Habits, do you really think about yours.  Why do you do what you do?  Do you realize that you are the sum of your habits essentially?

Over the next month my blog posts are going to talk about habits.  You will learn the essential elements of creating and maintaining good habits.  You will learn how long it takes to build a habit and get easy step by step lessons throughout the month to help keep you on track and reprogram your thoughts about habits.  Each post will challenge your thoughts and beliefs and invite you to create new healthy habits, one baby step at a time.

Change your thoughts, Change your habits, Change your life! – Janelle Baldwin

To start the month of May, I invite you to think about your vision for that future self.  Envision it, see it, feel it.  Then imagine that person and write down all the habits you think that person would have.  For example, if you want to eat healthy like your friend Kris, write down everything you think she does to support that habit.  Here are some ideas…

·         Writes a grocery list

·         Meal plans and uses healthy recipes

·         Food preps

·         Puts food in portions: bags and containers for work

·         Makes healthy grab and go options, avoids the vending machine

·         Packs a lunch, has a healthy snack drawer

·         Limits eating out

·         Avoids processed foods

·         Eats fruits and veggies daily

·         Cuts break room snacks in half

·         Has a support system

The more you envision that identity or who you want to be, the easier it is to think of the habits they practice.  This list might seem overwhelming at that time, but then the process continues. 

You are challenged to think about your beliefs and values.  Do you value your health?  Do you believe that eating healthy will give you longevity, energy and reduce diseases?  Do you value feeling good in the long term over feeling better for a moment with a sugary snack?  It all comes down to your values and beliefs.  If you want to be healthy and eat a more balanced diet, but your beliefs are based on your family of origins “clean plate club”, or you value the momentary boost of a Starbucks Frappe over the boost a healthy snack can deliver, you need to re-assess your beliefs and values.  If they contradict the person you dream of being, you will always struggle with becoming that vision.

Kris the healthy eater probably had some hurdles to overcome.  You can think back and remember how she used to eat a full slice of cake at the party, or order fast food with the office.  Then something changed, she started suggesting a menu that had healthy salad options and got dressing on the side.  She started asking if anyone wanted the other half of the donut in the break room.  She switched out her candy dish on her desk to dried apricots.  All these small changes that she made and new habits built over time.  She didn’t do it all at once, she replaced 1 habit with a healthier one and put in the work building the new habit.  When that got easy, she upped the candy dish, to a healthy snack drawer for herself.  She became the sum of her bite-sized habits over time.

She now has more energy; she has lost a few pounds and seems more motivated at work.  She is someone you look up to and admire.  She is the sum of her new habits. 

So instead of thinking about, I wish I could lose weight like Kris, start looking at your beliefs, values, and vision.  Then, make a list of your current habits.  DO they support the vision and dream?  Instead of trying to do away with “bad habits” and punish yourself…think about and devote energy to a new habit.  Pick a habit that you feel confident in starting.  Then, break that down into something you can do in two minutes or less.  Build the habit, feel the success, and create the wins and reps to move forward with this new habit.