The 5 Daily Habits Challenge!

Hi all! I hope you are having a great week. It's finally Wednesday which means only a couple more days until the weekend! That's cause for a celebration, no? 

I've had this topic on my heart for a while, so I wanted to write out some thoughts about the idea of daily habits. I'm reading through a book titled "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to be more disciplined with their life, reach their goals, and develop daily habits that will encourage growth in their lives. 

In his book, Olson states that our daily habits often determine how successful we are at reaching our goals. He also discusses how these habits are usually very easy to do, but also very easy NOT to do. This statement blew. my. mind. I know of some habits that I want to do every day (for example, exercise, sleeping at a decent time, saving a few extra bucks a month, reading 10 pages a day of a book that will help me grow, etc.) but I often miss the mark on these habits. I've convinced myself that these daily habits and goals are just too harddddd, and that's why I can't keep up with them. But reading this book and reflecting on his view of habits has completely changed my way of thinking and has helped me reexamine just how hard these habits actually are. 

1. Waking up 30 minutes earlier to workout is pretty easy. Ignoring my alarm is pretty easy too. 

2. Going to bed early so I CAN fit in that workout is easy. But continuing on the Netflix binge and just watching "one more episode" is pretty easy too. *Side note, my husband and I are working our way through Breaking Bad right now...and OH MY GOSH...it's been so easy to stay up late watching episode after episode.

3. Putting away $50 a week is pretty easy. But, buying that super duper cute top that I just have to have is pretty easy too. 

4. Reading 10 pages of a book will probably take me 10 minutes, which is pretty easy to fit into my day. Spending time on Facebook or Instagram for 10 minutes instead of reading is pretty easy too.  

So you see, these habits are easy to do, and just as easy NOT to do. It's that simple. And this realization has totally changed the way I've been viewing my goals and the daily habits I want to develop. 

I am going to stop viewing these disciplines as "hard" and give them the credit they deserve, which is not that much! Doing the things that I want to do is not that difficult. It's not like I want to build a house every day, buy a car every day, or lose 20 lbs in one day. Those big goals come around by implementing these small, seemingly insignificant, but oh so simple daily goals. 

So I am committing to 5 daily habits that will help me reach my greater goals in due time. By putting the work in now, we ensure that we will reach our goals later in life. Would you like to join me? I'd love that! Leave a comment and share the 5 daily habits that you will start doing TODAY! Let's see how long we last. Here are my daily habits! 

1. Spend time with Jesus every morning. Whether it's reading a devotional, praying, journaling, or having an extended quiet time with the Lord, this time is precious to and vital for me. 

2. Workout/drink my Shakeology. 

- Workout because my job is sickeningly sedentary and I NEED to move my body every day. I'm doing the 21 day fix (started another round yesterday) and LOVE it! 

-Shakeology because it is my nutritional powerhouse drink that gives me all the nutrients I need in a day. I haven't been sick once since drinking it, my digestion is pretty perfect (tmi sorry), and my skin is getting clearer by the day! 

** if health and fitness are a difficult area for you, please contact me! Healthy living is a passion of mine and I'd love to be a part of your journey to reach your goals!

3. Read 10 pages a day of a book that will help me grow. I love reading for fun, but I also want to read more on how to grow as a person, how to be financially smart, and how to be a better person overall. 

4. Save $10/day. This could go a long longgggg way! :) 

5. Go to bed by 9:30/10pm on weekdays (and preferably weekends too!) Sleep is so important for our overall health, energy, mood, and quality of life. I am just a miserable person when I don't sleep enough, and I want to give my body the rest it deserves!

Leave a comment with some of the daily habits you would like to commit to! And thank you so much for reading! ;) have a happy day! 

 

Self-Sabotage, Fear, and Freedom

Those three words speak volumes to me as I sit here trying to gather my thoughts. Self-sabotage has been on my mind for a while, and it completely baffles me. I often wonder how we as humans, who are pretty self-centered and out to better ourselves, can actually be our own worst enemy. We try to blame those around us for our short comings and failures, and sometimes yes, life is rough and things happen that we don't have control over. But so many times, WE sabotage our own efforts. I wonder if it is fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the unknown, or all three meshed into one confusing mess. I think back on my life (yes, I'm only 26 years old, but things have happened to me too!) and I see so many patterns that I wish I knew how to put a stop to at 15 years old. I'd like to share my thoughts and experiences with this topic and hope to inspire those around me that it is not a pattern we have to get stuck in!

Growing up, I always had a lot of goals and lists. Finish a certain number of books in a week (I was a huge bookworm), getting certain grades, practicing piano every day, etc. And for some reason, as a child, I always accomplished what I set out to do. However, starting in high school, I started to almost fear accomplishing my goals. I would get SO close to reaching a goal, and then at the last minute throw in the towel, give up, and even move in the opposite direction of where I was headed. The best example I can think of is my journey with my weight.

I was always a thin child but once I hit thirteen, the pounds started to stay with me. I couldn't do sports because of a knee problem, so my sedentary lifestyle and my love of goldfish and cookies lead to gaining 30 lbs in high school. It was a roller coaster for me: restricting to lose weight, then gaining it all back when my "diet" was too hard to follow. I finally got out of the resticive pattern in college and was able to lose weight in a healthy way. But even then, the minute I started getting into the "groove," nourishing my body, and actually feeling proud of myself, I would slam the breaks and turn towards my destructive food habits, gaining the weight back.  Even things that should motivate a person, such as an event or vacation, would only motivate me for a while. But then, literally 2 days before the event, I would give in to all my cravings and feel like I backtracked on all of my progress. It was a vicious cycle, and I've finally realized that I'm not alone in it.

Many of us sabotage our own health journeys because of fear. We fear being uncomfortable because we are "used to" the way we live. We get comfortable not reaching our goals and we think we are destined to be stuck in a destructive cycle.

It's time to stop this cycle! We deserve happiness. We should fear being complacent and NOT fear success! I've realized in this past year, and more so even in these past few weeks, that I am worth success. I am worth reaching my goals. There is nothing scary about achieving what you set out to accomplish. There is so much freedom in finally doing what you have always said you want to do.

But how do we do that? I think it really starts with a decision in our mind. We have to choose to believe that we are worth it. I believe God created each and every one of us. The Bible says we are more than conquerors in Christ. That means we were made for more than defeat! Believing what God says about you is the first step.

Then, it's changing your inner dialogue. I don't know if you've noticed, but there is always a script running through our minds, and our words can either be our best friends or our worst enemies. And guess what? We have the power to decide! God has given us a brain to think and decide things, so let's choose today, right now, to see ourselves as successful. To tell ourselves that we CAN resist those treats in the breakroom, or that it IS physically possible to fit in that 20 minute walk somewhere in our busy day. The more times you tell yourself you can, the closer you get to actually achieving your goals.

Lastly, I think you absolutely must have a plan. Take pen to paper and jot down your goals, then jot down all the ways you can think of to reach these goals. Do you have to set aside a couple hours during the weekend to meal prep? Do you have to go to bed a little earlier so you can get your workout done in the early morning? Do you have to look up some healthy recipes to change up your diet and not get bored? Write it all down, then DO THE THING! You deserve to be known as someone who follows through, attacks the day, and reaches his/her goals.

Now, if all of this seems a little daunting to you and you want some additional help, support, and guidance, please feel free to contact me! I am seeing clients and I would love to get to know you and more personally help you reach your goals. I even do Skype consultations if you aren't in the area. I am so passionate about helping people find freedom from the things that are holding them back. So, if you have any questions or want to work with me, please email me at TveenRD@gmail.com.

I hope someone out there was inspired by me pouring my heart out today! What is one thing you took away from this post? And what is one goal or task you will focus on achieving? Remember, you were made for success, and deserve every bit of it!