Well, it’s mid June – that means 2016 is more than half over. How are you doing on your goals for this year? Have you completed some of them?
What I have noticed lately is that it’s just about impossible to meet new goals when life is buzzing along with more responsibilities than one can handle. I have my garden, which takes up a lot of time in spring and summer. The lawn (what little is left) needs mowing often. I have my work, graduations, summer parties, and I live on a lake so it’s nice to get down there for a swim or to watch the sunset over the water…
Here’s an idea I started about six weeks ago, and so far it’s working for me. You may want to give this a try.
I have a checklist of five habits that I want to make a part of my daily routine. Things that I find myself letting slip sometimes, like taking my morning AND evening vitamins, getting more aerobic exercise, filling the tea kettle at night before bed, etc. I started with five items and each day checked them off when they were done. I also have an accountability partner that checks in with me to help keep me on track. After about five weeks, three of my habits had become ingrained and I now do them regularly – even when travelling!
Now, you may not think that filling the tea kettle before bed, so that I only need to turn it on in the morning on my way to the bathroom, is a big deal. But I knew that it would make me feel better to be more prepared for my day and I also knew that a couple of the items had to be simple so I could get them down pat in a month. It worked. Now I’ve added three more items to replace the three that are routine and I’ll keep going with these five for several weeks until they also become routine.
Science shows that it takes about 30 days to form a new habit, so be sure to give yourself enough time.
Best of Health,
Kathi
