As the new year ticks over, resolutions stir all around me. Peeking out from behind dusty gym shoes and abandoned tools that once helped us toward our dreams.
We start off strong with a sudden burst of enthusiasm and get so excited about making a change and finishing a project. Then we trail off into a haze of work schedules and social commitments. Often it’s not the passion or motivation that’s lacking when it comes to achieving our goals.
1. Create the plan.
We need a framework to wrap our dreams around so we can step toward our ideal lifestyle. This framework is strong enough to withstand the winds of doubt lifting the edges, and the rain of external resistance hammering down. Storms will come and we need to be ready, with our wet weather gear on, rocking out to our favourite tunes in the rain.
Having clear goals can be a good thing, depending on your objectives in life, however there’s something more important that many forget (I certainly have) that will make or break the path to your best life.
2. Create the habit.
“We become what we repeatedly do.”
― Sean Covey
We humans are creatures of habit, and we will continue to do what we have been already doing, because most of the time it’s easier than changing our routine. Starting work on your favourite goal is not enough if you’re not already in the habit of dedicating regular time, energy, and focus to making progress.
Plenty of times I’ve itemised my goals and started down my new path, only to realise I soon sink helplessly back into the daily grind of life and lose sight of the prize.
One reason is because I try to change too much at once. Loading myself up with a pile of books and implementing 73 new things into my day always seems like an amazing idea at the time, but it doesn’t give me enough time to adapt to each change.
I just can’t cope with the shift.
Another reason is because I’ve set a massive goal, and haven’t taken the time to break it down into manageable bite-sized pieces.
Cramming your whole dinner in your mouth at once might appeal to your appetite, but it doesn’t actually help you swallow and get the food to where it needs to be.
3. Implement changes slowly. One at a time.
Give time for habits to form.
This gives a solid base to begin building our framework on the right foundation, so it’s strong from the beginning and we can build effectively.
I myself tend to get lazy and procrastinate. It’s one of my finest skills! Bursts of excitement and enthusiasm are no match for a master procrastinator! This is what I am now dedicated to changing, and if you’ve ever wanted to make long-lasting changes in your life too, I would love for you to join me on this adventure!
A close friend of mine recently worked through what she named “100 Days To Change My Life”. A personal daily journal of her challenges and triumphs in making some of the changes she had always wanted to make in her life and within herself. It’s a brilliant idea, and it was amazing to witness some of the goals and dreams that led her through the first steps of what continues to be an amazing journey, even after the 100 days were through.
This is the concept that led me to embark on 100 Day Habits. For me personally, the lack of solid habits in my life is what leads me off into the wilderness of ambiguity and confusion. It’s overwhelming when there’s so much to do and it feels like there’s no time to focus on a clear path.
I’ve heard a lot of people say things like “I just don’t have time”, or “I don’t know where to start”. Then, when it all gets too hard, we drift back to the instant gratification of things we know make us feel happy quickly.
Watching TV.
Browsing Facebook.
Pointless internet browsing.
Eating food.
Cleaning.
Whatever it is for you, procrastination can sneak up from any direction, so in those moments a regular habit can be the handrail that keeps you on the right path toward your ideal lifestyle.
Most of what I write about centres around a holistic perspective. The concept of well-being, which I find to be the sum of all aspects of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development.
Body, mind, and soul.
To grow, we need to nurture and develop all three points of this triangle. They must be in balance, and one can only reach so far if the other two are lacking. The body can only develop so far if the mind is unfocused. The soul can only be content if the mind is aware and the body is in good shape.
This adventure will take us through setting the foundation of health for all these points by coming back to the basic fundamental building blocks of survival, then deliberately and consciously building upon them with an exact lifestyle design in mind.
Depending on how well you adapt to change, this might seem a little boring at first and won’t be dramatically changing our lives on day one, but we’ll take it slowly and start building that solid foundation first.
This plan is based around the idea of giving yourself time to form solid habits before loading yourself up with more and more changes, but also will keep you constantly learning, evolving, and stepping up smoothly toward an efficient, productive and exciting lifestyle that is exactly the way you want it to be.
What’s one dream you’ve always wanted to reach, but haven’t ever really given it a shot?
Leave a comment below and get it out there into the world!
