How to change your habits - One baby step at a time!

Good morning, gang!

I've been MIA for a little bit....Winter doldrums, what can I say? ... and feeling, well...just a little uninspired.

But this morning I checked out http://www.success.com and it led to my finding an article that really resonated with me and made me realize, it was something I'd been doing without realizing it that helped me reach goal! So I'm hoping I can pass this along to those of you who may be struggling.

From the website:
"Anyone who’s achieved success knows it’s more than a matter of mere luck. When I prepare to succeed by consciously scheduling my workout time in advance, and I commit to it just as I would an important business or doctor appointment, I find it easy to follow through; no “thinking” is required. I do the same with my meals. When I schedule what I’m going to eat, what time and in what quantity, before the day begins, I don’t waste any time or conscious energy figuring it out on the fly."
Here's the thing. It's not ABOUT the 'big' changes. The huge announcements or resolutions....you know, things like "I'm going to stay 100% OP no matter WHAT this year, I'm going to get to goal, PLUS I'm going to work out 3x a week FOREVER!"

When we set huge goals for ourselves, they don't work.

Why?

Because it's TOO MUCH. It's too high a goal. It may be doable for a day or two, or even a week or two, but sooner or later you get sick and tired of it all .... Medi-fatigue sets in (LOL)....and we give up.

And then we hate ourselves. How could we be so STUPID? We're so WEAK, we can't do this, we'll NEVER do this, we might as well give up and be FAT. Right?

...or we tell ourselves that maybe this plan isn't for us. Maybe we need to try something different. So we run around buying diet pills or supplements (amazing the claims these companies make....mostly UNTRUE!) and we try crazy diets or waste a lot of money on some new 'weight loss breakthrough formula' that does absolutely NOTHING.

And then we feel like a failure again.

So what's the answer?
Well, I believe -- and I've ALWAYS believed -- that it all starts with LITTLE steps. BABY STEPS. Not big pronouncements. Just small things you do each and every day that 'trigger' a healthy habit.

Let me give you a small example. When I'm stuck at home because of the weather or whatever, and I can't get to the gym, I want to work out. I NEED to get on my treadmill for at least 20 minutes. But it's downstairs in the basement and I can make all kinds of excuses, get busy doing other things, etc. and NOT get it done.

So here's what I do. I decide that I'm going to get on the treadmill precisely at 11:00 am. And I'm going to use my headphones or iPod with my favorite tunes on it in my ears, and I'm going to do interval training (fast for a little bit, then slow, then fast, then slow etc) for half an hour....basically for 10 songs.

And when I'm done I'll eat lunch.

I tell myself I can't eat lunch until I do my treadmill workout.

So I've set up a trigger - 11 am, a habit I want to do - the treadmill, and a reward - having lunch.

Now it sounds STUPID, but it works! It really does. It reinforces my brain to do what I set out to do. I even PICTURE myself doing it. I 'rehearse' the behavior in my mind. (this works great before a social event, too, by the way...picture yourself saying 'No' and staying OP)

You can do this type of thing with any habit you want to incorporate into your life.

On days when I CAN get to the gym, for example, I have my breakfast and at 8:30 SHARP, I get up, put my exercise clothes on, and I'm ready for the gym. The trigger is 8:30 am and my exercise clothes (studies have even SHOWN that it's as simple as putting your workout clothes on! REALLY!). The behavior is getting to the gym - and of course once I'm there I work out because everyone else is, right? Classes help, too...because I can't very well leave in the middle, it would be too embarrassing! LOL....and the reward is, afterwards I have my mid-morning MF meal like a bar or a bag of pretzels on the way home.

For eating OP, I PLAN in advance what I'm going to eat. Or at least have a couple of choices -- all within the guidelines of the 5/1.
I picture myself eating them and being satisfied, and drinking my water. And again, the trigger occurs -- which in the case of dinner the trigger is my husband walking up the stairs from work....and I get up, make my planned L&G, and eat it. There is no alternative because I've set up everything ahead of time...the frig has ONLY OP foods in it...I've defrosted the chicken or whatever...and I KNOW what I'm going to eat. So it's just 'following the bouncing ball'!

Staying OP isn't hard when you break it up like this. Tiny baby steps. Each one leads to staying OP overall.

Drinking all my water? Same thing. The water glass and a pitcher are at my side all day. Whenever I take a break for a second from whatever I'm doing, I sip from the glass. Continually doing this means I often finish all 64 ozs. by lunchtime!

It's not hard when you break it down into LITTLE steps.

So forget the grand goals....and think SMALL. Think in terms of what LITTLE steps you can do....little triggers that you can incorporate into your life so that the trigger occurs, and it automatically leads you to do the behavior you want. And then you reward yourself...a simple 'atta girl' in your head is enough. Draw a happy face on your food log or literally pat yourself on the back after logging your meals every night.

Whatever WORKS for your life.

Here's the full article....I hope I've explained it properly, but if not, the article may help:

http://www.success.com/article/tiny-habits

KEEP ON keepin' on!

Linda
angiecat6@comcast.net