Finding your routine is vital.
This can’t just be any routine, it needs to be a routine that puts in motion the person you want to become. This is the absolute key to breaking bad habits and creating new, healthier habits ultimately transitioning you into the person you desire to be. Although there are many studies out there attempting to prove exactly how long it takes to change your habits, the one thing that every single study agrees on is time. Although we wish these changes could happen overnight, unfortunately it takes consistent effort and patience to break bad habits.
What I have found works for me is, setting 3 goals at the beginning of each day persisting of things that I think will help me become an improved version of myself. At the end of the day, if I’ve crossed these things off my list then I consider that “winning the day”. Over time, if I continue to “win the day” then once these 3 things become second nature and I no longer have to strive to achieve them, I create 3 new tasks that allow me to win the day, and so forth and so on. To me, if you win enough days out of the year, and you win that year, you will be amazed to look back and see just how far you have come in 365 days and how much further you can continue to go. These tasks don’t need to be insanely difficult, but they can’t be too simple either or else you won’t grow. I strive for tasks that will challenge me and potentially take me outside of my comfort zone because that is what holds me back from my own personal growth.
For me personally, I enjoy including improving the lives of my pets in one of my daily tasks. If it’s not going on walks, it’s spending 15 minutes a day throwing the ball with them, or eating dinner together (it’s not weird), or just being present in the moment with them (putting my phone down, not watching television, not working on my laptop) literally just sitting outside living in the present moment. These seemingly small tasks have greatly enriched my personal life, improved my relationships with family, and increased clarity for my future and purpose in this world.
For example, earlier this year 3 tasks I chose consisted of 1)Starting my day at 4 AM every morning 2) Taking my dog on three 15 minute walks daily 3)Only eating foods I prepared myself. These three daily tasks are not earth shattering by any means, but these have all become powerful staples of my daily routine. Not everyone’s routine will look the same because we all have unique goals and lives planned for ourselves, so what works for me may not necessarily work for you. But, at the end of the day, a solid routine will keep you growing and improving; and if you use this 3 step “win the day method” I promise you will begin to see results and may not even recognize yourself a year from now. Big changes start with small steps in the right direction. The goal is to create new lasting habits, so be patient with yourself and when times become difficult remember why you wanted to change in the first place.