“i wish i had the time to be creative! if only there were more hours in the day.”

does this sound familiar? i think we've all been there.
i definitely understand the feeling of not having enough time, but i also know that if there's something that you want more of in your life (like creativity), at some point you need to make the decision to start going after it.

but good news: you don't need a huge chunk of time to sit peacefully and blissfully immersed in creativity. if you want to make creativity part of your everyday life, you just need a few minutes here, a few minutes there, and you need to choose to use those minutes wisely. it all adds up! and the more you learn to recognize those “extra” bits of time, the easier it is to make that choice again and again.

and those choices that you make again and again, day after day? soon you don’t have to try so hard to recognize and choose them, because once you do them regularly enough, they become habits. and long term habits = the way you live your life.

i have been using monthly habit trackers in my bullet journal for several years now, and i absolutely love them. for me, they're a game-changer.

i really love finding small and easy ways to make my days happier, healthier, and more intentional. and my habit trackers have been a hugely helpful way for me to set goals, track progress, and stay focused on how i want to spend my days.

so I made a PDF version of the layout that i like to use, and i want to share it with you! you can click the photo to download the file. just print it, fill it out, and start checking off those boxes.

here's a fun trick if you need some help to get started:

• think about the way your ideal day would go. (i don't mean a tropical vacation getaway day, i mean your regular, average day.) in your normal everyday life, what things would you like to do on a daily basis?
  what would make you feel good, challenge you, make you feel accomplished? make a list.

• now pick 2-3 of those things to add to your habit tracker. want to meditate every morning? would you like to have 30 minutes of outside time with your family each evening? do 30 push-ups a day? want to use your lunch break to embroider and listen to a podcast? write it down.

• keep your goals small and reasonable at first. you can always add more later, but if you set the bar way too high at the beginning, you might feel discouraged. so set yourself up for success! and once you achieve success, celebrate and keep going!

and if you're looking for an easy way to dip your toe into creativity, my embroidery kits are a great place to start. they include everything you need to start right away:

• pre-printed fabric pattern (no transfer necessary!)

• floss

• hoop

• needle

• my 'getting started' guide

• a how-to for some of my favorite embroidery stitches

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be sure to check out other cozyblue stitching tips & tricks!

and for more embroidery inspiration and tutorials, be sure to check out#cozybluestitchingtipsandtricks and my embroidery board on pinterest