Habits or rituals can be good or they can be bad. Taking form via triggers we are either consciously, or unconsciously, aware of, these habits become part of our daily routine.
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” -Jim Ryun
When I think back to when marathon running was a huge part of my world, I remember who critical it was to carve out time for my training. If the only time I could get my runs in was in the morning, the night before, I would set out everything I needed for my run (clothes, hydration pack stocked with nutrition, blister-proofing aides, etc.) as well as anything I might need to insure I could transition to my next time commitment be it work, one of my sons’ sporting events, or an appointment. This setting up for the day ahead was a habit that was ingrained in me and, although I not longer run regularly, the habit has carried forward into my morning yoga routine.
Thanks to 21CM’s introduction to bullet journaling, I have been using a BUJO to keep my days, weeks, months, and year aligned with my goals since 2019. For years I struggled with having to check the numerous places my appointments/meetings, to-do lists, etc. were documented (phone, outlook, notebooks, etc). While initially, it felt a bit like I was going back to the Franklin-Covey planner days, I enjoyed the ability to make my BUJO whatever was needed to keep me organized and motivated through the year. An added bonus was the soothing (almost meditative) feels that came from filling the pages in a creative and motivating way. I also like to find a quote to add to my weekly spreads. Keeping a BUJO is both a habit and a way of reinforcing the other habits I am working to maintain.
Why am I bringing this up?
Lately, I have noticed that I have developed a lot of bad habits. I find myself eating dinner in front of the TV and, as a result, am no longer in tune with my hunger and satiation levels. I eat things that I would never have let myself eat back in 2018 (when I switched to a low carb diet) and tell myself that I don’t care. Truth: I care a whole effing lot! It’s well-past time to make a change.
My oldest son, Conor (aka “BoBo”) has created a podcast called Door to Door to the Top Floor. This podcast covers a variety of topics from entrepreneurship to meditation. This week, he talked about habits and invited listeners to join him on a 30-day Four Positives Challenge. After listening to his podcast, I created a long list of possible “positives” to direct new habits. Of these, I chose
4 new “positive” nutrition routines that I will include in the #fourpositiveschallenge.
- Drink >2L of water daily
- Limit coffee to 1 cup per day
- No TV, social media, or other distractions while eating dinner
- Limit take out to 3 times per week
There are many other habits that I want to (re)establish in the coming weeks and months but I am choosing to focus on plans to change up how I fuel my body here.
What habits do you want to break or create? Please share in the comments.