Think mini with your habits, think massive with your vision
It’s roling around toward the start of a new year again. People like to set long term-goals, and then realise, I think I set that one last year? What goals are you thinking of setting for the new year?
I definitely think goals are good to have, but goals without any action become a goal that seems to roll on to the next year. It’s easy enough for this to happen; I mean who is giving us practical advice on this? I don’t remember learning about self-discovery, self-growth, emotional intelligence or much in regards to our general wellbeing at school?
I've become curious about what makes people achieve their health and well-being goals. Or at least make some good progress. How often do we see people buy a gym pass, then find they are not going? I’m learning that people who achieve the goals they set, have short term habits that they need to do every day.
Here's some tools I've being implementing that have helped me achieve a more healthy lifestyle:
Minihabits
Most of us can admit that there are areas in our life that are a bit of a mess of bad habits. I certainly have more than a few areas I’m still working on. The great news is, we have the ability to change. With some of the right knowledge and a recipe to change, what was impossible, becomes possible.
Stephen Guise, the author of ‘Minihabits’ explains that a mini habit is a very small positive behaviour that you force yourself to do everyday. He describes how the action of starting a mini habit reduces internal resistance so you are more likely to consistently practice and make it an actual habit. Mini habits are basically too small to fail.
I love this as it really prompts me to take action. I realised that for years I’ve been carrying round a mentality that exercise is unenjoyable, involves some long painful and excruciating sweaty experience. Or that, my current level of 'unfitness' is just too embarrassing for me to make to start. For years I compared myself to those people that are able to run km effortlessly, strut around at the gym like they know what they're doing, and really, the thought of a daily hour long slog to 'get fit and healthy' felt simply unachievable. Clearly, this way of thinking about exercise is not helpful or motivating. But I do suspect I'm not alone in thinking like this.
If this feels a bit like you, you are normal. The secret is to change your approach to getting started. We basically need to retrain our brains first, to help us get started.
Make your habit ridiculously easy
You need to develop a habit that sounds relatively stupid compared to the most you can do. For example Stephen Guise started with 1 push up a day. This makes sure that on your worst days, when you don’t feel like doing it, your mind says –“ its only one. I can do it.” Then, you are more likely to actually do it. The first step forward is always the most important one. Obviously if you feel like it, you can scale up, and do 5 push-ups. The key is to always achieve your mini habit. This gives you a sense of achievement and success.
I often drop into gyms and parks around the place. In the past I always thought I needed to smash myself for at least an hour at the gym doing all the stuff I hate. Like 30 minutes on the treadmill or something. These days, I go in with a goal to do half an hour of my favourite movement and tell myself how great I am for turning up and doing something. More often than not, I end up doing more. Guilt and inadequacy come with goal failure. With mini habits there is no room for this. You are guaranteed success.
Try make your daily habit, a one minute plank, a walk to the corner of the street – does this sound kind of stupid to you? Well, then it’s perfect.
Think more than just physical health
Making change requires thinking bigger picture. I know, this sounds like it clashes with the concept of minihabts. To make changes to our health, takes a whole new shift in our thinking. Rather than focusing on exactly what food you are eating, or how hard you are exercising daily, try develop a mindset where you really care for your health.
You know how businesses have a vision and a strategic direction? Well its important we also develop our own, otherwise we get off track. Its just being human. Ask yourself, what kind of person do you wish to be? How do you want to live your life? How active and vibrant are you really? What do other people say about the kind of person you are? Then, really get real with yourself (with a big dose of compassion!). How does your weekly drinking habits, eating habits and physical activity habits currently look? Does this align with how you want to living? Are you doing lots of what you really love doing in your daily life?
I mean, its pretty exciting that as human beings, every moment is an opportunity for us to change. It doesn't have to be full blown, and cutting back 100% on all the processed food in your life. In my experience this is a recipe for rebounding and failure down the track. Make it a transition filled with curiosity and incremental adjustments rather than a strict regime of following rules. It is what you do every day that impacts on your health, not what you do occasionally. As Dr Libby quotes:
“All of the tiny decisions you make throughout your day create your lifestyle” - Dr Libby Weaver, Women's Wellness Wisdom
In summary:
Make some mini habits - daily habits that are so ridiculously small they are impossible to fail. A one minute plank daily, or 1 push up daily is perfect. Feel free to do more if you want, just make sure you do one.
Develop a mindset where you really care for your health. Think big, set your direction for your life. Ask yourself questions that prompt you to visualise your ideal life.
Slowly transition into a new way of living - not an all at once strict new eating plan. Gently add a few more greens to your plate, choose veggies you like. Notice opportunities in your day to add in a little extra walking or stretching.
Heart & Mind Yoga has classes and workshops for regulating the body and mind to build our foundation of wellbeing Book here
Jo Jarden is a personal trainer and yoga teacher and the founder of Heart and Mind Yoga studio in Central Christchurch. With 10 years experience in health promotion, she now helps people one on one with their wellbeing. Services include, yoga teaching, personal training, workplace yoga and wellbeing workshops.