It's Habit Forming

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going”. ~Jim Ryun

Now of course, the idea of a habit is not a cutting edge term, but did you know that the research that is being done on habits is considered cutting edge?  I hope you've been paying closer attention to your habits this week. Have you thought about the power of this five letter word?  Have you ever experimented with this concept as a way to beat back resistance in your life?

To be honest, I never really considered a habit as being a powerful tool. But I do know that in the past when I bolted into a multi-pound weight loss program, I didn’t keep the weight off.  I do know that when I decided to do a massive clean sweep of my closet …..it didn’t stay clean. When I decided I would work out at the gym and get rid of those flappy underarms...they're still flapping and I'm no longer going to the gym….. After getting psyched at a writer’s conference, I decided that I would go home and write a book….it’s still not written.  When I decided that in order to become a better cook I would make new recipes every week…no such luck.  I was motivated to do all of these things, but my willpower gave out as I was racing to the finish line, or was it the starting gate….I see now that I was going into battle without my armor on, and resistance easily won out.

A recent headline on the internet caught my eye. “Forget Willpower and Do This Instead”.  It was an article and interview with the CEO of Weight Watchers international, David Kirchoff.   The article began, “Every morning he springs out of bed, grabs the exercise clothes he’s laid out the night before, works out, and has breakfast. Every single morning, the same routine, the same breakfast: oatmeal with blueberries and banana, a non-fat Greek yogurt, some grapes, and coffee." When he began working for the company in 2000 at the age of 34, Kirchoff weighed 245 pounds. He has since lost 45 pounds and kept the weight off. He said the key to losing his weight and keeping it off is not will power…"will power will always let you down. I’ve learned to make myself a creature of habit,” 

As most of us can testify…when will power meets resistance it gets ugly, and although the battle can go on for a time…resistance usually walks away with the trophy.

Since starting my small steps blog over 1 ½ years ago I have been seeing positive changes in my life, but I was attributing the results to the fact that the changes I was making were small, therefore doable. And I still think that is the way to go, but what I didn’t consciously take into account was that I was developing new healthy habits, along with the small changes.  I see now that’s what helps me to fight against resistance and able to stay dedicated to the changes I am making.  As I broke down my larger goals into smaller steps, I was actually integrating changes of habits without realizing it.

Let me give you an example.  I decided that I wanted to walk more and get more exercise while I was at work.  I used to park right in front of my office and get in the elevator with my school cart and ride up to the second floor.  Then I would only walk a few more steps from my office, and down the hall to teach my classes.   My new plan was to park a considerable distance from my office (about ½ mile) and get rid of my book cart, so I could walk/run up and down the stairs several times each day. I also requested that I teach in classrooms that were across the campus from my office.  It’s been over a year since I began, and now I just automatically pull into the distant lot, take a brisk morning walk and high tail it up the stairs. When it’s time to teach my class, I throw my books in the back pack and do some speed walking  across campus to get to class on time.  It’s now just part of my daily routine….it’s become a habit…who knew?

I may just be speaking for myself, but I really like this concept of how our habits have the power to beat back resistance. I’m excited and willing to learn more about how habits shape our lives and how we can shape our habits.

So next week, check in on my blog and let’s analyze what goes into shaping our habits and see if we can channel that into productive patterns in our lives.  What do you think…could this be habit forming?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Post them on the blog or email me, Karen, at: smallsteps4bigresults@yahoo.com