced/high-stakes read that’s not too dark that I can read in an afternoon, and I have yet to find something that does it quite like Christian suspense. Out of all the Christian suspense writers, I like Nancy Mehl’s books the most, which is what finally got me to pick up this book after 6 months.

One of my favorite parts about this book was the difference in points of view and perspective. Without going too much into detail, there were a couple point of view scenes from the antagonist that really established the stakes of the book. I also liked that River wasn’t a Christian, because that also adds some interest to the storytelling. Switches in point of view aren’t usually my favorite but this time it was done well and added a lot to the story in my opinion.

The book opens with a really intense scene where the main characters almost die, and then the subplot of the book is where they are trying to work through the trauma while starting their careers anew. I liked that the two main characters already had history, both of knowing each other and of working together; it made getting to know them feel more natural. They had a lot of chemistry together, and although nothing romantic happened in this book, I am already rooting for them as a couple because they are so naturally compatible and work together so well. There were several bantering scenes that was REALLY fun and all in all they just WORK.

The main antagonist in the book suffers from schizophrenia and synesthesia, which was really interesting, BUT I don’t think that either of those conditions were necessarily portrayed accurately. I don’t know enough to really say for sure, but from what I do know there were some harmful stereotypes being portrayed in this book, which obviously I don’t like.

In general though, I did like the mental health portrayal and the discussion on deeper subject matter. River, the protagonist, is taking care of her mother who has Alzheimer’s, which I DO think was portrayed well. There were a lot of discussion about what that disease entails and how it affects not just the person themself, but also their family, which was really well done. River is estranged from her father and has a complex relationship with the church, which is very rarely seen in books like this, and I really liked seeing that portrayal. River also has PTSD from her job. The antagonist sees a therapist (which isn’t necessarily painting therapy in a /good/ light but is at least painting it in a positive light, which is more than most Christian suspense books do).

The storyline in the book itself was really interesting, but not my favorite part of the book. I liked seeing River and Tony’s relationship develop platonically (also not common in Christian suspense), and I liked seeing the arc that will thread through the rest of the series. The storyline itself felt pretty cliche, with the main climax scene being one that I had seen coming from a mile away. However, the sub-storyline and the romantic line are really interesting and I am excited to continue reading this series!

This book was really fun: it was written in a really interesting way. There were lots of plot twists, one of which I completely didn’t see coming (which doesn’t happen very often for me), which was really fun to read about! There were some inaccuracies, remarks, and plot holes that I didn’t love, but overall it was a fun read and I’ll be reading the rest of the series when it comes out!

My Rating-

3/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

About the Book-

When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . .

1807
When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904
Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

My Review-

Similar Reviews:

• Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes
• Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes

I annotated this book because I have been obsessed with all the other books by the author I have read, and I expected this book to make me cry, like Set the Stars Alight and Whose Waves These Are. Unfortunately this book fell a little flat for me, but I still enjoyed the process of reading and annotating it!

The writing style was super lovely as always: Amanda Dykes’ writing is one of my favorites! It is super lyrical and truly weave a story. The imagery was gorgeous, and Venice was described in such vivid detail. The historical aspects of Venice woven into the story were so gorgeous, and I really enjoyed learning about the architecture, history, and city of Venice!

My main reason for not loving this book is because I was not as connected to these characters. I don’t know if it was the writing style or the more abstract story, but I was not particularly able to relate to the protagonists, which made the story hit less hard. The story was told more like an allegory, with a thread of suspension of disbelief, which made it harder to relate to.

The first part of the book I was able to relate to Daniel, or at least think the story was believable, but once he got to Venice, it became more of a whimsical fairytale vibe that I wasn’t as connected to. There was a lot of mention about secrets and historical intrigue, which also didn’t make it super relatable.

The story was a dual timeline: I was more interested in Daniel’s story at first (like I mentioned, I was more connected to it), but then as the Book of Waters went on, I was super invested in Sebastian’s story (even more than Daniel’s). Amanda Dykes does split timeline stories so well. I do think the ending was a bit rushed, especially the one in the Book of Waters.

All in all, I did end up enjoying this book, though it took me quite a while to get into it. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy historical whimsical stories. I am rating this one quite low, but that is in comparison to the author’s other works: I would definitely recommend reading some of her other books if this one isn’t your cup of tea!

Things Liked:

• the prose was STUNNING!! there were so many beautiful descriptions and quotes, and in particular, the imagery of water was so richly woven throughout
• I really loved the male protagonists! They are so rarely seen in Christian fiction and I thoroughly enjoyed their character growth
• The characters were all so interesting and I wish I were more interested in them lol

Things Disliked:

• I couldn’t get into the story for quite a while: I kept putting the book down for weeks at a time and didn’t particularly want to pick it up because of this
• The characters weren’t not particularly relatable and I wasn’t attached to any of their struggles, so it was hard to enjoy them

My Rating-

3/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Blog Tour: The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer

About the Book:

Book: The Bookshop of Secrects
Author: Mollie Rushmeyer
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction (Christian)
Release date: October 25, 2022

A collection of lost books holds the clues to her family’s legacy…and her future.

Hope Sparrow has mastered the art of outrunning her tragic past, learning never to stay anywhere too long and never to allow anyone control over her life again. Coming to Wanishin Falls in search of her family’s history already feels too risky. But somewhere in the towering stacks of this dusty old bookshop are the books that hold Hope’s last ties to her late mother—and to a rumored family treasure that could help her start over.

Only, the bookshop is in shambles, and the elderly owner is in the beginning stages of dementia and can’t remember where the books lie. To find the last links to the loved ones she’s lost, Hope must stay and accept help from the townsfolk to locate the treasured volumes. Each secret she uncovers brings her closer to understanding where she came from. But the longer she stays in the quaint town, the more people find their way into the cracks in her heart. And letting them in may be the greatest risk of all…

Amazon || GoodReads

My Review:

Books set in bookstores and about books are some of my favorites to read, and this was no exception. The new bookshop owner is one of my all time favorite tropes, and there’s something about reading a cozy book in the falltime that just hits different.

tw // PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety, sex trafficking, domestic violence and abuse, sexual harassment, foster care (and abuse in the foster care system), drowning, dementia

This book was surprisingly heavy for what the back cover says: there are several topics (see trigger warnings) that I would have liked a warning about before reading. I appreciated the discussion on the heavier concepts, but I would have appreciated going into it knowing that those topics (particularly human trafficking) was going to be discussed.

As expected, the bookshop element was super cozy & lovely: both of the main characters enjoyed reading and were very knowledgeable about literature, which was different from usual. There was a cat named Fitzwilliam, which was really fun, and there was just overall a lot of discussion about classic literature–Jane Eyre, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables–that I really liked.

There was a lot of Christian content: a lot of discussion about faith, prayers, doubting, evil in the world, and so forth. As far as I can remember, neither of the characters are explicitly Christian, but conversation about faith and what it means to be a Christian was always on the table.

There were some mentions of vaguely feminist content that I did not like: Hope (the main character) is fiercely independent, and has some feminist ideology, which the author did not speak highly towards. A man said “Significant other, wife? I apologize. Maybe I’m a little behind in this politically correct world.” which I just thought was baffling.

There was somewhat of a mystery/treasure hunt aspect to this book, which was really fun to read. Unfortunately, it wrapped up a little unsatisfyingly, and the falling action didn’t make any sense. The background and reasoning behind the treasure hunt was never fully explained, and I was left a little confused.

There was also a thread of revealing old family histories, which was really interesting, but also not done very well. There was a lot of discussion about old family members, old journals, deeds/wills/treasure, which was really fun, but could have been more fleshed out. As it was, the driving motivation seemed a little lacking.

Hope’s lifelong dream is to open a coffeeshop/restaurant/bookshop on wheels, and some of the book was spent setting up and renovating this bus for her. I thought that part was really interesting, but there was so much going on in the rest of the book that it became a minor focus.

Overall, this book had a lot of potential but it fell flat: I think there were too many things covered, and I would have liked to see each of the plot points fleshed out in greater detail. For example, I would have liked to see more about the bus renovation, the treasure hunt, the family secrets, the bookshop, but due to the length and the number of topics discussed, each of the points was not fully covered.

My Rating:

5/10

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

About the Author:

Mollie writes contemporary fiction with a heart for history. What does this mean exactly? She loves to write inspirational fiction in contemporary settings with fascinating historical elements, people, objects, and stories woven throughout. A modern girl herself– She wouldn’t want to go a day without modern plumbing and central air! But she’s always felt a special connection to the past. The legacies and lives left behind are like gifts waiting to be unwrapped, and she’s excited to share this blend of history and contemporary living with readers. A born and bred Midwestern gal, Mollie Rushmeyer, makes her home in central Minnesota with her husband and two spunky, beautiful daughters. She is not only a bibliophile (the dustier the better, in her opinion), she’s a true anglophile at heart. Tea and coffee fuel her travels, by Google maps at least, and her passion for the written word.  

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mollie is giving away the grand prize package of a eBook or signed paperback copy (paperback U.S. Only) of The Bookshop of Secrets and a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Enter Here.

For more information about this blog tour, and exclusive content from the author about The Bookshop of Secrets, as well as more stops from the blog tour, click here.

Blog Tour: After Our Castle by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #6) | Spotlight, Review, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: After Our Castle
Author: Kellyn Roth
Genre: Historical Women’s Fiction
Release date: October 2022

A year into a blissfully happy marriage, Violet Angel admits to a dose of skepticism. She’s not married, granted—but as the closest friend of the bride and groom, she feels she has a perspective no one but the people directly involved could have. There’s no such thing as a happy ending, and it’s only a matter of time before the castle in the sky plummets to earth. If only Violet were always wrong instead of just mostly wrong. Ivy McAllen doesn’t believe she and her new husband are out of the honeymoon period—if they are, she isn’t going to admit it to herself—but there are certainly areas of adjustment that she hadn’t expected. Changes at the village of Keefmore and in Ivy’s life lead to complications, and Violet spirals further and further from reality. When a castle in the sky turns to be more cloud than stronghold, finding a foothold proves to be more than a little difficult.  

Amazon || GoodReads

My Review:

Similar Reviews:

• The Dressmaker’s Secret by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #1)
• Ivy Introspective by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #2)
• At Her Fingertips by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #3)
• Beyond Her Calling by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #4)
• A Prayer Unanswered by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #5)

tw // child loss/miscarriage/infertility/conception, a mention of a suicide attempt

This is the third book from the perspective of Ivy and I really liked it! I don’t think this book was my favorite overall, but it kept me engaged and I looked forward to seeing how the story would progress.

Like always, this book deals with a lot of gritty topics: a lot of hard hitting, real life, adult topics. In particular, this book navigates the first few years of marriage, and the adjustment between courting and marriage. It deals with a lot about wanting/waiting for children, so if that is a topic that you are sensitive towards, this may be a book to skip.

In addition, this book seemed more preachy than the previous ones. There were a lot of takes that I really didn’t agree with, including discussions about children before marriage may lead to “temptation,” anything less than 100% transparency between a married couple is fully adultery, and the “it takes a village” adage is unreliable and that a family unit should be self sufficient (which is not only just bad advice, it’s actively unbiblical). Characters would occasionally go into monologues about their beliefs and what to do to live a Christian life, some of which I agreed with, and some of which I didn’t, but they happened a little too frequently in my opinion.

I did like seeing the inclusion of more of Violet Angel in this book: while she isn’t exactly a reliable narrator, it was cool to see her growth and development as she navigates the world. Her character arc was really cool to see, and I also liked seeing flashbacks to her experience at the McHale house where she and Ivy met. I also liked Alice a lot more in this book than previously: she seems to have mellowed and matured ad lot since the previous book. She provides a lot of wisdom and comfort to Ivy that I really liked seeing, especially with all that happened to her in the previous book.

This book was very slice-of-life, where it narrated a lot of Ivy’s day to day and her life living in the village, which was really fun to read. Overall though, I think this book was weaker than some of the previous books in the series, and while I did enjoy it, it got a little too preachy at points for me to truly enjoy it.

My Rating

3/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

About the Author

Kellyn Roth is a historical romance & women’s fiction author who writes about the empty places where hope has the most room to grow. Her novels include the inspirational Victorian family saga, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, and the Kees & Colliers series, which follows a broken family in the tumultuous years of the first half of the 20th century. Kellyn is a student of the Author Conservatory and a writing coach. When not building her author career, she is likely getting lost somewhere in the Pacific Northwest with her friends, watching period dramas and facetious comedies, or spending time with her husband.  

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kellyn is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Enter Here.

For more information about this blog tour, and exclusive content from the author about After Our Castle, as well as more stops from the blog tour, click here.

Book Review: Body of Evidence by Irene Hannon (Triple Threat #3)

About this Book-

Forensic pathologist Grace Reilly has seen her share of unusual deaths in rural Missouri. But when she begins to notice a curious pattern in autopsies of elderly residents whose demise appears to be natural, she takes her concerns to Sheriff Nate Cox.

Nate is skeptical about the link Grace is seeing between the deaths–and her suspicions of foul play. But her persistence is compelling. Once she finally convinces him her theory is credible and they join forces to investigate, danger follows. Because exposing the truth could destroy several lives–including Grace’s.

Queen of inspirational romantic suspense Irene Hannon closes out her bestselling Triple Threat series with this gripping tale of secrets revealed and romance sparked.

My Review-

Similar Reviews:

• Point of Danger by Irene Hannon (Triple Threat #1)
• Labyrinth of Lies by Irene Hannon (Triple Threat #2)
• Dangerous Illusions by Irene Hannon (Code of Honor #1)

This was a really satisfying story and a great ending to this series! I liked the first two books in this series–they weren’t my all time favorites, but I really enjoyed them–and I had high expectations for this book: I loved it! Now, I had the same problems with it as I had with the first two books in the series, but this one is my favorite out of the three.

tw // vomiting (including discussions of and descriptions of the smell), infidelity (not detailed, but a heavy part of this book), assault, Grace is a pathologist, so there are some pretty graphic descriptions of her job, including her sawing into a skull, weighing a liver, etc.

This book was super well-rounded, which I really like. The pacing is really well done: it kept my attention the whole time and I was hooked to see where the story would go. There was also more development for the characters: Grace and Nate were better developed than some of the other characters written by Hannon that I’d read. Their internal monologue was consistent and made sense with the plot line, which sometimes doesn’t happen in Christian suspense fiction.

There was once again a lot of physical attraction between the two main characters, but it was less than the other books by Hannon I read, which was good (some of the other descriptions are . . . A Lot). There was definitely quite a bit of noticing, and there were some spicier innuendos (one scene where one character mentions on the phone that they are about to go change and leave, and the other finds that information very interesting, and they make a joke about it, Nate sees Grace’s “curves” under her shirt and thinks that he needs to go take a cold shower, among others). The two characters do have insta-love, but not in an annoying way.

One thing about this book that I wasn’t a huge fan of was the strict male and female divide: Nate’s testosterone was mentioned multiple times, which was a little uncomfy, and there other such observations: women’s intuition, a man’s strength, and stuff like that, which I’m not a huge fan of. Nate is immediately very protective of Grace, almost as soon as they meet, which is supposed to be a marker of his manly protectiveness, which is also a little . . . sus for me.

By far the best part of this book is the suspense plot: it had the best plot out of Christian suspense fiction that I’ve read in a while, and it kept me guessing all the way up to the end. The ending was really well foreshadowed, with the appropriate stakes and the appropriate responses by the characters. There were just enough red herrings to keep the mystery complex, but without making it confusing. The ending wasn’t rushed, and everything tied up in a satisfying way. I was really afraid that the plot was going to go one direction that is overused (at least in my opinion) and it didn’t go that way, which made me really happy. There were some chapters from the perspective of the antagonist, revealing more information as the story went on, which I really liked, because it added to the foreshadowing.

There were some comments that made me not enjoy this book was much as I would have (Grace has an intense security system on her house in rural Missouri, and the author describes it as a security fetish??????? WHY USE THE WORD FETISH), but overall the plot was really interesting and overall, I really enjoyed this book!

My Rating-

4/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: The Clutter Fix by Shannon Acheson

About This Book-

Create the Organized Home and Life You’ve Always Longed For

Living in a disorganized, cluttered home can leave you feeling chaotic, anxious, and even depressed. You want a change, but you don’t know where to begin.

Home coach Shannon Acheson is here to help. She has written the only book you’ll ever need to get your entire home sorted and organized for good–in a way that makes sense for you and your family’s unique, God-given personalities.

In The Clutter Fix, Shannon helps you

• win the battle with all of your stuff by following her step-by-step instructions and checklists
• discover your Clutter Personality and your Organizing Personality
• create rhythms and routines to keep your home decluttered

Clutter isn’t just about the stuff. It’s about how you feel in your home–and in your mind. This book will give you the peaceful dwelling you’ve always hoped for.

My Review-

I am someone who is always looking to keep my space clean and minimal, and when I saw this book, I was really interested in picking it up! I really benefit from a step-by-step manual of what exactly to do, and this book was perfect in telling me what to clean, how to clean, and where to focus on.

This book was very clearly intended for people with children and homes, and especially a lot of accumulated clutter from multiple years of having a home, like moms, which is not super relevant for me right now. For that reason, I will be passing it on to someone else, but I’ll be keeping it in mind in the future.

With that being said, I think this book is a super valuable tool in those who want to start living more simply and meaningfully: the way it is set up is really accessible, and I really love the checklists and worksheets that are included. There is a section of the book that discusses the reason behind accumulating clutter and long term ways to stay minimal (i.e., mindset, habits, and routines), which I love. The author speaks with so much grace to those who want to start decluttering their homes and the mindset shift that it requires.

By far the best part of this book is how easy and accessible it makes decluttering seem: there are lots of lists of things to declutter, easy ways to get started, and worksheets that lay out a plan without being too overwhelming. I also really like the way it makes decluttering sustainable by laying out a plan that allows for maintenance and habits to learn.

Overall, I really like this book! It is a super handy tool and I think it will be very valuable for homemakers. Unfortunately, this book isn’t super relevant for me during my current stage of life, so I didn’t get out as much from it as I would have liked, but I still think this book is really good and I recommend it!

My Rating-

5/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

how to monthly plan for productivity & success (+ journaling prompts!) | my monthly planning routine.

Back at the start of my blogging journey, I was REALLY into setting monthly goals. Did I achieve them? Not necessarily. Were they helpful in me getting my life on track? Most definitely! While I was in college, monthly goals fell by the wayside (and let’s be real, COVID didn’t help at all), but now that I’m out of college, I’ve been slowly planning how I used to, and it’s been so good for me!

Today, I’ll be walking through my monthly planning routines. I really like having a monthly plan, because it gives some structure about the overall trajectory of my month. It’s not as broad as a yearly goal, and not as confining as a weekly or daily goal. Knowing approximately where I want to end the month at works really well with my brain and my lifestyle, and I’ve really been enjoying setting my monthly goals again!

My monthly routine is a process that takes me a couple hours when I am taking my time. I don’t do each of these steps in depth every month, so it definitely doesn’t take that much time every month, but I do really like taking a weekend afternoon to just chill and plan out my upcoming month!

Check New Year’s Goals

One thing about me is that I WILL set New Year’s Resolutions. Setting new yearly goals at the start of a new year is truly one of my favorite times of the year, and I make it A Whole Deal.

The first thing I will do when I’m setting new monthly goals is to look back at the goals I set for the year overall, and pick out which goals I want to focus on for the month. Is there a quantitative number that I can try to hit (such as $ to make or # of instagram followers), or is there a goal I can try to take a step towards (such as updating my resume)? I break these goals down into a piece that is attainable in a month, and use that to guide my monthly goals.

Set Goals For the Month

Oftentimes, when I take goals from the yearly view, it is still broad and undefined, so I break it down. I also like breaking large scale goals down into daily tasks to achieve. For example, if one of my goals is to “sort through my email,” this is the step where I set my monthly goal to be “spend 30 minutes each day sorting emails.” If my goal is to “gain 100 instagram followers,” my goal will be “comment on 20 instagram posts a day and post 3 times a week”.

Assigning a quantifiable number to an otherwise vague goal makes it much easier to strive towards. I then make a list of all the habits/tasks I want to get done in a day, and write it down. I usually strive towards setting about 10-15 goals, ranging from small goals like “make bed everyday” to much larger ones like “reach out to 25 brands”.

Set Up Monthly Bullet Journal Spread and Notion Page

Once I have my monthly goals in hand, I set up my planners. Right now, I use a bullet journal and Notion to plan, so I make my monthly pages for them. Pretty straightforward, but very handy.

Outline Upcoming Dates in the Month and Split Into Weeks

Next, I look at the upcoming month and pick out any due dates, important dates, and events that I have planned, and put them into my calendar. If there are tasks that need to be done on certain weeks, I write them into my calendar. I basically just take the broader monthly goals and split it up into weeks, so that I’m not scrambling at the end of the month to accomplish all of them.

Wrap Up Previous Month

I also take some time to go through my planners from the previous month and check off any tasks that I didn’t check off, as well as migrate any tasks that I didn’t end up completing into the new monthly tasks. I also look through my bullet journal brain dump from the previous month and transfer that information as necessary. Overall, I just tie up any loose ends!

Monthly Journal Entry

Last, I do my internal processing. I usually use the prompts from this pinterest post, but there are a lot of Pinterest posts (and posts on other social media platforms) with monthly recap prompts. Some of my favorites are:

• What was the highlight of your past month? What was the worst part of your last month?
• How are you feeling about this upcoming month?
• What are you looking forwards to this month?
• In an ideal world, what will your life look like at the end of this month?

I like doing this step at the end because I’ll have gotten an idea of what I’m doing in the upcoming month and can properly parse the information.

---

that’s my monthly planning routine! do you set monthly goals? what steps do you take that are like mine, and what do you do different? I would love to know!

5 ways to establish routine more easily | minimalism and simple living.

Since I’ve moved home from college, I have been struggling to find structure to my daily life. No longer bound by the boundaries that school set, I was spending every day doing tasks as I felt like, only getting my day started at 11 am or 12 pm. Finally, I decided that I needed to sit down and set up routines for myself, and I did! It’s only been a few days, but having a dedicated morning and evening routine has been game changing.

Today, I’ll be sharing 5 ways to make establishing a routine easier. You can make all the best intentions in the world, but setting your routines up for success will not only make them more attainable, but also less mentally taxing to upkeep, which makes it easier for the routines and habits to stick.

Earlier this year, I read Atomic Habits by James Clear, which is a book that many have recommended as a guide to implement habits that are attainable and sustainable. It gave me a lot of tools and techniques, and I learned a lot from it! The tips I’ll be sharing are from my own experience in building habits, but have techniques adapted from Atomic Habits as well.

1. Have an environment that makes it easier for you to cue yourself. This may mean preparing to do your morning routine the night before, laying out your workout equipment clothes before going to work, or thinking of meal ideas so that when you get groceries, you already know what you’re going to cook. Make your routine as easy to start as possible, to increase the likelihood of you starting it. As Atomic Habits says, Habits are easier to build when they fit into the flow of your life.
2. Create a way to track your habits. By seeing the buildup of the habits, it makes it seem more of an accomplishment when you do complete the routine. Checking off a task on a to-do list gives my brain the dopamine it craves, so being able to see a list of checkmarks pile up makes it less likely that I fail a routine. I have completed routines many times because I wanted to check it off, not because I wanted to do the habit itself. My app of choice is Routinery, but I also use a habit tracker in my bullet journal: both serve me well!
3. Relate your routines and habits to your long term goals. When you start eating healthy, are you “trying to eat healthier,” or are you “someone who eats healthy”? If you can identify yourself with your long term goals and the habits you need to reach that goal, it will make you more likely to do that goal!
   For example, one of my goals is to wake up earlier. Instead of saying “I’m going to be trying to wake up earlier,” I think of it as “I’m a morning person, and I’m someone that follows a morning routine.” When I’m building this habit, I’m becoming the kind of person that does follow a morning routine, and if I tell myself that that’s the kind of person I am, then I’ll be more likely to continue doing it.
   
4. Make your routines not require willpower. Oftentimes, when we think about building habits we think about how difficult it is, and how much work it will be, replying on our willpower to actually complete it. If you make the routine not dependent on spur of the moment decisions, you’ll be so much more likely to get started!
   For instance, you want to start going to the gym after work instead of chilling on the TV. What if you packed your gym supplies in the car with you? That ways, all you have to do to go to the gym is get in the car, rather than having to look for your gym clothes, get your food and water ready, get ready to leave, and go. Getting in the car is much less effort than doing all of the preparation, and it makes it less likely for you to default to just switching on the TV. You can even take it one step further and take the batteries out of the remote, so that turning on the TV is actually more difficult than getting in the car!
   Each habit has its own “willpower” state. If you can set up your routine such that it is just as easy to begin as the more appealing “default” option, you can rely on your willpower so much less, and you’ll succeed at it more!
   
5. Never miss twice. The biggest killer of a routine is missing it one day, and then simply never starting it again. I am guilty of an all-or-nothing mindset: “I missed X yesterday, so why wouldn’t I skip today either?” However, when a routine is missed twice in a row, MISSING the routine becomes the habit, rather than the routine itself! I try to never miss doing a routine two days in a row: even if I fail, the next day is there to pick it back up!

The routines that I have established have been absolutely life changing, and I am so glad I am back in a routine! I hope these tips helped inspire you to follow routines, and stick to them.

Do you keep routines? Do you prefer morning or night routines? What is one thing you want to do better in setting up routines, and what is one thing you do well? Leave a comment and let me know: I would love to chat!