One habit I have built over the last few months is writing these blog posts for you. In the past we would have a blog go up here and there when we had time. It was inconsistent. Then COVID hit. I wanted to keep everyone informed with what was going on, we wanted to help you stay active and healthy, and we also wanted to keep in contact with you constantly so we do not lose the relationships we have built with each one of you. I could have posted two days a week, but chances are I would do it when I had time and it would not be consistent. Now it’s a habit. I write daily. I workout then sit down, have a smoothie and start to write content I think will help you the most. Writing five days a week has made it a habit that I will now do consistently. Here are some tips to start building good habits:
1) Commit to thirty days – Three or four weeks is a good amount of time to make habits automatic.
2) Make it daily – Consistency is critical if you want to make a habit stick. If you want to start exercising, try doing something every day. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout but maybe two days at the gym, two walks and two days being active outside. Try to do this the same time each day and at the same place if possible.
3) Start simple – Don’t try and change your life in one day. Start with twenty minutes of exercise then build up to fourty five minutes then one hour. Don’t start a meal plan that is full of food you never eat. Start with eating a healthier breakfast then move on to the next task.
4) Remind yourself – Around two weeks in it can be easy to forget. Place reminders in your phone or on your fridge of what you need to do each day.
5) Stay consistent – The more consistent your habit, the easier it is to stick to. Instead of packing your lunch some days and eating out others. Consistently pack two healthy snacks and your lunch every day. Eat your meals and snacks at the same time every day and try to eat them in the same spot. This will make it easier to commit to.
If you want to build lasting habits with exercise and nutrition be consistent, not perfect! What we notice at the gym is those that are in three times a week or more stick to it. We have people who have been around RAM for almost seven years, those are the people we see at least five days a week and they usually show up at the same time every day! This consistency has built habits that last a lifetime.
Hedges between keep friendships green.