JULY 2021 - Let’s Create a Habit!
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Week of July 25, 2021
Hello Ladies!
I am checking in to see how your challenge is going in creating a habit?!
From my own experience, I can say I absolutely see why it takes time to create a habit! Here’s my update on my journey to creating a new habit.
As I noted last week, I needed to back up one additional step in my practice of creating a habit to write every morning. So rather than starting with a step of waking up early and sitting in my bed with a piece of paper or note pad, I backed it up to say I needed to go to bed early enough that it would not be a challenge to wake up earlier. I set a bedtime of 10:30pm. The suspense is killing you right now, isn’t it?! Did this work for me? Did it not work for me? Ooooooo … suspenseful!! I know, right?!!
Well, I will say creating a habit is way easier said than done for this woman. I had one night last week, when I was actually in the bed by 10:30pm. So, I’m asking myself what’s going on? Why am I not executing on this one step to move me forward with creating this habit that I want to create for myself?
Life is happening around me. Life does not stop or just automatically make space for us to add something in to an already full schedule just because we say “I want to do this thing”. Life doesn’t have an alarm or a flashing sign to remind us that we are “practicing how to create a new habit and it’s time for practice”. We have to be the one to create that ”stop.” We have to be the one to set up a reminder to help us remember to take the action that will move us forward in creating that habit. So, for me, what is happening is, I am not remembering that I need to get to bed earlier, so I can get up earlier, so I can sit in bed with paper in hand to start the practice of writing every morning.
I am taking a step to alter my plan again. Here’s my plan moving forward. I am going to incorporate wearing a visual reminder – a bracelet. It will be a bracelet that I do not normally wear and when it is on my wrist during the day, every time I look down at it, I will think to myself, bedtime is at 10:30pm. I will not take my bracelet off until I am in the bed. Also, I will place that same bracelet on my nightstand, so that when I wake up and see that same bracelet, it will remind me that I am sitting in my bed for 10 minutes with paper before getting out of the bed to start my day.
Let me and other ladies in the group hear from you. Are you finding this challenge of creating a new habit difficult? Are you having difficulty remembering? Do you think about your challenge and decide you just don’t want to do it? Is it the right or appropriate focus for you? Creating this habit or any other habit for doing life better, for living life healthier, is a challenge that may not come easily. It’s okay if it does not. It is a practice to get in the habit of walking once a week when it’s not a normal part of your life. It is a practice to get in the habit of drinking a glass of water throughout the day if you are not used to doing it as a normal part of your life.
Keep going! I’m not giving up on my practice to establish a habit of writing every morning. I will continue to practice to establish this goal next month, even as we discuss and move on to other things. I encourage you to do the same, and continue practicing creating the habit that you have chosen to practice. I’ll say again … KEEP GOING! Progress not perfection!
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” ~ Jim Ryun
Let me hear from you in the comments. Scroll all the way down to the end of the page and you will see a box with a button that says “Post Comments”. Enter your comments in the box and then hit the button that says “Post Comments.” Please share how things are going for you. Other ladies can benefit from your shares and know that they are not in it by themselves. Working toward a healthy lifestyle is challenging and I’m hoping that this little practice of creating a habit helps us all to see it’s easier said than done, and it’s okay. 😊
Have a great week!
Brave not perfect,
Caroline J.
Week of July 18, 2021
Whew-weeee!!! Last week was a great week! I got a lot done which always feels good! I was able to “check the box” in getting my workouts in. I ate legumes last week with a protein for my dinners (beans … and YAY!) I had a cruciferous vegetable last week also! Things went a little sideways over the weekend because brownies came into my life, and I acted like I did not understand the words contained and controlled! But thankfully, I ate well during the week, thankfully, I got my workouts in, thankfully, I’m drinking water, and thankfully it’s about progress, not perfection!! AND, I KNOW TO JUST KEEP GOING!!! Which is exactly what I am going to do!
This week I will have a short work week, which will add to my business. My meal prep for this week was supper easy in part because my bestie made some soups for me for dinner!!! Lentil soup and a zucchini and pumpkin seed soup that is absolutely AMAZING!!! For lunch, I am having salads all week, which are super easy … just adding a protein and a few veggies for added crunch and flavor. And breakfast will be a blueberry protein shake and maybe a boiled egg! Did I mention how easy food was going to be for me this week?! Why is that a big deal? It’s a big deal because I knew going into this week that this week is going to be crazy busy, because I have a short work week and will be traveling for part of it. When we get busy and don’t plan for the “busy” for how and what we are going to eat, things can go south real fast!! What I am also learning, and this ties into our challenge this month of creating a habit, is that when you don’t plan for or make space for the action you are taking toward creating that habit, things may not go as well as you had hoped.
For example, I want to wake up in the morning and write every morning. I decided a step I could take to that end, was to sit up in my bed every morning and hold paper or a note book as a practice toward creating the habit of waking up and writing every morning. What I have learned is that if I don’t make space for this to be doable, it won’t become a habit. What does that mean for me trying to do waking up and sitting up in my bed with paper in hand? It means, I need to go to bed and get some sleep!! If I’m up late, and I don’t want to get up at all in the morning, I’m not going to be successful at practicing getting up and sitting up in bed with paper. So, I’m backing up one more step for my practice of creating this habit of writing every morning. I first need to start with getting to bed by 10:30pm every night.
So, that’s my plan for this week in working toward creating a habit of getting up in the morning an writing. My first step toward creating the habit of writing every morning will be getting into bed by 10:30pm every night!
Tell me how your habit setting is going … tell me how your meals are going … how you are moving your body … how drinking water is going. Share what is going on with you, so you can be supported and so you can inspire!
Have a great week everyone!
Brave not perfect,
Caroline J, Fit Chicks Movement Community Manager
Week of July 11, 2021
Hello Ladies! Whew! What a busy week. My week was filled with the usual things, … work, kids, cooking, washing clothes, working out … but it seemed like there was a lot more of it and a lot less time! The good news is, no one died and enough got done! I spent some time thinking about our practice this month of creating a goal. Last week I shared that I would really like to have a habit of writing every morning and a habit of stretching every day. Both of these things are things that I really want to be a natural part of how I do life. I really enjoy writing. I think for me, the best time to write would be in the morning, maybe even before I’ve left my room - before my day get’s started. That is the part of the day that I’m most free to be with my thoughts, without the interruption and pull of having to be at work, or having to get ready for something during the day, or family members in my house needing me for something. All that makes sense right? Well it does make sense! What’s the problem you ask? I do not like getting up early. I like lounging in my bed before starting my day. I like laying in my bed with my thoughts.
I found the article that I shared with everyone last week to be super helpful in defining what a habit is and how to think about goal setting. The article attached below states under July Week 1’s post, “Habits aren’t active choices you make. They’re automatic responses. Deciding to go to the gym today isn’t a habit, but going without giving it a second thought is.” Wanting the habit of walking every day and saying you are going to do it, may not bring you success in creating this as a habit. The “wanting” of something, when it comes to our health, often times is not enough to get us moving, or to get us to stop consuming sugar, pop and chips. Creating a habit to start doing something or to stop doing something takes time and it is a day by day practice. The article below suggest starting small - setting small goals to help you change behaviors, to help you get closer to the habit that you want to create. If you are not a person who is used to walking 2 miles every day but you would like for walking to become a normal part of your life, starting small might look like putting on sneakers that you would walk in and just putting them on your feet every day to form the habit of putting on walking shoes. Once that habit has taken shape, the next step might be walking out of your door taking 10 steps, and walking back in. I think you get the gist of it right?!
So! I have decided that I want to create a habit of writing every day. So, my plan is to not LAY in bed, but SIT UP in bed in the morning for 10 minutes with paper in my lap. I will set a timer to time myself. That is my plan for moving myself closer to writing every morning!
What habit will you begin to create? Please share in the comments below and also share what small thing you are going to do starting this week to bring you closer to creating that habit.
Have a wonderful week! Keep drinking water!
Brave not perfect,
Caroline J.
July 2021 Week 1
Hello Ladies! Hope you are enjoying the warm weather and enjoyed the holiday weekend! I hope that you were able to spend some time enjoying family, friends, enjoying play, and taking care of yourself. True connection with others, self-care and play are pieces of the foundation for our health and well-being.
These things were the corner-stones of my weekend. I enjoyed spending time with my best friend. I spent time connecting with another best friend via text who couldn’t be with our usual trio. I have been and want to be very intentional about staying connected with friends and family who are supportive, who “see” me, love and accept me - imperfect and flawed, and who I can be real and authentic with, who are willing to be real and authentic back. I enjoyed “play” (dinner, movie, talk, joking and laughing) with friends and family and my self-care involved a cardio workout, an amazing pedicure and a couple of hours sitting on my deck.
I’m finding that there is some mix of awareness, being intentional, setting goals, and developing habits that helps with taking steps toward fitness, nutrition, and well-being and helps keep them top of mind.
As I was sitting on the deck Sunday evening, I asked myself what habits have I created, and are sticking and working for me in my quest to be healthy and happy? The first one that comes to mind is how I drink water. I always drink from a large container and I carry water with me everywhere I go … I carry it from room to room watching TV, cleaning or cooking … I take it to my bedroom when I go to bed and I have it with me at my desk when I am working. I always have water with me in the car in a big vessel. This habit works and helps me get my water in.
Meal prep is another habit that I started 4 years ago that works for me. It takes away a lot of decision making on a daily basis of what I am going to eat. Not having to make decisions on what I am eating daily, saves me a number of decisions every week, where I could have chosen poorly. Brushing my teeth in the morning and before bed is a habit that is working for me. Washing my hands after using the bathroom and when I cook are habits that have worked well for me.
So here’s what I propose for July. Let’s spend some time this week thinking of a habit that we’d like to cultivate. Let’s do this slowly and spend the first week of July really spending time thinking about 3-4 things that we wish we would do regularly or want to do regularly.. Let’s also include this week, reading the attached article about “Habits - What Are They, Tips for Forming Them, and More”. Write your 3-4 things that come to mind, read the article and then go back to your list, select one thing and then tweak it based on what you learned from this article.
I will share with you 2 of the things that I want to cultivate into a habit. The first is I want to have a habit of getting up in the morning and writing every day. The second is, I want to stretch every day. Share 1 or 2 things you want to make a habit to benefit your health and well-being. Then next week, we will select our 1 thing to focus on, and we will tweak it based on what we learn in our reading below.
Please participate and share in the comments, 1 or 2 things that you want to cultivate into a habit.
Thanks everyone. Drink water, eat veggies and have a wonderful week ladies!
Habits: What Are They, Tips for Forming Them, and More
Brave not perfect,
Caroline J.