Right now I’m thinking about how many times a day I ask someone to try something new. You know! It could be
something simple, or it could be something that turns your vey understanding of health upside down. I do not take these suggestions lightly because I know how hard it can be to do something different, especially if it includes giving up something that you didn’t realize was “bad” for you. Or changing a habit that has been so ingrained in you that you don’t even realize it’s become a habit.
Whether you are making a new habit, or breaking a habit that no longer serves you, it’s REALLY HARD!!! I struggle with it all of the time.
Here is what I do to help:
1. Wake up each morning with a goal to complete my new habit.
This can be part of your morning ritual, and the key is to make your goal attainable. Don’t aim for doing something in a day that you know you can’t accomplish. Put things on your to-do list that may push you, but that you CAN do!
2. If I goof it up one day, I don’t let that feeling of failure overshadow all of the progress I’ve made (YES, even if this progress is only one day’s worth!!!!)
I guess it’s a little like getting-back-on-the-horse, but I’m not a horseback rider. I think of it as not letting speed-bumps prevent you from moving forward. You simply slow down, take the bumps, move over them, then pick up speed again.
3. Remember WHY I started this new habit.
You know that if you have a big enough “why”, you can complete whatever you want. So dig deep and find the real reason you are trying to make a change. Make sure it is something that is strong enough to not let you quit! (Hint: It’s not about losing that 10 pounds. It’s about how that makes you Feel!”
