"If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!"
I say this a lot when I'm coaching at F45, because it's true!
Our brains were designed to seek pleasure and to avoid pain, so it's only natural to take the path of least resistance, right? Our brain also seeks efficiency, which is why habits are created in the first place!
Anything that we do over and over and over and over again, will trigger our brain to look for ways to make it even easier and it will eventually become a habit. Think about brushing your teeth or getting dressed in the morning... You probably don't have to think too much about either, you just do it! Same is true for some of those bad habits, like swinging through a drive-thru on the way to work or on the way home from work or binging on Netflix for hours upon hours or skipping that workout (again)...
So how do we replace those bad habits with good habits?
Take baby steps!
Change one thing at a time. Avoid "gung ho syndrome" (overly enthusiastic or energetic)! If you try to change everything, all at once, you may just be setting yourself up for failure
What is ONE thing you can do this week?
Focus on getting 64 - 80 ozs of water/day
Add 2 cups of veggies to each day this week
Incorporate one additional serving of protein/day
If you are inactive - walk for 10 mins 3 days this week
If you are active - mix it up a bit, increase your intensity or length of time
Take 5-10 minutes for self care each day this week
Go to bed 15 minutes earlier every night this week
Those are just a few - pick ONE!!!
Use a TRACKER!
Tracking your progress helps to keep you on track! It's the accountability piece of true habit formation! It also helps you to know when to celebrate and when to course-correct. You can use a digital tracker (so many apps for that) or print one and fill it in each day!
Make it efficient!
Remember, your brain is seeking pleasure and avoiding pain at all times... so you'll need to think ahead and remove any barriers or obstacles that WILL come up!
For example, you can:
lay your gym clothes/shoes/bag out the night before
pack your lunch before you go to bed
do your meal planning/prepping for the week on Sunday
look at the menu before you go out with friends/family
hide the remote to the TV & lay a book in its place
use Do Not Disturb on your phone when you need quiet time
Be patient… It's a SLOW process...
Focus on being consistent as you develop new habits and don't beat your self up if you aren't perfect. Keep these in mind:
Progress not perfection!
Consistency over intensity!
Rome wasn't built in a day!
It's a marathon, not a sprint!
You are worth it, take your time!
Don't quit, focus on what is working not what isn't!
I'm cheering for you as you implement new habits that create true lifestyle change!
Take care,
Coach Jen
Comments