So, you’ve made a list and the intention to #habitbetter is strong. But lately, life gets in the way and the daily yoga flow you promised yourself just isn’t happening.
So now what?
Just like baking a cake (mmm tasty) or finding the perfect workout shoe (is there just one?), finding a routine that works for you consistently takes some trial and error. The trick is to understand why something isn’t working for your lifestyle and then make adjustments so that your habits and routines serve you instead of adding unnecessary complexity to your life.
Here are some potential habit hurdles and solutions.
Start with the quick and easy
If your life is super busy, then maybe a commitment to 20 minutes of yoga flow every day is a step too far. Find a five-minute routine on your favorite YouTube channel or app and commit to just five minutes once or twice a week instead.
If your habit is too much of a challenge in terms of time or commitment, then you just won’t do it. Pick something that you will DEFINITELY be able to show up for and gradually keep moving towards the bigger goal.
Stack your habits
Do you find that by bedtime you just haven’t made the time for your new habit? Consider stacking your habit to something that you already do on the regular.
Schedule your meditation commitment before you brush your teeth. Commit to eat your portion of veggies before you tuck into the main event. By stacking your new habit to something you already do you can easily make the new habit stick.
All or nothing sucks
Will you fail at #habitbetter? Probably. Will it take longer than you planned? Absolutely. It is pretty much guaranteed that you will fall off the wagon. But it isn’t that first tumble that causes the problem, it is the subsequent string of repeated bad habits that leads you astray.
So if you ate the whole pizza instead of just two slices, use the next meal to get back on your nutrition plan instead of engaging in a weekend-long junk food binge. If you missed a workout and watched Netflix instead, book in for the next available class and show up!
Make it a lifestyle
While it is satisfying to track your progress and tick off your habits each day, it shouldn’t be a race to the finish line.
Good habits should lead to incremental positive changes that you can sustain for a lifetime. While our #habitbetter challenge may only last a few months, these habits should help you reach your desired goals and behaviors and become your new normal. So make them doable in terms of your available time, resources and long-term goals.
By Coach Lisa
