How to Form REAL Habits
It’s 15 days into the new year and I bet your head is still spinning from the holidays.
A few days ago the kids went back to school, last week many of us went back to work, and today you are still thinking about all the changes you want to make this year.
So in an effort to help you navigate this frantic feeling, let’s talk about the BEST way to actually form a REAL habit.
Now first off, what is a REAL habit.
Well brushing your teeth is a REAL habit and for the sake of this discussion we will use it as the comparative throughout, so here is how I define a REAL habit.
Brushing your teeth looks like this:
- You do it every day, probably 2x a day or more (constant)
- If you miss it you feel gross, it is virtually a necessity (compelling)
- You brush the same way each day, 2-3 minutes, circles, etc. (consistent)
- If you travel, sleep elsewhere, etc. you make sure it’s included (considered)
Your goal this year should be to make, exercise, balanced eating, and sleeping like brushing your teeth.
All 3 should be:
Constant (done weekly or daily)
Compelling (you feel not yourself when you miss it)
Consistent (eat the same way, workout and sleep the same amount of time)
Considered (if you travel, your week is crazy etc. you figure it out and plan to still make it happen)
Alright, so how do you build a habit up to this level?
Well, it’s definitely not by doing everything all at once.
So let’s break it down. Long term then short term.
Exercise long term should be: Strength training 3x a week, with some cardiovascular exercise included or as an extra day. Let’s say each should be a minimum 1 hour, so 3-4 hours a week of challenging exercise.
Walking, dancing, and moving in any other way is great and should be done as much as possible, but in the long term it is not enough on its own, but it could be where you start.
Food long-term should be: Eating 3 meals per day, eating whole and nutrient-dense foods, limiting processed foods, balancing every meal with protein, carbs, vegetables, and healthy fats, plus supplementing with the vitamins and protein that you miss each day.
Some easy must-have metrics are hitting 0.7g per lb of body weight of protein daily and 25g of fibre daily. Supplement protein, magnesium citrate, vitamin D3, and B12 as a starting point.
80% of the time eat really well, 20% live a little and enjoy some pizza.
Reduce alcohol consumption to a bare minimum. Special occasions and celebrations only.
Sleep long term should be: 8 hours uninterrupted as often as possible. Go to sleep at the same time and wake up the same time 90% of the time. Don’t eat within 2 hours of bed and try to stop looking at screens 30 minutes to 1 hour before bed. Wake up and go outside/walk basically get sunlight first thing, try not to drink coffee until about an hour after waking up, drink water first thing instead of coffee, and then limit coffee to 1-2 cups a day max.
All of these are some great habits that long term will have an amazing effect on your health.
WOAH THAT SOUNDS DIFFICULT CONNOR.
Well that is why you start with one part and build. I do pretty much all of those things weekly, without much failure. Why? Well because I have built up my routine over YEARS.
So here is how you start.
You have 12 months.
Pick 1 piece that I mentioned from each health requirement and master that over 4 weeks.
If you don’t miss it in 4 weeks then move on to the next habit, and stack it on top of the one you just mastered.
That’s 3 habits a month, which will be 36 for the year, and is huge progress in the most undaunting way you can create for yourself.
The fact of the matter is you have to start somewhere. You have to track and stay accountable. You must also give yourself time to get better and not overwhelm yourself, but you also can’t quit.
Did your parents let you quit brushing your teeth? They did not.
When you were 4 years old, remembering to brush your teeth every day, 2x a day for 2-3 minutes was difficult. In fact, you needed other humans to manage you through this for years. It was difficult, but now it isn’t because it’s a REAL habit.
The fact is you are an adult now and just like brushing your teeth, these 3 things are also a life requirement, not a choice. It’s time to start accepting that.
So unless you want to pay for a new parent (Connor Pettersen Parent/Trainer Extraordinaire) then you must manage yourself starting right meow!🐱
Before the end of the day pick the 3 habits you are working on for January and get started.
