Our habits go a long way in defining who we are because they are intrinsically linked to what we do on a day to day basis.
Everyone has habits around things like what time they wake up, what time they go to sleep, how they talk to people, what sort of food they eat and how often they check their phones. Some habits are helpful and some habits are not helpful when it comes to making progress and moving towards our goals.
The statement “what you do everyday matters more than what you do every once in a while” from the book “The Power of Habits” by Charles Duhigg should make you start to think about what you are doing on a daily basis.
”What you do everyday matters more than what you do every once in a while”
Charles Duhigg
Healthy actions can only become helpful habits if they last longer than a couple of days and become part of who we are.
When lockdown was super tight and a daily walk or run was the only real reason that you were allowed to leave your house, did you make the most of it? We know several people who built a new healthy habit out of simply walking and several months later, are now reaping the benefits of it.
How many people do you know that worry about what they are eating and how much or how little they are training between Christmas and New Year but don’t pay it as much attention between New Year and Christmas?!
Everyone knows that regular exercise and a healthy diet are important yet the majority of people don’t have it as part of their daily habits.
Here are a few tips that can help you build, and then maintain, healthy habits:
1 – Find someone to hold you accountable
A lack of accountability kills loads of new habits. If there’s no one waiting for you at the gym, it’s a lot easier to press the snooze button and roll over. If there’s no one helping you work on your nutrition then that extra dessert is a lot easier to say yes to.
Solution – find a friend, co-worker or family member to help keep you accountable. Maybe they could start doing the same thing that you’re doing? What if there’s someone you’d love to workout with that you already know works out – they’d probably love some company. This is part of the reason that our group classes work so well – you’re instantly part of a group that holds each other accountable and will be checking up on you if they haven’t seen you in a few days.
2 – Make a plan
If your plan is written down then it’s harder to go off track. If your plan is made up of SMART goals then you’re more likely to get things done than if it isn’t. For example, if you know that you buy chocolate and sweets if you go to the shop for lunch then you could take lunch with you to work so you don’t end up going to the shop.
Solution – plan for the obstacle that you know you have. Where do you get derailed and how can you avoid those situations? If you need help with this kind of stuff then booking a Member Check In is a great solution so one of our staff can help you out.
3 – Be patient
Rome wasn’t built in a day – so give it some time. Stay on track for longer than you think you might need to. There will be things that pop up that get in your way but you need to remember that you’re never too out of shape, old or overweight to make positive changes. Start small and build from there. Change is a process and a journey that you need to learn to trust.